HS2 Community Engagement Officer

Overview

High Speed 2 is a nationally significant rail infrastructure project that will pass through Buckinghamshire. With construction well underway, the impact of this railway scheme has already been felt by our local communities and businesses across the county. We have a great opportunity in our HS2 Infrastructure Delivery Team where you’ll work on the coordination of communications and engagement with a range of different stakeholders both within and outside of the Council, primarily to keep our communities informed of this high-profile project.

This position is being advertised for Buckinghamshire Council internal and agency employees only.

About us

Buckinghamshire Council is a relatively new organisation that combines the strengths and expertise of the previous five councils in the county to create positive change for local people, communities, and businesses. We are firmly focused on the future and have made a clear commitment to serve residents better and to provide stronger representation for Buckinghamshire, both locally and nationally.  

About the role

Buckinghamshire Council is seeking a dynamic and motivated HS2 Community Engagement Officer. Your role will involve coordinating engagement activities, providing updates, addressing concerns relating to the project, and fostering positive relationships between the Council, residents, and the contractors for HS2 Ltd.

You will play a key part in making sure that Buckinghamshire Councillors, Parish & Town Councils, and stakeholders are kept updated about work taking place for this rail project. In this exciting and fast-paced role, you will respond to written and verbal communications regarding the HS2 project on behalf of the Council and attend HS2 engagement events.

Some of the day-to-day tasks and activities will include:

• Liaising with the HS2 Enquiries Helpdesk and HS2’s contractors' engagement teams.
• Develop and deliver community engagement strategies for the HS2 project in Buckinghamshire.
• Support communities seeking funding from HS2 Ltd, through identification of mitigation and community funding opportunities and facilitating delivery of pre-agreed funds.
• Prepare reports, newsletters, and other materials to keep the community informed about HS2 developments.
• Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of engagement activities and suggest improvements.

Career development is something we take seriously here at Bucks. This role will offer you great exposure and a platform for your career, as you proactively engage with local MPs, parishes, and the local community, working on one of the biggest infrastructure projects of our time.

About you

Excellent communication skills, enthusiasm, and creativity are exactly what we are looking for. We are all about designing and delivering solutions and need someone who can live by our core values of being proud, accountable, collaborative, and trustworthy. You will have great interpersonal skills and be organised, with the planning skills to manage a range of communication tasks on time and to a consistent standard. Establishing good working practices with the community and stakeholders is a must, so you can confidently communicate local issues as they arise.

A full UK driving license is essential as travel within Buckinghamshire will be required.

Why work for us

• A rewarding role where you can make a tangible difference to the local community.
• Competitive salary and benefits package.
• Opportunities for professional development and growth.
• Flexible working arrangements.
• A supportive and collaborative team environment.

Other information

Our response as an employer to Covid-19 has shaped the way we want to work in the future. Microsoft Teams, Skype, and vlogs from our Senior Leadership Team have all played their part in allowing us to become even more flexible in how, when, and where our teams work.

Whether you are out and about on-site, or working from home where possible, we actively encourage our colleagues to take control of their work-life balance. If that is not enough of a reason to join us, you will be entitled to a range of benefits from Buckinghamshire Council, including a very competitive employer pension contribution; a minimum of 25 days annual leave allowance per year; a flex-time scheme; and discounts in local shops, restaurants, and gyms.

Take a look at our dedicated career social media pages @bucks_careers for exclusive content from our The Infrastructure Delivery Team is team and find out more about life at Buckinghamshire Council.

For an informal chat about this role in more detail, please contact Abdul Basit at [email protected]

This post is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore applicants are required to declare:

• All unspent cautions and/or unspent convictions

For further information on how long it takes for cautions and convictions cautions to become spent, please refer to our guide on the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (updated 2023) | Nacro

We reserve the right to close the vacancy once we have received sufficient applications, so please be advised to submit your application as early as possible.

Our values and culture

We have a set of values, which our employees have chosen, that represent what we are – Proud, Ambitious, Collaborative and Trustworthy.

By joining Buckinghamshire Council, you can expect:

• a fair and inclusive culture
• the chance to really make a difference to those around you
• health and well-being initiatives including an Employee Assistance Programme, Mental Health First Aiders and mindfulness workshops
• a unified voice through our Employee Representative Group
• ongoing support, and the opportunity to develop and progress in your career with us
• opportunities to take part in fun activities such as fundraising and social events

At Buckinghamshire Council, we know that our biggest strength comes from the people that work for us, and that’s why we’re working hard to ensure we continue to be an accessible and inclusive organisation.

From dedicated staff networks overseen by our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group, to proudly standing as a Disability Confident employer, it’s important to us that all our colleagues feel engaged, listened to, and valued. Our offer of flexible working empowers a productive and happy workforce and allows employees to combine work with other responsibilities and commitments.

We believe our workforce should reflect the diverse communities we service in Buckinghamshire, and are looking for like-minded individuals to join us in promoting equality, fairness, and inclusion for everyone.

About the Business Unit

Our Planning, Growth and Sustainability directorate works with partners to help shape the future of Buckinghamshire.  We deliver services on planning, economic growth, regeneration, strategic infrastructure, transport and property.

 Our key priorities include developing the economic narrative for Bucks, creating more jobs and delivering the right infrastructure to help businesses and residents thrive. We also aim to provide a proactive planning service that is responsive, whilst making the best use of the Council’s land and property portfolio. This will in turn support community services and create housing, jobs, regeneration and income to support public services.

 It’s a great time to join one of our teams. As part of the Planning, Growth and Sustainability function you will not only get to help shape the economic future of Buckinghamshire; you’ll also be involved in delivering high-profile development projects and work on some of the biggest infrastructure projects in the UK. You will support us to deliver the results that our local residents and businesses deserve.

We recognise and reward you

Hard work and success deserves recognition. That’s why we pride ourselves on the benefits we give our people. We actively encourage a good work-life balance and promote flexible and agile working arrangements. We provide discounts on various Cafés, restaurants, shops and auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme. In addition to the opportunity to gain membership to Costco, we have discounted gym memberships, travel discounts with Arriva and much more.

https://jobs.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/working-buckinghamshire-council/