Voluntary & Community Sector (VCS) Development Officer

An exciting opportunity has arisen in the Corporate Strategy & Communities Service for a Voluntary & Community Sector (VCS) Development Officer for a 12 month opportunity to help deliver the Council’s Strategic Plan 2022-26 by working in partnership with the VCS. Tower Hamlets Council has a strong and long lasting relationship with the local VCS, which numbers 1,300 organisations in the borough. This role provides a fantastic opportunity to support the council to work with the VCS and a range of partners, especially policy makers and funders, to support and develop relationships with this sector. The role will also support a range of work with the VCS, including capacity building, developing forums, networks and partnerships as required. The Council is currently in the process of developing a new VCS Strategy for 2025-2029. This strategy has a vision of the council working in partnership with the VCS and partners to build a thriving and diverse voluntary and community sector that improves the lives of residents.

Key focuses of this post will be supporting the implementation of this Strategy and working with the VCS to support the delivery of the Mayor’s Community Grant Programme that started in November 2023.

As a practitioner, with knowledge and experience of the VCS, you will design and implement corporate priorities and help develop and implement Council strategy on the VCS. You will have:

• An understanding of policy and practice in relation to VCS commissioning and grants management and knowledge of the main sources of funding for VCS organisations.
• Experience of working with VCS organisations.
• Knowledge of national government policy and direction as it affects local government and the main priorities and issues for local authorities.
• Experience of programme or project management in a large organisation and of project monitoring and control systems.
• An ability to monitor, review and evaluate grants performance programmes, policies and strategies.
• Experience of report writing and the ability to present information in a clear and concise way.

Tower Hamlets vision for our borough is that: people are aspirational, independent and have equal access to opportunities; we are a borough that our residents are proud of and love to live in; and we are a dynamic, outcomes-based council using digital innovation and partnership working to respond to the changing needs of our borough. We want people who aspire to our TOWER values: Together; Open; Willing; Excellent; Respect.

Tower Hamlets has a zero-tolerance approach to, and works to eradicate, all forms of discrimination on the basis of race, sex, disability, age, religion or belief, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marital status, status as a civil partner, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy and maternity and looks to employ a diverse workforce representative of these groups. We recognise that people can also be disadvantaged by their social and economic circumstances, so we will work to eliminate discrimination and disadvantage caused by social class. We welcome applicants interested in flexible working arrangements and also applicants who live in the borough.