Are you passionate about making a difference to people’s lives and communities in Sandwell? Do you want to be part of a team leading the way to create strong, resilient and vibrant neighbourhoods? Do you thrive on leading and shaping impactful projects and bringing people together to create lasting positive change? If so, we want you to join us. The Role At Sandwell Council we are excited to deliver our new Neighbourhood Working Model where we will focus on the issues and challenges faced within the Borough at a local neighbourhood level. Our new Neighbourhoods Services team is at the heart of this change and will drive forward this new way of working. We are looking for people who are enthusiastic and committed to making a real difference to the lives of our residents and strive to deliver outstanding customer service. As part of our growing team, the Grants Support Officer will support the effective delivery of grants to community organisations in Sandwell. Through the distribution of grants, we support community groups that are working tirelessly alongside communities experiencing disadvantage and hardship to build resilience and create opportunities for growth. You will be responsible for supporting local community groups to apply for grants. You will work closely with Elected Members, community groups and the Neighbourhoods Communications Officer to generate good news stories, help promote local groups, the grants scheme and build the reputation of the team to help us help others. In addition, you will support the administration of town-based meetings, ensuring effective partnership working and communication across the towns. You will also support officers within the Neighbourhood Services Team to deliver local events, consultations and promotion of community-led activities across Sandwell. Our core focus is to be Member Led, Customer Focused and Officer Driven. This impacts all the work we do as a team, where we demonstrate our values and behaviours every day. Your responsibilities will include: You will provide a visible presence and act as point of contact for local organisations who are applying for grants. You will have excellent written and verbal communication skills and be confident answering calls, emails and building relationships with groups to get the best possible applications put forward. You will provide administration support for a variety of meetings, working closely with Members, officers and key partners to ensure the effective delivery of these meetings. You must be prepared to work outside in all weathers. This role may involve some evening and weekend work to meet community needs. This is an exciting opportunity to make a real difference in local communities. You will work at the heart of the community, shaping projects and initiatives that improve lives and create a sense of belonging. About you You will: Need a level 2 in numeracy and literacy or equivalent or relevant experience in a related field Have experience of working on own initiative with minimum supervision. Be able to respond to written correspondence. Have experience of working or engaging with the voluntary and community sector. Be proficient with the use of a variety of software packages (such as excel, word, powerpoint) Be customer-focused, working effectively with others to deliver a responsive, efficient, agile, high-quality service to residents. Build meaningful and trusting relationships with councillors, residents, community and voluntary organisations and businesses in Sandwell. Be able to work with everyone in our communities, and be committed to delivering equitable outcomes for all. Do what you say you will, and be accountable for delivering agreed actions. Be ambitious for Sandwell’s residents, always aiming to deliver the best possible service and drive long-lasting change to improve people’s lives. Our Offer to You We offer a competitive package that includes: Access to our award-winning employee benefits scheme. A strong focus on health and wellbeing. A variety of learning and development opportunities to help you grow in your career. Hours 37 hours per week. Find out further information by visiting http://www.sandwell.gov.uk/NeighbourhoodsTeam Pop in and meet the new Neighbourhoods Services Team to find out how we’re changing the way we work with our local communities and elected members. The team will be helping to build better relationships with members, supporting service areas to help resolve local issues for residents and improving the customer journey. Drop-in sessions are available if you are interested and want the opportunity to discuss the roles in person on: Wednesday 12 February 11am- 2pm Tuesday 18 February 3pm- 6pm Drop-in sessions will take place at Sandwell Council House, Oldbury. On arrival, please meet at the Link Reception (to the right of the fountains) where a member of the team will greet you. For further details, please contact Santokh Singh, Neighbourhood Services Manager or Neil Bould, Neighbourhood Operations Manager. Santokh: 07966 976932 santokh_singhsandwell.gov.uk Neil: 07826 940480 neil_bouldsandwell.gov.uk We reserve the right to close vacancies prior to their advertised date if we receive a large number of applications. Therefore, you are strongly advised to complete and return your application as soon as possible. When completing your application please refer to the supporting documents attached. If you have a disability and require assistance in making an application, or have experienced a problem whilst applying for a position, please contact the Resourcing Team on 0121 569 3300 or via e-mail to: hr_resourcingsandwell.gov.uk For more information about working for Sandwell Council, our recruitment process and our offer to you please visit https://www.sandwell.gov.uk/counciljobs Click here to find out more about our One Team Framework: Values and Behaviours To apply please download the application and return to: Hrresourcing_applicationssandwell.gov.uk