Community Economic Development Officer

We are looking for an individual who hasdrive and passion to help the Council support growth and development in our town and village centres, with a strong commitment to customer care and service delivery. They should be politically aware and have the ability to handle heavy workloads, work under pressure and to meet tight deadlines.

This post is for a period of 12 months.

WHAT IS INVOLVED?

You will be responsible for the delivery of physical regeneration and economic development projects across County Durham and will also be required to engage and provide business support to the retail sector in our towns and village centres, in line with the following objectives:-

• Identify, develop and implement physical regeneration projects.
• Identification of area specific economic development priorities, particularly within our town and village / retail centres.
• Develop project solutions in line with identified priorities.
• To work collaboratively and in partnership with public, private and voluntary sector partners across the County

We encourage you to contact Julie Anson, Community Economic Development Manager via email at julie.anson@durham.gov.uk to arrange an informal discussion about the role.

WHAT WILL I NEED?

You will be educated to degree level or have a NVQ Level 4 together with substantial relevant experience.

You will have experience in developing and delivering physical regeneration and economic development projects. You should have experience of externally funded programmes and of working with the retail sector, business groups and town centre users.

Please refer to the attached person specification for the full criteria.

INTERVIEWS

Interviews will be held on Friday 14 November 2025.

We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that can show they meet all the essential criteria and have indicated they have a disability, are a looked after young person, care leaver or a veteran.

OUR OFFER TO YOU

We offer a competitive rewards package that includes attractive salaries, a generous annual leave entitlement of 27 days (rising to 32 after five years’ continuous local government service), membership of the excellent contributory career average Local Government Pension Scheme, and a range of flexible working arrangements including hybrid working (home and office) where applicable.

Explore the full range of rewards and benefits on our website (https://www.durham.gov.uk/article/26895/Rewards-and-benefits-if-you-work-for-us).

Rewards and benefits are subject to individual terms and conditions.

EQUALITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION

We are a proud equal opportunities employer and believe a diverse workforce brings fresh ideas and drives service improvement. We welcome applications from everyone and make employment decisions based on skills and ability. As a Disability Confident Leader, we actively encourage applications from disabled people and offer support throughout the recruitment process.

HOW TO APPLY

Please note, we do not accept CVs. All applications must be submitted online via the Northeast Jobs portal. Use the ‘Person Specification’ section of the form to clearly demonstrate how you meet the essential (and where possible, desirable) criteria. Applications that do not evidence the essential requirements will not be shortlisted. For guidance on completing your application, visit our website (https://www.durham.gov.uk/article/2083/How-to-apply-for-a-job-with-us).

If you require assistance when applying for this role, please contact our Recruitment Helpdesk on 03000 26 27 27, or via email RecruitmentREG@durham.gov.uk.

CONNECT WITH US

Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dccjobsandcareers/.

Like us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/durhamcountycounciljobsandcareers.

Visit our website durham.gov.uk/jobsandcareerswithus.