Active Community Development Officer

Connected Local Government; Stanley; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A local government authority in England seeks two Active Community Development Officers to enhance community engagement in health and wellbeing. This role involves collaboration with residents and stakeholders to address barriers to physical activity. Candidates should possess an NVQ Level 3 or equivalent, along with experience in community development and project management. This temporary position offers a competitive salary and benefits including flexible working arrangements.

Benefits

Generous annual leave entitlement

Local Government Pension Scheme

Flexible working arrangements

Qualifications

• NVQ Level 3 or equivalent qualification in a related area.
• Experience of partnership working targeting hard to reach communities.
• Experience of working with voluntary and community groups.

Responsibilities

• Engage with residents to improve health and wellbeing outcomes.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to promote physical activity.
• Manage projects focusing on community needs.

Skills

Partnership working

Community development

Project management

Co-design with communities

Education

NVQ Level 3 or equivalent qualification

Job description

Temporary until 31 March 2028

Culture Sports and Tourism are looking for 2 Active Community Development Officers to join their Wellbeing, Sports and Leisure Service.

What is involved?

The Active Community Development Officer role will enhance and support County Durham’s place-based expansion work in conjunction with partners involved in the Moving Together network. Based within the community the role holder will engage with residents and work with communities in one of Peterlee/Horden/Blackhall, Stanley, Newton Aycliffe, Bishop Auckland, Shildon, to take a strength based, community centred approach to understanding and improving health and wellbeing outcomes. The central focus of the role requires strong collaboration with local stakeholders and residents of the place to understand the systemic barriers to physical activity.

We encourage you to contact George Richardson via email at [e-mail] to arrange an informal discussion about the role.

What will I need?

• NVQ Level 3 or equivalent qualification in a related area or experience in a relevant field, community development, partnership working, project management.
• Experience of partnership working targeting hard to reach people and communities.
• Experience of working with and in support of voluntary and community groups.
• Experience of co-design and co-production with local communities.
• Experience of planning, managing and evaluating projects, programmes or events. Please refer to the attached Person Specification for the full criteria.

Interviews

Interviews will be held on 23 January 2026

We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that can show they meet all the essential criteria and have indicated they have a disability, are a looked after young person, care leaver or a veteran.

Our offer to you

We offer a competitive rewards package that includes attractive salaries, a generous annual leave entitlement of 27 days (rising to 32 after five years’ continuous local government service), membership of the excellent contributory career average Local Government Pension Scheme, and a range of flexible working arrangements including hybrid working (home and office) where applicable. Explore the full range of rewards and benefits on our website https://www.durham.gov.uk/article/26895/Rewards-and-benefits-if-you-work-for-us

Rewards and benefits are subject to individual terms and conditions.

Equality, diversity, and inclusion

We are a proud equal opportunities employer and believe a diverse workforce brings fresh ideas and drives service improvement. We welcome applications from everyone and make employment decisions based on skills and ability. As a Disability Confident Leader, we actively encourage applications from disabled people and offer support throughout the recruitment process.

We welcome applications from disabled people and those who are or consider themselves to be neurodivergent.

How to apply

Please note we do not accept CVs. All applications must be submitted online via the Northeast Jobs portal. Use the Person Specification section of the form to clearly demonstrate how you meet the essential (and where possible, desirable) criteria. Applications that do not evidence the essential requirements will not be shortlisted. For guidance on completing your application, visit our website https://www.durham.gov.uk/article/2083/How-to-apply-for-a-job-with-us

If you require assistance when applying for this role, please contact our Recruitment Helpdesk on 03000 26 27 27 (option 5) or via email [e-mail]

All correspondence relating to your application will be sent from [e-mail]. Kindly check your spam/junk folder regularly to ensure you don’t miss any updates.

Permanent employees applying for a temporary position are required to seek approval from their line manager, to guarantee the return to their substantive post at the expiry of the temporary post.

Anyone currently listed on the Redeployment Register who would like to be considered for this vacancy should contact the Resourcing team via email [e-mail]

Connect with us

Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dccjobsandcareers/

Like us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/durhamcountycounciljobsandcareers

Visit our website https://www.durham.gov.uk/jobsandcareerswithus

#VPRS/161