Job title: Localities Officer (Pride in Place)

Salary: SO2 £37,280 - £39,152

Hours: 37

Contract: 2 year fixed-term

Location: Reginald Centre

As a Localities Officer (SO2) you’ll thrive on bringing people together to make a real difference in their neighbourhoods, helping communities shape priorities and turn local ambition into lasting change.

It’s not simply a process driven role, it’s about using strong organisation, partnership working and community insight to empower residents, support local decision‑making, and deliver visible improvements in places that matter most.

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 a Localities Officer, you will bring to the role:

Experience of working on community or neighbourhood‑based initiatives, helping to achieve shared local objectives
• The ability to work effectively in multi‑agency and partnership settings, including with elected members and community stakeholders
• Strong skills in organising, supporting and servicing meetings, and contributing confidently to discussions and decision‑making
• Experience of developing and supporting projects, including funding, monitoring activity and improving outcomes
• Excellent communication and engagement skills, using a range of methods (including digital and social media) to reach diverse audiences

About the role

As our next Localities Officer you’ll have an opportunity to be at the heart of locality working in Leeds, supporting communities to have greater influence over the future of their area. The role sits within a period of significant investment and ambition, where neighbourhoods are being given the resources, voice and long‑term focus to address local priorities and inequalities.

You’ll play a hands‑on role in supporting Pride in Place Neighbourhood Boards, ensuring they are well organised, inclusive and effective. You will help translate local views into action, support the development of projects, and ensure investment delivers tangible benefits for residents. This is a role where you will see the impact of your work on the ground and build strong relationships with communities, partners and elected members alike.

The role is integral to our Pride in Place team, which sits within the Safer Stronger Communities service. The team is responsible for place‑based working across the city, coordinating engagement, supporting neighbourhood governance, and helping deliver the Pride in Place programme. You’ll work closely with Senior Locality Officers, programme leads, partners and communities, contributing to a city‑wide ambition for thriving, empowered and resilient neighbourhoods.

We particularly welcome applications from people who live in, work in, or have strong connections to the Pride in Place neighbourhoods of Middleton Park Avenue, Armley New Wortley, Farnley East and Seacroft North Monkswood, as local insight and lived experience can be a real strength in this role. However, this opportunity is open to all applicants who can demonstrate the skills and experience required.

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 Rachel Marshall via email at Rachel.Marshall@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 visa route 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. Ensure you are eligible before applying.

Job Description

Job purpose

To plan and deliver a successful programme of community committee or Pride in Place Neighbourhood Board meetings and workshops providing efficient support to the relevant structure
To promote the work of the community committee or Pride in Place Neighbourhood Board using a variety of communication methods
To ensure the community committee meetings and workshops support the delivery of the council’s priorities or to support the priorities and the work of the Pride in Place Neighbourhood Board
To contribute and work to improve outcomes in Priority Wards or Pride in Place Neighourhoods
To promote the implementation of the city’s ambition for locality working as set out in the Leeds Ambitions

Principal accountabilities:

To ensure the community committee contributes to council or partnership programmes that support the delivery of the council’s priorities and, where appropriate, those of the priority neighbourhoods.
To ensure the work of the Pride in Place Neighbourhood Board supports the priorities agreed following local engagement and consultation
To work closely and develop good working relationships with elected members, partners, local communities and residents’ to drive forward the agreed priorities in line with the council’s values.
To ensure the community committee or Pride in Place Neighbourhood Board and the neighbourhood operates in ways that support open, inclusive, responsive and accountable government.
To ensure the work of the PinP Neighbourhood Board or community committee and the neighbourhood is promoted through active use of communications tools, including social media and newsletters etc.
To support work to improve outcomes in local neighbourhoods

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.

Specific responsibilities

Support the work of the community committee or Pride in Place Neighbourhood Board and the spending of wellbeing and youth activity funds, seeking match or other sources of funding, where appropriate, and contribute to their further development and promotion.
Co-ordinate the commissioning and development of local projects to meet gaps in local services against specific local priorities.
Bring people together to make a difference and to help them do more for themselves and others so that their communities thrive and Leeds achieves its ambition to be the best city for communities.
Help to build local capacity using an asset based approach to ensure that neighbourhood improvements are sustained.

Qualifications

An understanding of locality-based service delivery
An understanding of local government political systems
An awareness of current issues facing local government and key partners
An understanding of community involvement issues
An understanding of multiple deprivation in the priority neighbourhoods

Essential requirements Candidates will only be shortlisted if they can demonstrate that they meet all the following essential requirements.

Ability to manage and monitor performance effectively and set clear objectives
Ability to make an effective contribution to internal and external meetings
Ability to contribute to initiatives and policies from development to implementation
Ability to prepare and present clear and objective reports for a range of audiences
Ability to improve service quality and support a culture that drives up standards and performance
T. competencies to undertake a range of tasks
Ability to manage competing priorities whilst delivering on a range of projects and adapting to changing circumstances
Ability to communicate and engage with a wide range of audiences through a number of channels, including social media
An understanding of locality based service delivery
An understanding of local government political systems
An awareness of current issues facing local government and key partner
An understanding of community involvement issues
An understanding of multiple deprivation in the priority neighbourhoods.
Working on service delivery co-ordination issues
Working on community and neighbourhood issues to achieve objectives
Working in a multi-agency setting to achieve shared objectives
Producing and implementing plans, monitoring and evaluating plans against objectives
Working with politicians, organising and servicing meetings involving elected members, stakeholders, residents and community groups
Supporting the development of projects, funding bids and packages of support
Collating and analysing data to monitor service delivery and identify local needs
Undertaking community involvement activities
Experience of managing and controlling allocated project budgets and using financial management systems
Experience of working effectively with others to deliver cross sector or cross service projects
Experience of responding to customer or community needs
Experience of using communications tools, including social media, to communicate and engage with a wide range of different audiences
Willing to abide by the council’s Equal Opportunities Policies in the duties of the post and as an employee of the Council
Willing to take personal responsibility under and abide by the council’s Health and Safety Policies
Ability to resolve conflict
Flexible and adaptable
Ability to work outside normal hours as appropriate

Essential behavioural and other characteristics

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 Leeds Ambitions of health and wellbeing, inclusive growth, thriving strong communities, and a resilient sustainable city
Able to understand and observe Leeds City Council policies and procedures
Carry out duties having regard to an employee’s responsibility under Health, Safety and Wellbeing
Participate in appraisal, training and development activities to ensure up, to date knowledge and skills
Be aware of and support difference and ensure equality for all working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding equality and diversity of Leeds City Council
Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment, victimisation, and any form of abuse, reporting any concerns to the appropriate person
Flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required commensurate to grade.
The Council has adopted a flexibility protocol and the role will be expected to work within these parameters