Community Engagement and Social Value Officer

Community Engagement and Social Value Officer

Note – Our current work programme includes projects in the South-East, and officers will be required to travel for delivery in these locations. Other similar travel may be required.

Oxford Archaeology is committed to empowering communities to work towards an equitable and sustainable future through understanding and connecting with our shared past. This work is led by Oxford Archaeology’s Community Engagement and Social Value (CESV) Team. Our role is to bring the discoveries made by our archaeological specialists to new and existing audiences, through exciting and enriching engagement projects. Our work includes both social value projects funded by commercial development (e.g. infrastructure and large-scale private developments) and community engagement projects funded by other means (e.g. partnering with local charities, research grants, and our own charitable work).

We collaborate with stakeholders to develop and design these programmes, so we can harness archaeological heritage to address local priorities and contemporary challenges. To deliver these projects, we work with regional teams across Oxford Archaeology’s three offices (Lancaster, Cambridge, and Oxford), supporting our colleagues in Fieldwork and Post-Excavation to build and develop their engagement skills. We also closely collaborate with the Head of Communications and Communications Team to share our work and discoveries through online channels.

• In collaboration with Manager, work with community stakeholders, internal colleagues (including joint venture colleagues), clients and funders, to develop community engagement and social value programmes that deliver meaningful impacts for local communities.
• Lead delivery of imaginative and innovative engagement projects with diverse communities and audiences.
• Evaluate and report on community engagement and social value projects, using qualitative and quantitative data, for internal and external audiences (including clients, industry peers, community members, etc).
• Support and empower regional staff to build and develop engagement skills.
• Internally and externally advocate for the potential of archaeology to address contemporary challenges and deliver meaningful public impacts for new and existing audiences.

• Imaginative and creative approach to community engagement, excited to explore new practices and approaches
• Clear communicator, able to adapt tone and vocabulary in verbal and written communication for different audiences
• Effective collaborator, able to work closely with colleagues with different specialisms
• Analytic, able to identify strengths and areas for improvement in group and individual work
• Commitment to embedding inclusion, accessibility, and diversity throughout your group and individual work
• Passion and enthusiasm for heritage / archaeology and its potential to deliver public benefit

• Engaging diverse communities and stakeholders in heritage / archaeology
• Delivering projects, including acquiring and managing resources, progress tracking, financial awareness, and logistics
• Developing and designing engagement projects / sessions with diverse communities and stakeholders

• Evaluating and reporting on community engagement and social value projects, using qualitative and quantitative data
• Supporting colleagues to develop and practice new skills and expertise
• Supervising other people (colleagues, volunteers, or others) in public-facing settings
• Navigating the UK’s…