Senior Community Engagement Officer - 6-Month FTC
Watford Community Housing
Salary: £30,000 - £35,000 - 37 hours per week
The Vacancy
This is a key role within our community engagement service. You'll oversee a team, build strong relationships with residents and partners, and use customer insight to shape services that strengthen our communities. If you're passionate about delivering great customer experiences and driving positive change, this role offers the chance to make a real impact.
Introduction to the role
At Watford Community Housing, we provide vital services that help people to live better lives. We're looking for a Senior Community Engagement Officer to lead our community engagement function and help us deliver highquality, customerfocused services that empower residents and strengthen our communities.
Role purpose
To lead and develop our community engagement services, ensuring they are responsive, customerfocused and aligned with our vision of Better Homes, Friendlier Communities... Together.
What's the role?
Key Accountabilities:
* Ensure services are responsive to customer needs, using feedback and performance data to drive continuous improvement.
* Lead the delivery of our Digital Inclusion strategy through the Community Engagement Officers.
* Build and manage relationships with community stakeholders, partners, elected representatives and resident groups.
* Use customer and community profile data to plan, deliver and evaluate engagement activity that supports organisations objectives.
* Lead on the Community Development Fund and Community Options Study programmes.
* Deliver compliant coregulation and scrutiny processes for tenant feedback.
* Ensure effective delivery of Thriving Families and Community Navigator partnerships.
* Manage and develop Community Engagement Officers, Community Navigators and the Thriving Families Worker.
* Coordinate service improvements, monitor performance and report outcomes.
* Ensure compliance with health and safety, equality, regulatory and legal requirements.
* Support evening/weekend community meetings and contribute to emergency planning and response.
What are we looking for?
Essential:
* Driven by the organisation's values and committed to delivering highquality, continuously improving services.
* Strong customer focus, taking ownership of endtoend customer experience and making fair, informed decisions.
* Uses logical, methodical thinking to solve problems, manage ambiguity and work within broad parameters.
* Proactively keeps up to date with legislation/regulation and adapts processes to remain compliant and efficient.
* Works collaboratively across teams to resolve issues and drive service improvements.
* Embraces change positively with a focus on improving customer outcomes.
* Able to work independently, prioritise effectively and meet deadlines without close supervision.
* Confident in using technology to enhance productivity and service delivery.
* Flexible in working hours, including occasional evenings/weekends for resident events or emergencies.
* Handles conflict, difficult conversations and negotiations professionally across all communication channels.
* Analyses performance data and customer feedback to identify trends and improvement opportunities.
* Produces clear, concise written reports, presentations and correspondence for varied audiences.
* Manages budgets, including forecasting, expenditure control and supporting budget setting.
* Competent user of Microsoft Office and ICT systems for data input, retrieval and analysis.
* Understanding of community development impact measurement and relevant Government policy, legislation and regulatory frameworks.
* Awareness of digital inclusion, digitalisation impacts, risk assessment, health and safety, and effective team management.
* Knowledge of financial controls, data protection, and equality, diversity and inclusion principles.
* Experience working directly with the public and communities, including partnership working with voluntary and statutory organisations.
* Experience preparing funding bids, managing customer feedback, developing procedures, and producing datadriven analysis.
* Full driving licence with business insurance and access to a car.
* Ability to maintain a satisfactory basic DBS check.
Desirable:
* Level 3 qualification (e.g., A Levels or Level 3 NVQ).
* Professional membership (e.g., CIH).
* Experience managing a professional team.
* Experience delivering service improvements using project management techniques.
* Understanding of the statutory/regulatory framework for social housing.
* Knowledge of Orchard Housing Management Systems.
Who you'll work with
* Responsible to: Community and Customer Engagement Manager
* Responsible for: Community Engagement Officers
* Department: Customer and Communities
Our values
* Professional - We are honest, open and respectful. People trust us to keep our promises.
* Forward-thinking - We have a can-do attitude and embrace opportunities to improve and innovate.
* Collaborative - We work together as one team and build lasting partnerships to get results.
What can we offer you?
* 28 days' annual leave (pro rata)
* Employer pension contribution of up to 11%
* Development opportunities
* Comprehensive employee rewards scheme
How we work
We embrace agile working - blending time in our communities, shared spaces, and remote working. With digital technology at the heart of our approach, we empower teams and individuals to work flexibly.
How to apply
If this sounds like your next role, click 'apply now', tell us why you've got what it takes, and attach a copy of your current CV.
Closing date: 25th March 2026
Interviews: week commencing 30th March
(Please note we reserve the right to close the vacancy early if we receive a large response.)