Consultation and Engagement Officer

Consultation and Engagement Officer Salary & Grade £ per annum (pay award pending) Grade 7 Location Wellington House, Leeds / Hybrid Hours Full time 37 hours per week Permanent Please note that the Combined Authority will consider requests for part-time working and/or job share. Do you have experience in consultation and engagement? Do you want to help transform policies, projects and services in West Yorkshire? We are seeking to appoint an organised, enthusiastic and confident person to join the Combined Authority’s dedicated Communities, Consultation and Engagement team. We are particularly interested in hearing from people with experience of stakeholder engagement, strong project management skills, and interest in innovative and inclusive engagement methods. With a good understanding of the principles of consultation and engagement, you may have a background in research, communications, marketing or other related disciplines. You will have the ability to work in partnership with a wide range of organisations and individuals, where you will work on exciting projects supporting a range of themes and priorities such as culture, climate, housing, business and skills. You will use innovative methods to reach out to our communities, ensuring consultation and engagement activity is as inclusive as possible, and encouraging participation among seldom-heard groups. This is a diverse role, and you will have the opportunity to be involved in an extensive range of exciting projects covering all aspects of the work of the Combined Authority. Please note: We are currently recruiting for two positions within our team - a Grade 6 Advisor and a Grade 7 Officer. This advert is for the Grade 7 Officer role. You may wish to review the Advisor advert to determine which position best matches your experience. Separate applications are required if you wish to apply for both. Our Offer Alongside a competitive salary, we offer an excellent benefits package including: · Work your way – From flexible and agile working options, including a generous flexi-time scheme to help you balance your personal life and career. · Time to recharge – Enjoy 28 days of annual leave (with increases based on length of service), plus all Bank Holidays. · Free greener travel across West Yorkshire – Cover your commute sustainably with unlimited free bus and rail travel using the MCard (Zones 1–5). · Secure your future – Benefit from a highly competitive Local Government Pension Scheme. · Investing in you – Take advantage of fully funded professional development, regular training, and up to 3 paid volunteering days per year. · Grow with us – Incremental salary progression for most roles and annual cost of living increases. · Family first – We offer enhanced parental and bereavement leave, plus other family-friendly policies to support you when it matters most. · Your wellbeing, our priority – Access 24/7 free confidential counselling services and the Headspace app for you and up to 5 family or friends. · Modern workspace in a prime location – Work in bright, contemporary offices just a 2-minute walk from Leeds Train Station, fully equipped with the latest tech. The Role Reporting to the Consultation and Engagement Manager, your key responsibilities will include: · You will plan, manage, deliver and evaluate consultation and engagement activities, enabling an extensive range of audiences to shape and influence our priorities and programmes · You will use research techniques to collect, analyse and present consultation and engagement findings to advise senior managers, elected members and programme board members · You will manage relationships with a wide network of stakeholders, including senior managers and elected members within the Combined Authority and partner councils, suppliers, community groups and other networks About You You will have the following key skills, attributes, education and experience: · You will be an ambitious, results-focused individual, proficient at project management and working flexibly with a range of partners. · Experience of working successfully in a partnership environment with many stakeholders. · Ability and confidence to advise senior figures both within and outside an organisation. · Knowledge and experience of most of the key technical aspects of the role (e.g., stakeholder mapping, social research, data collection, engagement with seldom heard groups, analysis and report writing). · A keen understanding of communication and engagement methods and tailoring these for difference audiences to create inclusive engagement opportunities. To Apply If this sounds like your next role, please complete the application form and tell us within the supporting statement why you would be a great fit for our role and how your skills, knowledge and experience align with the requirements within the Role Profile. Please visit our Advice for Candidates webpage and review the guidance on this page for support in completing your application form. Further Information The Combined Authority is passionate about creating an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity. We know through experience that different ideas, perspectives and backgrounds create a stronger and more creative work environment that delivers better outcomes. We welcome applications irrespective of people's age, disability, neuro-divergence, sex, gender identity and gender expression, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation, pregnancy or maternity. or other personal circumstances. We have policies and procedures in place to ensure that all applicants are treated fairly and consistently at every stage of the recruitment process, including the consideration of reasonable adjustments for people who have a disability and/or who are neuro divergent. To find out more about inclusivity at the West Yorkshire Combined Authority please visit our dedicated webpage. Under the Disability Confident Scheme, applicants with a disability are guaranteed an interview, subject to the minimum criteria being met. Please note that whilst it is our policy to recruit at SP1 for all appointments, which is the salary stated above, each role includes career salary progression, with incremental increases applicable in most cases on an annual basis