Community Engagement Officer in Rotherham, Yorkshire

The Diocese of Sheffield is called to grow a diverse network of Christ-like, lively and sustainable Christian communities in every place which are effective in making disciples and in seeking to transform our society and God's world. The churches of St James, Clifton, St Cuthberts, Herringthorpe, and St Mary Magdalene, Whiston are seeking to appoint a Community Engagement Officer to strengthen their presence, relationships, and participation within local community life. Rooted in a shared vision of welcome, hospitality, safety, and support, this role will help ensure the church is not only open to the community but fully integrated into it, listening to local needs, building partnerships, and enabling creative initiatives that support community cohesion and wellbeing.

Inspired by the Church of England's Five Marks of Mission, the Community Engagement Officer will work at the intersection of faith, service, and community life supporting inclusive activities, nurturing relationships, and creating accessible pathways for people to feel connected, valued, and supported, and for those who wish to explore or deepen their faith as part of the life of the church.

The Community Engagement Officer role includes:

• Working with clergy and volunteers to ensure community activities reflect shared values
• Planning and delivering inclusive community events that promote wellbeing and connection
• Supporting initiatives such as youth work, intergenerational projects, and cultural events
• Building partnerships with local schools, community groups, charities, and statutory services
• Being a visible and welcoming presence within the parishes and identifying local needs
• Supporting promotion of activities through social media, newsletters, and noticeboards
• Recording activities and outcomes, and contributing to reports and reviews
• Recruiting and coordinating volunteers as needed
• Contributing to parish and Mission Area meetings and mission planning

Please note this role may be subject to a Basic DBS check in accordance with Safer Recruitment and Safeguarding provisions. This post is funded by a National Church grant currently until the end of 2028, with the potential for review and extension (subject to funding) to 2031. Regular reviews will take place, though no guarantees can be made.

Part-Time, up to 28 hours per week

Working Pattern: Monday to Thursday with some flexibility for evening and weekends

Salary: £23,600 (FTE £29,500) 10% employer contribution to pension

Generous Holiday Entitlement

Location: St James, Clifton, and working collaboratively with St Cuthberts, Herringthorpe, and St Mary Magdalene, Whiston

A full vision and an application pack can be found on our website sheffield.anglican.org

Please send your completed application form to recruitment(AT)sheffield.anglican.org

Closing date: Monday 2 March 2026

Shortlisting Date: w/c 2 March 2026

Interview: w/c 16 March 2026

For more information on the role please email Rev Caroline Wyman : carolinewyman(AT)stjamesclifton.org or call 07835 287653 Or email Alex Shilkoff: alex.shilkoff(AT)Sheffield.anglican.org

MAIN PURPOSE OF THE ROLE

The Community Engagement Officer will play a key role in developing and strengthening the churches presence and participation in local community life, with the post based primarily at St James, Clifton, and working collaboratively with St Cuthberts, Herringthorpe, and St Mary Magdalene, Whiston. Rooted in the shared vision of the churches to be places of welcome, hospitality, safety, and support, this role exists to help ensure that the church is not only open to the community but actively embedded within it. The postholder will help nurture community cohesion by listening carefully to local needs, building partnerships with local organisations, and enabling creative, responsive initiatives that meet gaps in local provision.

The work of the Community Engagement Officer will be shaped by the Church of England's Five Marks of Mission proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom through presence and relationship; responding to human need by loving service; seeking to transform unjust structures; nurturing new believers; and safeguarding the integrity of creation understood not as abstract principles, but as lived, local commitments. Through community events, collaborative projects, and relationship-building, the role will support the churches mission to serve their neighbourhoods with compassion, inclusivity, and openness, while also helping to create accessible, invitational pathways for those who wish to explore or deepen their faith as part of the life of the church.

MAIN DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Work alongside clergy and church volunteers at St James, St Cuthberts, and St Mary Magdalene to ensure that community activities reflect the churches shared values of hospitality, compassion, and respect
• Develop and deliver community events and initiatives that bring people together, promoting inclusion, wellbeing, and neighbourliness.
• Build and maintain partnerships with local organisations identified in the parish profile including local schools, voluntary and charitable organisations, community groups, and statutory services to support collaborative projects such as youth drop-in sessions, intergenerational activities, family support initiatives, and local celebrations
• Act as a welcoming and visible presence within the parishes, developing a culture of invitation and helping to identify local needs and opportunities for engagement
• Support communication and publicity for community initiatives, including social media, local newsletters, and noticeboards
• Keep accurate records of activities, attendance, and outcomes, and contribute to reports for funding and parish review
• Recruit and coordinate volunteers where needed for events and projects
• Contribute to team meetings and mission action planning as a team member in the parish and wider Mission Area

This role description provides a guide to the duties and responsibilities of the post and is not an exhaustive list. The post holder may be asked to undertake any other relevant duties appropriate to the post. The role description will be amended over time, in full consultation with the post holder, to meet the needs of the Diocese.

Person Specification: Community Engagement Officer

CRITERIA

• Educated to A-level or equivalent
• Study or qualifications relating to community development and cohesion building

• Experience of planning and delivering community projects or events
• Able to work as part of a team as well as taking the initiative
• Experience of working with young people or vulnerable groups

• Excellent networking and relationship building skill in order to bring about change
• Strong organisational skills
• Strong communication abilities (verbal, written, and social media)
• Reflection on and evaluating the impact and effectiveness of different activities and be able to adapt accordingly
• Knowledge of community development and empowerment methodologies / practice
• Familiarity with local voluntary and statutory services

• A commitment to inclusivity and community cohesion
• Sympathetic to the Christian faith and supportive of the mission of the Church of England
• Ability to work some evenings and weekends as required
• A practising Christian with a deep-rooted faith

Please note this role may be subject to a Basic DBS check in accordance with Safer Recruitment and Safeguarding provisions.

For further information, please do not hesitate to contact the HR Team at HR(AT)sheffield.anglican.org

This is a post which is funded by a grant from the National Church currently up to the end of 2028. There will be further opportunity for us to review and extend the role if further funding is available with the current expectation that this could be until 2031. Regular reviews on this will take place.

Our Vision At the heart of St James is a simple but demanding vision: To be a place of welcome, hospitality, safety, and support a place where people of all faiths and none can gather, where community is nurtured, and where gaps in local provision are met with compassion and creativity. We are committed to working collaboratively with local organisations to strengthen community cohesion, to listen carefully to emerging needs, and to allow our mission to remain organic, responsive, and open to change as the community itself changes.

Shaped by the Five Marks of Mission Our life and direction at St James are grounded in the Church of England's Five Marks of Mission:

• To proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom
• To teach, baptise, and nurture new believers
• To respond to human need by loving service
• To seek to transform unjust structures of society
• To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain the life of the earth

In a parish marked by deprivation but rich in people, cultures, and possibility, these marks are not abstract ideals. They are daily work, holy work and work we believe God continues to call St James to share.

Conclusion: Hope, Calling, and Commitment St James, Clifton stands in a place of real challenge and real possibility. The needs of the parish are complex and often pressing, shaped by poverty, inequality, and social change. Yet this is also a community rich in people, cultures, relationships, and resilience and a place where the church continues to matter deeply. St James is not a church with all the answers, nor a church untouched by struggle. But it is a church rooted in its neighbourhood, trusted by many, and committed to staying, listening, and serving.