Job title: Engagement Support Officer

Salary: C1 £28,598 - £31,022

Hours: 37

Contract: Permanent

Location: Reginald Centre

As an Engagement Support Officer you’ll thrive on supporting work that makes a real difference to communities, bringing organisation to busy workloads, and playing a key role in connecting people, services and local priorities.

It’s not about purely administrative, repetitive work — it’s about being at the centre of how the council connects with communities, supporting meaningful engagement and helping ensure local voices are heard and reflected in decision-making.

Leeds City Council is one of the largest employers in the region with over 14,000 employees. We seek to recruit and develop talented individuals who embody our council values and ambitions.

About you

As an Engagement Support Officer, you will bring to the role:

Work in a fast-paced environment
Experience of providing office/administrative support
Strong organisational skills and ability to prioritise workloads and meet deadlines
Good working knowledge of IT systems including Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook
Ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of stakeholders in a professional manner

About the role

As our next Engagement Support Officer you’ll play a key role in supporting how the Council engages with communities, elected members and partner organisations. You will help ensure local priorities are understood and responded to by maintaining accurate systems, supporting engagement activity, and ensuring enquiries are handled efficiently and professionally.

The role offers variety and pace, combining administrative support, financial processes, and community-focused work. You’ll be at the heart of delivering effective local engagement, helping to coordinate activity that makes a tangible difference to neighbourhoods across the city.

The role is integral to our Community Engagement team, which works closely with Community Committees and a wide range of partners to support local decision-making, strengthen community relationships, and ensure resources are used effectively to meet local needs.

What we offer you

We take pride in offering the best employee experience, with benefits including:

a competitive salary and annual leave entitlement plus statutory holidays
membership of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund with generous employer contributions
flexible and hybrid working arrangements subject to service requirements
a clear career pathway and continuing professional development opportunities
a range of staff benefits to help you boost your wellbeing and make your money go further

How to apply

Please complete the online application form.

Read our guidance for further advice on completing your application.

If you have any queries or would like an informal chat about the role please contact Carl Hinchliffe on the following email: carl.hinchliffe@leeds.gov.uk

We welcome applications from everyone and actively seek a diverse range of applicants from all backgrounds and cultures. We particularly encourage applications from, but not limited to, women, carers, veterans as well as LGBT+, ethnically diverse, disabled and care experienced people.
This role is based in the UK. Home Office guidance states that candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK prior to commencing employment, either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa.

If you do not have the right to work in the UK, you must consider your own eligibility for sponsorship for a particular role through the Skilled Worker visaroute before applying. To be eligible for sponsorship you'll usually need to be paid the standard salary rate of at least £41,700 per year or meet one of the other eligibility criteria. Please ensure you are eligible before applying.

Job Description

Job purpose:

Support in the delivery of the Communities Team’s financial and community engagement functions. Providing an effective, flexible support and engagement function for the Communities Team which includes Community Committees, locality working and a range of city wide functions.

Responsibilities:

Support and administer the Community Committee’s localised budgets, maintaining financial integrity at all times.
Contribute towards a robust and secure authorisation and recording process, in line with corporate procurement and financial procedures (including issuing of funding agreements, monitoring of projects and undertaking budget reconciliation).
Utilise a range of IT platforms including FMS, Microsoft Excel, social media, Skype, Zoom and SharePoint, along with any others as appropriate for financial and engagement purposes
Support in the delivery of a comprehensive and high quality grants programme, alongside engagement activities for the Head of Stronger Communities and the Communities Team.
Maintain high standards of confidentiality at all time in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulations.
Support and be actively involved in engagement activities including Community Committees, Community Committee workshops, Youth Summits, Community Committee Sub Groups, public forums, events and festivals, with ward members, colleagues and members of the public.
Work with the Communities Team in other areas, supporting and assisting collaborative problem solving activities to build a consistent approach to processes and adherence to council policies and procedures
Contribute to council or partnership programmes that support the delivery of the council’s priorities in order to deliver better, more integrated, responsive and personalised local services.
Work with elected members, partners, service users and community representatives in ways that are open, inclusive, responsive and accountable, underpinned at all times by the council’s core values.
Promote positive solutions to achieve equality and diversity in all aspects of the council’s service delivery
Flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required commensurate to grade
Participate in appraisal, training and development activities as necessary to ensure up to date knowledge and skills
Improve own practice through observation, evaluation, discussion with colleagues and development programmes.
To work collaboratively with colleagues, knowing when to seek help and advice.
Contribute to the overall ethos, work, and aims of the service by attending relevant meetings, training days/events as requested.
Be aware of and comply with Leeds City Council policies and procedures e.g. child protection, health, safety and security, confidentiality and data protection, reporting all concerns to an appropriate person
Be aware of and support difference and ensure equality for all working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding and promoting the values, standards and equal opportunities of Leeds City Council.
Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment or victimisation and any form of abuse of equal opportunities, ensuring compliance with relevant policies and procedures.
The Council has adopted a flexibility protocol and this role will be expected to work within these parameters.

The duties outlined are not meant as an exhaustive list and will also comprise any other duties within the spirit of the post commensurate with the job evaluation outcome for this post.

Qualifications: Qualifications demonstrating Literacy & Numeracy

PERSONAL SPECIFICATION

ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS: It is essential that the Candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria for the post within the context of the specific role duties and responsibilities: Candidates will only be shortlisted for interview if they can demonstrate on the application form that they meet all the essential requirements

Method of Assessment will be through one or more of the following Application Form, Test, Interview, and Certificate

Skills Required

Able and willing to be flexible and adaptable working across different work locations and areas as appropriate.
Able and willing to work evening and weekends by prior arrangement if required.
Able to work effectively as part of a team and to demonstrate organisational and time management skills prioritising own and team’s work to meet conflicting timescales and deadlines
Able to accurately enter and retrieve data and information from digital and manual systems and check work for quality and consistency.
Able to use range of IT packages to support office, financial administration and engagement objectives
Able to deal with citizens, ward members and other officers professionally and sensitively in accordance with council policies including the General Data Protection Regulations.
Able to support internal and external meetings and take notes accurately to reflect the content of a meeting.
Able to use initiative to manage competing priorities whilst delivering on a range of objectives
Able to support the Team, partners, elected members and the public to achieve positive outcomes

Knowledge Required

Basic understanding of local government issues.
Understand the importance of confidentiality and the needs and wishes of individuals, families and carers
Aware of relevant legislation, guidance, policies and interpret and apply them consistently.
Of relevant financial regulations to carry out financial transactions

Experience Required

Of processing orders, raising payments and managing financial spreadsheets in accordance
Of responding to customer or community requests.
Of providing support in a busy office environment and arranging and servicing meetings.
Of organising and prioritising workloads to meet agreed deadlines and timescales.
Of communicating effectively with a range of people including public, voluntary and statutory organisations.
Of supporting and being actively involved in engagement activities.

Behavioural and other Characteristics required

Understand and embrace Leeds City Council Values and Behaviours and codes of conduct.
Committed to continuous improvement in all areas and work towards delivering the Best City Ambition of Health & Wellbeing, Inclusive Growth and Zero Carbon
Able to understand and observe Leeds City Council equality and diversity policies.
Carry out all duties having regard to an employee’s responsibility under Health and Safety Policies.
Willingness to actively participate in training and development activities.
Flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required commensurate to grade.
Participate in appraisal, training, and development activities.
Be aware of and comply with Leeds City Council policies and procedures.
Be aware of and support difference ensuring equality for all, working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding, equality & diversity.
Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment, victimisation, and any form of abuse, reporting any concerns to the appropriate person.
The Council has adopted a flexibility protocol and the role will be expected to work within these parameters.