COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND SOCIAL VALUE OFFICER
Required for Oxford, Cambridge or Lancaster Oxford Archaeology’s Hybrid Working Policy will apply (see benefits).
Salary range £36,837 to £42,640 (dependant on experience)
Note – Our current work programme includes projects in the South-East, and officers will be required to travel for delivery in these locations. Other similar travel may be required.
Line Manager: Community Engagement and Social Value Project Manager
Contract: Permanent
Hours: 37.5 hours per week. Flexibility to work weekends and evenings as required (TOIL or paid overtime available).
Salary: £36,837 - £42,640
Function: As Community Engagement and Social Value Officer, you will collaborate with our existing Officer and support our Project Managers to develop and supervise the delivery of imaginative, meaningful, and impactful archaeological engagement and social value projects.
About the Community Engagement and Social Value Team
Oxford Archaeology is committed to empowering communities to work towards an equitable and sustainable future through understanding and connecting with our shared past. This work is led by Oxford Archaeology’s Community Engagement and Social Value (CESV) Team. Our role is to bring the discoveries made by our archaeological specialists to new and existing audiences, through exciting and enriching engagement projects. Our work includes both social value projects funded by commercial development (e.g. infrastructure and large-scale private developments) and community engagement projects funded by other means (e.g. partnering with local charities, research grants, and our own charitable work). We collaborate with stakeholders to develop and design these programmes, so we can harness archaeological heritage to address local priorities and contemporary challenges. To deliver these projects, we work with regional teams across Oxford Archaeology’s three offices (Lancaster, Cambridge, and Oxford), supporting our colleagues in Fieldwork and Post-Excavation to build and develop their engagement skills. We also closely collaborate with the Head of Communications and Communications Team to share our work and discoveries through online channels.
Responsibilities:
- In collaboration with Manager, work with community stakeholders, internal colleagues (including joint venture colleagues), clients and funders, to develop community engagement and social value programmes that deliver meaningful impacts for local communities.
- Lead delivery of imaginative and innovative engagement projects with diverse communities and audiences.
- Evaluate and report on community engagement and social value projects, using qualitative and quantitative data, for internal and external audiences (including clients, industry peers, community members, etc).
- Support and empower regional staff to build and develop engagement skills.
- Internally and externally advocate for the potential of archaeology to address contemporary challenges and deliver meaningful public impacts for new and existing audiences.
Essential skills required
- Imaginative and creative approach to community engagement, excited to explore new practices and approaches
- Clear communicator, able to adapt tone and vocabulary in verbal and written communication for different audiences
- Effective collaborator, able to work closely with colleagues with different specialisms
- Analytic, able to identify strengths and areas for improvement in group and individual work
- Commitment to embedding inclusion, accessibility, and diversity throughout your group and individual work
- Passion and enthusiasm for heritage / archaeology and its potential to deliver public benefit
Experience (may include professional, voluntary, or lived experience)
Essential:
- Engaging diverse communities and stakeholders in heritage / archaeology
- Delivering projects, including acquiring and managing resources, progress tracking, financial awareness, and logistics
- Developing and designing engagement projects / sessions with diverse communities and stakeholders
Useful:
- Evaluating and reporting on community engagement and social value projects, using qualitative and quantitative data
- Supporting colleagues to develop and practice new skills and expertise
- Supervising other people (colleagues, volunteers, or others) in public-facing settings
- Navigating the UK’s commercial and charitable archaeological sector
An Enhanced Disclosures and Barring Service check, and Baseline Personnel Security Standard clearance will be required for this role.
Employee benefits:
- Competitive, constantly benchmarked, salary range £36,837 to £42,640 (appointments will be made on the basis of demonstrated ability, previous experience and CIfA membership if appropriate).
- Generous annual leave with 24 days per year in addition to statutory holidays and concessionary days at Christmas.
- A company pension scheme with 6% employer contributions. Employees with ten years of employment or in project management roles gaining access to Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS), which is one of the few remaining defined benefit schemes in the UK.
- Continued professional development is strongly encouraged through a very supportive approach to further training and education, attendance of and contribution to conferences, and involvement with academic institutions.
- A generous hybrid working policy is in place, dependant on role, and a considerate approach is taken to flexible and part-time working where appropriate to the role, individuals’ personal circumstances, and the needs of the business.
- Subsistence payment of £23.50 per night (tax free) and free, single room accommodation (usually B&B or self-catering) for away-based projects.
- 37.5 hour (basic) week with optional paid overtime at time and a half for hours in-excess of 37.5 hours Monday-Friday and on Saturdays, and double time on Sundays and bank holidays.
- Paid travel time for journeys to site that take longer than one hour from the office.
- Comprehensive care for employee welfare through a number of policies, including: the AXA Health Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) Premier, generous paid sick leave and a network of mental health first aiders.
- Free DSE eye test with a voucher towards VDU-only glasses (via Specsavers) where required.
- We pay 100% of CIfA subscription fees.
- Cycle to work scheme.
How to Apply:
If you would like to be part of a respected and established organisation, please apply by completing an application form, available from: https://oxfordarchaeology.com/jobapplication
Alternatively, you can post your completed application form to:
HR, Oxford Archaeology, Janus House, Osney Mead, Oxford, OX2 0ES
Applications should include:
A CV no longer than two side of A4, tailored to this role.
A covering letter setting out
- Why are you interested in this role? (no more than 400 words)
- What key strengths would you bring to this role at Oxford Archaeology? (no more than 400 words)
- Why does archaeological engagement matter? (no more than 400 words)
If you have any questions, please email community@oxfordarchaeology.com.
Closing Date: Monday 3rd August
Oxford Archaeology is an Equal Opportunities employer. All applications are judged on the relevant skills and experience of the candidate, and not by gender, sexual orientation, marital status, religion, belief, age, nationality (other than where work permits may be required), or ethnicity. You must meet the requirements to live and work in the UK by UK Visas and Immigration.
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