Job Title: Head of South East Region Salary: £55,000 Responsible to: Chief Operating Officer Location: Across Essex with time spent in Colchester Hours of Work: 36.5 hours per week. Flexible working will be required Contract: Permanent Introduction to The Active Wellbeing Society: The Active Wellbeing Society (TAWS) is a community benefit society and cooperative working to develop healthy, happy communities living active and connected lives. Our vision is for a society where people have the autonomy, capacity, resources and skills to become the architects of their own destiny; where our individual wellbeing is recognised as being bound up in our collective responsibility to and dependency on each other; and where all of us feel empowered as agents of social change to make a difference – whether at an individual level or more widely. By working collaboratively with communities we aim to bring about sustainable change on a social, environmental and economic level; to do the social knitting required to create stronger and more resilient communities and to support communities to identify, mitigate and remove the barriers that prevent them from living active and connected lives. Introduction to the role In this strategic post as the Head of the South East region you will play a vital role to ensure that the organisations contractual obligations and goals are achieved by collaborating with communities and partner organisations in the design and delivery of interventions to promote active citizenship and wellbeing for people and the planet. You will ensure that the interventions being delivered are co-produced with local communities, weaving in interventions including physical activity, food, active travel, shareshacks, health and growing in order to achieve sustainable outcomes by bringing people together to be better connected and networked. This role will need to work collaboratively with the business development and funding and partnerships team to develop existing business as well as identify areas for new and innovative business within the region You will report directly to the Chief Operating Officer and manage a team of Community Development Leads and programme managers across the South and East of the country. The region extends from Cambridge to London and the South Coast. Currently the bulk of our delivery work is in Essex and London. You will also work closely with the Chief Executive and Head of Funding and Strategy on the business development opportunities within the region. This is a role for that will need to delivery existing delivery and undertaking business development. The environment we work in is complex, so the ability to thrive within this and keep productive and focused will be essential. Effective management of a range of programmes across a region in line with organisational Theories of Change and operational requirements. Ability to manage budgets and performance in line with funder and corporate expectations. Project delivery leadership covering national campaigns and local community initiatives, delivering the projects on time and within budget and ensuring meaningful impact and clear outcomes. Partnership management, cultivating strong partnerships and fostering new opportunities for further collaboration. Business development and partnership development skills – this role will be vital in identifying new business as well as picking up leads from the CEO and Head of Funding and Strategy and developing these into tangible new business opportunities that can secure funding and develop new services for communities in the most need. Team leadership, leading and supporting a talented and diverse team, providing direction and encouragement for successful project delivery. Communication skills, demonstrating excellent communication and collaboration skills. Problem-solving, identifying opportunities for improvement and actively contributing to making a positive impact on the lives of the people we support. Ensure communities have access to a range of services and programmes. Represent The Active Wellbeing Society across a variety of forums and stakeholder meetings. Produce oral and written reports on engagement level, activity delivery and the development of new programmes and projects. Keep abreast of new and emergent thinking across wellbeing, community development and tackling inequalities as well as innovation and leadership in the field of work. Team working skills, being a full and responsible member of the senior leadership team within the organisation. Project management experience, including design and development, planning, resource allocation, time, budget and risk management and evaluation of impact and outcomes. Previous experience of working within or with the charitable and voluntary sector Previous experience of working in community development Previous experience of working closely within or with the health sector. Experience of line- managing and developing teams to deliver against programme objectives and to achieve their full potential, preferably in the field of community development Leadership ability, with the confidence and skill to influence and persuade others across multiple disciplines and arenas. Experience encouraging diverse communities to come together - building trust and participation. Experience of working with a range of stakeholders with the ability to influence and persuade others Ability to work autonomously and collaboratively in a dynamic, fast paced and challenging environment and able to prioritise work under pressure and adapt to new models of working Excellent communicator, track record of establishing and developing strong partnerships with external organisations including statutory, charity and voluntary. We offer our team members a comprehensive staff benefits offering to include: Annual Leave – 38 days! 25 days AL (increasing to 29 days with service) plus 5 wellbeing days and 8 bank holidays. Flexible working, home working and remote working options available Nest Pension – 8% employer contribution - 3% employee contribution. Heath Cash Plan – giving you discounts on everyday healthcare such as dental, optical, physio, prescriptions & more. Employee Assistance Programme (counselling and DRs on call 24hrs a day). Fantastic volunteering opportunities within The Active Wellbeing Society every month. Application close date 1st of September 2025 Please submit a cover letter demonstrating how you meet the competencies required for the Head of the South East Region, ensure your application includes detailed responses to each of the questions outlined below: 1. Effective management of a range of programmes across a region 2. Previous experience of working within or with the charitable and voluntary sector 3. Previous experience of working closely within or with the health sector. 4. Business development and partnership development skills 5. Previous experience of working in community development Due to the high numbers of applications we received for our job vacancies, we may close application windows early, so we would encourage you to submit your application ASAP. We will provide all applicants with an outcome on your application, this will usually be within 1 week of the application window closing. Successful applicants will be required to be DBS checked prior to starting. Our customers come from all walks of life and so do we, in recruiting for our team we welcome the unique contributions that you can bring. The Active Wellbeing Society is committed to being an equal opportunity employer, we recruit based upon capability and all applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership status, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation. At The Active Wellbeing Society we are searching for people who share the passion for what we do with different backgrounds, perspectives and experiences, collectively making a difference. If there is anything we can do to assist you in your application or preparations to be interviewed for one of our job vacancies please let us know and we can ensure you have a positive and comfortable experience. Thank you for your interest in working for The Active Wellbeing Society, we look forward to receiving your application. If you have any questions once you have read the Job Description or would like an informal chat about us, and/or, the role, please contact: [email protected] and we will be happy to help. As part of your application, please specify which vacancy you are interested in. Please note if you don't make reference to your preference, we will assume you are interested in either vacancy. Thank you once again.