Neighbourhood Spaces Transformation Lead

This is an exciting opportunity to join the Area Regeneration Team at Camden. The team is at the forefront of delivering the We Make Camden Vision and Objectives, working together with our residents, businesses and partners to make a difference for the people of Camden.

The Neighbourhood Spaces Transformation Lead is a unique position in the Council, supporting both the physical transformation of underused Council assets and the strategy for their environmentally sustainable and financially viable operation. This is achieved with processes underpinned by codesign, community collaboration and stewardship.

The current programme includes the transformation of a number of vacant buildings. The most advanced is the creation of a Neighbourhood Space in Kentish Town, which will transform a vacant cinema building into a thriving mixture of workspace and community space. The space will enable organisations to connect and collaborate with residents through mission focused change and community-led stewardship and creates opportunities to participate in local decision-making and change at neighbourhood level. Grant funding has been secured to support the capital works which are anticipated to commence later this year. A meanwhile use of the building as a “Civic Action Lab” is underway including community-led programming and artist studios. Proposals for a further neighbourhood space in Kilburn are under development, with close collaboration with local partnership One Kilburn.

The postholder will also lead the Vacant Spaces on estates pilot programme. This programme is closely linked to Camden’s We Make Camden Estates Mission, that by 2030, Camden’s estates and their neighbourhoods are healthy, sustainable and unlock creativity. Two pilot projects are underway and a prospectus of 9 additional potential sites within the setting of Camden housing estates are currently being explored.

The Neighbourhood Spaces Transformation Lead is responsible for leading these and other projects through from inception/ vision, to design, construction and end use.

We are looking for an experienced regeneration professional that combines the applied technical knowledge of building transformation, with a driver for generating social value and working collaboratively with local community stakeholders. You will understand the processes involved in the full life cycle of a physical asset transformation; have experience of procuring and managing consultants, design teams and contractors in the development and delivery of capital projects. You will be an excellent communicator with experience of co-design and participative approaches to community and stakeholder collaboration, including hands on experience of running community events and working directly with residents, voluntary and community sector organisations and social enterprises.

You will be responsible for all programme management, reporting and governance and financial planning (both in term of capital investment and on-going operational and revenue viability). You will be self-starter and natural leader, with the ability to creatively problem solve and work across council services and organisations, to build support and get others on board. You will have line management responsibilities for regeneration officers (expected 1-3 direct reports), will project manage wider project teams and be part of the Area Regeneration Management Team. Most importantly you will share our values, putting the local community at the heart of what we do and empowering local people to influence what happens in their neighbourhood.

At Camden, you’ll receive a host of benefits. From flexible working to 27 days annual leave (+ bank holidays!). We also know that a work life balance is extremely important so we also offer family leave, loan schemes and access to our incredible staff networks. We also have an incredible pensions scheme.

At Camden, we want every colleague to feel they belong and can thrive. We welcome applications from all parts of our community, and particularly encourage people from Black, Asian and Other Ethnic Heritage communities, LGBTQ+ people, disabled and neurodiverse people, survivors of domestic abuse, and those from lower socio-economic backgrounds or with care experience. We know that different voices and perspectives make us stronger, and we are committed to providing the support, adjustments and flexibility people need to succeed.

At Camden, we are committed to making our recruitment process barrier-free and accessible for everyone. If you need us to do something differently during the application, interview or assessment process, just let us know and we will support you.