Relationship Development Officer in Chelmsford

This is a fixed term contract or secondment opportunity until March 2028. You will work from the Chelmsford office at least one day a week and across our operational area on other days, depending on business need. Active Essex is hosted within Essex County Council's Adult Social Care function and is the strategic lead for sport and physical activity across Greater Essex including Southend and Thurrock. In July 2021, Active Essex launched "Fit for the Future" – a 10-year strategy for physical activity and sport owned by the whole Essex eco‑system.

We also publish an annual implementation plan clarifying our delivery targets and confirming a commitment to place‑based work underpinned by asset‑based community development. The implementation plan and outcomes are publicly available. We are pleased to offer an exciting opportunity to join our team as a Relationship Development Officer. Active Essex's operating model uses a place‑based approach to ensure that work is deeply rooted in local community needs. Our locality hub team structure enables co‑design of community‑led initiatives, using physical activity as a tool to build resilience, strengthen social connections and enhance overall wellbeing.

As part of a place team, this Relationship Development Officer role will build on the existing momentum for place‑based working by identifying local priorities, collaborating with system partners and stakeholders, and delivering key Active Essex programmes to create meaningful impact at place. The role will also provide leadership for workstreams aligned with our strategic outcomes.

Role and Responsibilities

• Manage local relationships with community organisations, locally trusted organisations (LTOs), stakeholders and system partners to deliver Active Essex strategy outcomes.
• Develop a detailed understanding of people and places in your hub area to identify and address barriers to physical activity.
• Promote an asset‑based approach to uncover local solutions and build capacity in community organisations and LTOs.
• Project manage a range of Active Essex Portfolio projects at place level.
• Support data collection for monitoring, evaluation and learning on programmes and projects across places and themes.
• Work alongside colleagues to support the delivery of key workstreams under the strategic outcomes of our Implementation Plan.
• Advocate for equality and diversity in sport and physical activity, ensuring it is embedded in all developments.
• Plan for effective use of digital technologies and innovation within the sector.
• Facilitate ongoing learning and sharing of expertise within the Active Essex team and localities.
• Drive a culture of continuous improvement, high performance and sustainability.
• Meet individual and shared targets set annually within the performance management framework.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• Educated to A level or equivalent by experience, with ongoing professional development.
• Strong relationship management skills with a broad range of individuals and stakeholder organisations across different system settings.
• Ability to apply a systems approach to complex local issues.
• Experience of co‑designing local projects that respond directly to local needs.
• Proven track record of delivering impactful projects at local or county level.
• Experience working with communities using a strengths‑based approach to build resilience and capacity.
• Ability to support data collection and reporting to demonstrate impact.
• Effective team player with strong collaboration skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including clear presentation and reporting abilities.
• Excellent organisational skills to manage multiple projects and meet deadlines.
• Project management experience, including planning, monitoring and evaluating programmes and budgets under pressure.

Please note that the job role requires you to be mobile throughout an operational area. Therefore, the post holder will need to have a driving licence and access to a vehicle, or the ability to meet the mobility requirements of the role through other means.

Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We are committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process. We are also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.

As part of employment with Essex County Council (ECC) your role may require a DBS check. If so, you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate. This is an annual subscription, and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained.

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.