Resilience Support Officer in Ashford

This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in helping the council prepare for, respond to and recover from emergencies, whilst supporting the safe delivery of events across the borough. Working closely with the Community Safety, Enforcement and Resilience Team Leader and Senior Resilience Officer, you will provide essential administrative, coordination and project support that helps the council meet its statutory responsibilities under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004. No two days are the same. One day you could be supporting the development of emergency plans or business continuity arrangements, and the next coordinating Safety Advisory Group meetings for major local events, working with emergency services, partner agencies and event organisers. You will be responsible for coordinating Safety Advisory Group (SAG) processes for events across the borough, ensuring applications are managed effectively and safely, as well as:

• Organising and attending meetings, preparing agendas, taking accurate minutes and monitoring follow-up actions.
• Building productive relationships with emergency services, local authorities, community groups and other partner organisations.
• Assisting with the maintenance of emergency and welfare centres, ensuring they remain operational and fit for purpose.
• Supporting community and parish councils to develop community resilience plans.
• Maintaining accurate emergency contacts, resources and information databases.
• Helping to deliver resilience training, exercises and awareness activities.

In order to excel in this role you will be organised, adaptable and thrive in a collaborative environment. It is essential that you have:

• Experience of minute taking and producing clear, accurate written records.
• Experience of working with partner organisations and stakeholders.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to build effective working relationships.
• Strong IT skills and excellent attention to detail.
• An interest in, and understanding of, emergency planning and business continuity.

This role offers the opportunity to contribute directly to the safety, preparedness and resilience of our communities. You'll work alongside experienced professionals, build relationships across a wide range of organisations and play a meaningful role in supporting local people during times of need. The position will occasionally require flexibility to work outside normal office hours to support emergency incidents, major events or resilience activities.

In April 2028 Local government in Kent is moving to a new unitary council structure. If you join us now, you will be employed by Ashford Borough Council in the first instance, but staff are expected to transfer to the new organisation under TUPE arrangements in April 2028. This means your continuity of employment and existing terms and conditions will be protected. Ashford Borough Council recognises the need to ensure the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults when they come into contact with the services we provide.

We welcome applications form the Armed Forces Community

Hybrid Working - We are an organisation that puts people first and understands how important employee wellbeing is. We want to help you to balance your working life and home life and offer flexible ways of working to help structure your life in a positive and productive way; both at home and in the office. This maximises personal development and collaborative working.

• Competitive remuneration package - We offer an excellent salary linked pension scheme, generous annual leave with flexi time, free life insurance, supportive relocation package and opportunities for training and development.