Community Engagement Officer

Job Title: Community Engagement Officer

Location: Hybrid – Work from home / Porthmadog / MSParc

Accountable to: Projects Director

Responsible for: No staff

Salary Band: £26,475 – £30,888

Background to the Post:

Menter Môn in partnership with Business in Focus and M-SParc have secured the contract to deliver the Business Wales service. Known collectively as Enterprise Partnership Cymru (EPC) we will be providing advice and support to entrepreneurs pan-Wales, on behalf of the Welsh Government.

EPC was successful in their bid to deliver both Business Wales advice services, Entrepreneurship and Start-up Service and Business Development and Growth Service.

The role is a part of the dynamic Entrepreneurship and Start-Up Service division which focuses on providing a wide range of advice to young people and start-up businesses through a variety of means including digital, telephone and face to face support.

Purpose of the post: 

The Community Engagement Facilitator (CEF) is part of the Community Engagement Team, delivering an accessible and innovative programme of engagement and outreach activities for a diverse client group.

The CEF promotes the development of entrepreneurial thinking and drives participants to engage with the Business Wales service, to enable people to realize entrepreneurial ambitions, through a diverse range of regionally coordinated digital and face-to-face engagement, e.g. delivering pre-start upskilling and awareness building modules, and outreach events, e.g., career exhibitions, in collaboration with established Young People and entrepreneurial ecosystems and stakeholders.

The CEF delivers and/or facilitates wraparound support for clients, enabling a diverse portfolio of clients to overcome barriers and have an equitable experience to realise entrepreneurial ambitions. The CEF works closely with their internal colleagues to progress clients through the Business Wales service, as appropriate.

CEFs working with Young People, collaboratively work with the Young People ‘Role Model’ community to coordinate onboarding, the client journey, and delivery activities and supports with delivery administration.

Responsibilities:

• Attend marketing and engagement events, e.g. careers fairs, business exhibitions, networking events, stakeholder events, and other related activities, to promote the service and achieve client engagement KPIs.
• Deliver prescribed workshops and participate in other webinars/seminars that attract and engage clients into developing entrepreneurial thinking, self-employment and starting a business, e.g. Start Your Own Business, promoting business support services available. Undertake these activities in a professional and knowledgeable manner using the agreed training materials.
• Identify and agree an action plan to support allocated clients overcome barriers to achieving entrepreneurial goals. Coordinate and provide additional support to meet client needs. Facilitate a handover where clients progress and are referred on to an adviser, and/or 3rd party stakeholder. Evidence in the necessary digital paperwork, in compliance with contractual requirements and operational procedures.
• Build and maintain engagement with an effective and structured network of stakeholders to generate leads on profile with engagement KPIs and for signposting and client support. Ensure network is a diverse range from public sector, e.g. Careers Wales, Jobs Growth Wales, HE/FE Institutions, as well as from the wider Ecosystem, from private and third sectors, e.g. translation services, Chwarae Teg and other Under-Represented Group (URG) organisations, e.g. ACF, The Cae & C4W.
• In coordination with Engagement Team, contribute to establishing and maintaining local entrepreneurial community networks, connected across Wales. Encourage clients to engage in local community-based and online networking groups/events to encourage a peer-to-peer support network that achieves regular and meaningful participation.
• Manage allocated portfolio of Role Models in accordance with agreed programme of Role Model events; coordinate Role Model activity, e.g. booking appropriate RMs for events, arrange onboarding for new RMs, completing the necessary paperwork in compliance with contractual requirements and operational procedures.
• Deliver activities through a diverse range of methods; digital, e.g. webinars on appropriate digital platforms, 1-2-1 and 1-many online meetings, as well as face-to-face delivery. Undertake these activities in a professional and knowledgeable manner using the agreed delivery materials.
• Provide additional support to Business Wales team colleagues, e.g. assisting with content creation and digital delivery.
• Undertake the accurate management of client data ensuring all activity is recorded on prescribed digital systems and intervention outcomes are evidenced and documented compliantly.
• Maintain effective local/regional engagement with clients, colleagues and stakeholders to promote the service, securing an effective referral network
• Maintain good knowledge and understanding of public and private sector support and services available for SMEs for the region.
• Proactively identify clients with successful outcomes for marketing and PR case studies to promote the BW service.
• Undertake duties to a high standard of customer service in a professional and timely manner.
• Support the Community Engagement Team Leader by identifying and making recommendations for continuous improvement, e.g. procedures, systems of work. Proactively share intelligence information with management to develop engagement, reach and service provision.
• Undertake any other duties as reasonably required by the Management Team of Menter Mon or Business Wales.

Equality & Diversity:

• Promote the equality and diversity through the business support provided to Business Wales’ clients;
• Maintain an up-to-date awareness, training and CPD of equality & diversity issues and how to professionally deliver an inclusive service to all clients.
• Deliver an inclusive service in line with Menter Môn’s values and contractual requirements.

The above is a broad definition of the job responsibilities. It does not consider every aspect of the job which the jobholder may be required to perform. Flexibility is essential since the jobholder’s working hours will be determined by the requirements of the business.

Education and Training

Desirable:

• Training qualification, e.g. PTLLS, Train the trainer OR
• Coaching/mentoring qualification OR
• ILM Level 3 in Enterprise & Entrepreneurship.

Experience and Knowledge

Essential:

• Experience of presenting online and/or face-to-face to diverse groups.
• Understanding of local / regional differences in the Welsh economy
• Awareness and knowledge of general business support available from public and private sectors

Skills and Competencies

Essential:

• Establishing and maintaining an effective network of contacts in line with regional strategy and performance objectives.
• Effective in determining priorities, planning time, organising workload to establish measurable results, objectives and milestones for self.
• Communication – verbal: Adapts style and detail to audience. Ability to interact effectively with people; persuading and influencing people at all levels; explains/presents information concisely and logically.
• Communication – written: Adapts style and detail to audience. Presents information accurately, succinctly, and logically.
• Customer Service – Works and collaborates with others effectively, is able to identify needs and deliver workable solutions, manages expectations, modifies individual approach to different situations.
• Learning/Improving – proactively seeks information, learns
• from mistakes and promotes constructive feedback
• Effective working productively under pressure, adapts and accepts changing circumstances
• Acts with high integrity, defends equal opportunities and leads by example to uphold organisational ethics and values
• Experienced in using digital platforms with strong IT skills, e.g. Microsoft Office/365.

Other

Essential:

• Ability to communicate confidently / fluently in Welsh and English
• Valid UK driving license and use of appropriately insured vehicle, with valid MOT(where appropriate), to travel in region on a regular basis to fulfil duties, e.g. attending events, meetings. (Evidence required)
• Satisfactory Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) check.