VanESSA Driver and Project Support Officer

Suffolk County Council; Lowestoft; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 32,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Leave entitlement

Pension scheme

Flexible working

Learning and development

Staff networks

Discounts

Job summary

East Suffolk Council is seeking a part-time VanESSA Driver and Project Support Officer to operate a mobile hub vehicle and support the rural delivery programme.

The role requires driving in a work context, safety checks, and strong customer-facing skills. The post is based in Lowestoft/Leiston with flexible home/office working and a fixed-term contract until 30 September 2028.

Qualifications

• Experience driving as part of work-related role.
• Ability to carry out routine safety checks.
• Knowledge of health and safety in public-facing environments.
• Excellent customer service and interpersonal skills.

Responsibilities

• Safely operate and maintain the VanESSA mobile hub vehicle to support rural hub delivery.
• Perform routine safety checks and ensure vehicle readiness.
• Deliver high-quality customer service and support to the public.

Skills

Driving experience

Safety checks

Customer service

Job description

• East Suffolk Council
• Location: Lowestoft, NR33 0EQ or Melton, Woodbridge, IP12 1RT (the project is located in Leiston)
• Salary: £29,542 - £32,046 per annum (pro rata) (subject to job evaluation)
• Hours: 25 - 30 hours per week
• Contract: Fixed term contract until 30 September 2028

East Suffolk Council is an exciting place to work, delivering essential local services and making a real difference to a quarter of a million people across East Suffolk.

We currently have an opportunity to join East Suffolk Council's Communities Team as a VanESSA Driver and Project Support Officer.

Your role:

The successful candidate will safely operate and maintain the VanESSA (East Suffolk Support and Advice) mobile food and advice hub vehicle – a 2023, Euro 6, 5m Renault Master Manual Diesel - to support the practical delivery of East Suffolk Council's rural mobile hub programme.

What you will need:

The successful candidate will have experience of driving as part of a work–related role and carrying out routine safety checks. The post holder will have knowledge of health and safety responsibilities in a public facing environment and have excellent customer service and interpersonal skills.

Why work for us?

East Suffolk Council is a great place to work and there are lots of benefits our employees can access. To find out more about why we are so proud of East Suffolk Council, take a look at our video and hear why our employees think it is such a great place to work (YouTube).

Here are some of the main benefits:

• Generous leave entitlement (equivalent to 25 days a year, increasing to 31 days after 5 years’ service, plus bank holidays)
• Local government pension scheme
• Flexible working arrangements
• Learning and development tailored to your role
• A wide variety of staff support networks including access to health and wellbeing initiatives and programmes.
• Discounts on mobile phones, computers, holiday and travel, fashion and clothing, health and beauty and many other products and services.

Find more information about what we offer in our benefits brochure (pdf).

The majority of our teams are working in an agile way, with a mixture of home and office working, depending on individual preferences and service requirements.

Closing date: 9 October 2026

Interview date: 19 and 20 October 2026