Youth Engagement Officer - Autistic and OK

Ambitious about Autism; England; Hybrid; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous holiday allowance

Flexible working

Professional development opportunities

Job summary

A charitable organization focused on autism is seeking a Youth Engagement Officer to enhance the involvement of autistic young people in program development. You will coordinate workshops and training for young ambassadors, ensuring impactful engagement. Strong experience in youth work and understanding of autism is essential. The position offers a generous holiday allowance and flexible working arrangements.

Qualifications

• Considerable experience in youth work or related field.
• Experience working with neurodivergent young people.
• Understanding of autism and education barriers.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate recruitment and support of autistic programme ambassadors.
• Facilitate engagement sessions and workshops.
• Support co-production of programme content.

Skills

Youth work experience

Community engagement

Co-design with young people

Facilitation practices

Job description

Youth Engagement Officer - Autistic and OK

We're currently looking for a Youth Engagement Officer – Autistic and OK to join our team on a 2 year fixed term contract.

The Youth Engagement Officer will play a central role in ensuring autistic young people are meaningfully involved in shaping and delivering the next phase of the Autistic and OK programme. You will support the co-design and development of new peer-led workshops for the schools toolkit and developing resources for a whole school approach, collaborating with colleagues in the Participation team and a diverse group of autistic young people.

You will coordinate the recruitment, induction and ongoing support of our autistic programme ambassadors ensuring that their contributions are valued, inclusive and impactful. The role will involve facilitating engagement sessions and workshops with autistic young people, enabling them to co-produce programme content and participate in media, advocacy and public engagement opportunities.

We are looking for someone who has:

• Considerable experience in youth work, participation, community engagement, or a related field.
• Experience of working directly with young people, particularly neurodivergent young people, and facilitating their meaningful involvement in projects, workshops or campaigns, including both in-person and online formats.
• Proven experience of co-design or co-production with young people, with a strong understanding of inclusive and accessible facilitation practices.
• Understanding of autism and the barriers that autistic young people may face in education and participation settings.

In return, we offer great benefits including a generous holiday allowance and commitment to continued professional development (CPD), flexible, hybrid working and more!

Ambitious about Autism is committed to fostering equity, diversity, and inclusion at every level of our organisation. We warmly welcome applications from all qualified candidates, valuing the diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives they bring. We encourage applications from individuals regardless of race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origins, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy or parental status, disability, or age.

Our recruitment process promotes equal opportunities, and we are committed to providing reasonable adjustments for candidates with disabilities or additional needs throughout the recruitment process. Please contact our Recruitment Team for accommodations.

Ambitious about Autism is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and successful candidates will be subject to an Enhanced DBS check.