Community Engagement Officer

About ARU:

ARU is a global university transforming lives through innovative, inclusive and entrepreneurial education and research. ARU holds a Gold award for the quality of its education, awarded through the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF).
ARU’s research institutes and four faculties bridge scientific, technical and creative fields. We deliver impactful research which tackles pressing issues and makes a real difference to our communities. Our academic excellence has been recognised by the UK’s Higher Education funding bodies, with 16 of our research areas assessed as world leading. We are the largest provider of Nursing, Midwifery, Health and Social Care students in the East of England, and we are also among the UK’s leading universities for degree apprenticeship provision, working with hundreds of employers across the UK.

About the Role:

We are seeking an enthusiastic and organised Community Engagement Officer to support the delivery of Hidden Histories Unearthed, an exciting three-year National Lottery Heritage Fund funded community archaeology project based in Lincoln.

Working closely with local communities, volunteers, heritage organisations and project partners, you will develop and deliver an engaging programme of activities designed to connect people with the archaeology, history and environmental heritage of South Common. You will coordinate community events, volunteering opportunities, outreach activities and skills development initiatives, ensuring that people of all ages and backgrounds have opportunities to participate in and benefit from the project.

A key aspect of the role will be building and maintaining strong relationships with community groups, stakeholders and partner organisations including the City of Lincoln Council, Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust and local advisory groups. You will monitor participation and project outcomes, contribute to project evaluation and reporting, and help ensure that the benefits of the project continue beyond the funding period through the development of sustainable community networks and partnerships.

With a minimum of two A Levels, an NVQ Level 3 qualification or equivalent experience, you will have experience of working with community groups, volunteers or members of the public and a genuine enthusiasm for engaging people with local heritage and community activities. You will possess excellent communication and organisational skills, with experience of coordinating events, activities or projects and building effective relationships with a wide range of stakeholders.

You will be confident working independently and as part of a collaborative team, able to manage competing priorities and maintain accurate records for monitoring and reporting purposes.

An understanding of community engagement, volunteering or public participation is essential, while experience of working in heritage, archaeology, environmental or National Lottery Heritage Fund projects would be advantageous. This role will suit an enthusiastic, proactive and people-focused individual who is committed to widening participation, supporting volunteers and making a lasting difference to communities through heritage engagement.

Informal enquiries can be made to Dr Samantha Tipper, Project Lead, at

We have an agile working culture and offer an extensive range of benefits:

• generous holiday entitlement
• occupational pension schemes
• training and development opportunities
• travel to work scheme
• competitive relocation package

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting welfare of our staff and students and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Applicants should be aware that ARU will carry out online searches as part of the due diligence on short listed candidates.

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