* Fixed Term Graduate Contract for 2 years
* Full Time - 37 hours Monday to Friday
* This role offers hybrid working, allowing you to work either from home or from one of our offices
* 28 days’ annual leave (plus bank holidays)
We’re working to improve the lives of people in Somerset – and you’ll be a key part of that.
Join us at Somerset Council as a Customer Experience Graduate - Sustainable Housing. A unique opportunity for aspiring professionals to make a difference in the dynamic field of energy retrofitting within our social housing services.
You will plan and schedule major upgrades work on properties as part of the Council’s Housing Retrofit Programme, being the point of contact between tenants, contractors and the Council.
You will coordinate with contractors, tenants and estates officers to schedule retrofit assessments, EPC surveys and asbestos surveys. Your role will include working closely with tenants and the estates team to ensure safe access to properties, issuing advance correspondence to tenants regarding scheduled surveys and works and conducting pre and post installation courtesy calls and surveys.
As a participant in our Graduate scheme, you will be exposed to a wide range of experiences and provided with comprehensive support throughout your journey. Engaging in challenging real-world projects, you will play a vital role in enhancing the lives of our valued residents, fostering thriving communities and supporting local businesses within the picturesque county of Somerset.
This key role in the Housing Retrofit Programme offers hands-on experience in delivering vital social housing services. You will play a crucial part in planning and coordinating works, helping to improve energy efficiency and sustainability. Along the way, you will develop skills in communication, stakeholder management, organisation and problem-solving, while gaining practical knowledge of retrofit programmes and property assessments. It’s an excellent opportunity to build a strong foundation for a rewarding career in the housing or sustainability sectors. Our Graduate scheme offers a platform for you to utilise your talents and skills to their fullest potential while contributing to helping the country reach net 0.
The Council’s in-house landlord function owns, manages and maintains around 5700 homes for rent plus 400 leasehold properties. If you are seeking a rewarding and meaningful career, we invite you to join our team, where you will have the opportunity to make a tangible difference.
Customer Experience Graduate - Sustainable Housing
As a graduate, your role will be central to advancing energy retrofit housing projects and initiatives, engaging residents and enhancing community experiences. You'll be responsible for assisting with crafting effective communication strategies, creating engaging content and collaborating with internal stakeholders to maintain clear and consistent messaging.
Your work will involve developing communication strategies that resonate with our residents, creating informative and engaging content, collaboration with internal teams and residents and contractors. This will be key to ensuring that our messages align with the broader organisational goals.
In this role, you'll have the opportunity to contribute to improved resident satisfaction and stronger community connections. Your efforts will play a vital role in the success of our housing initiatives, making a positive impact on the lives of residents and the overall community experience.
The role is 37hr per week fixed until 31/03/2027. There is a hybrid role with around 3 days a week working in the office or on sites expected. Although for the first two months a greater proportion of time will be required in a council location to allow coaching and software support. During your contract you will receive peer support as part of Somerset Councils Graduate Recruit Scheme and opportunities, subject to agreement, to experience other service areas within the Council.
We offer ongoing support, training and guidance to help you be the best you can be.
But it will really help if you:
* Have good communication skills and are comfortable making telephone calls as well as writing letters or emails. Through asking open questions, you will be able to gain a real insight into a customer’s situation and how best to support them.
* Are organised, and willing to learn new skills and develop your knowledge.
* Are able to work effectively on your own as well as a part of a team.
* Have a relevant and recognised degree at a minimum of 2:2 attained within the last 3 years. We will accept applicants with a degree in any field.
We’re proud to be here for the people of Somerset. And that means everyone in Somerset. An important part of this is ensuring that we are as diverse and inclusive as the people and communities we serve.
We welcome applications from a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences to enrich our team. You can always contact the hiring manager for a chat if there’s anything you want to talk about before you apply.
We are proud to offer an environment that is supportive and rewarding, working as part of a team who are passionate about the work they do to improve the lives of people in Somerset.
We offer great training and development opportunities, with supportive management. As well as this, we have some fantastic employee benefits available:
* We promote a healthy work-life balance and offer flexible working arrangements wherever possible, including working from home.
* Generous annual leave allowance, with the opportunity to purchase additional leave.
* Staff discounts in gyms.
* Employee Assistance for the times you may need some support and a variety of employee wellbeing services.
* Auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme and optional pension enhancement through our Additional Voluntary Contribution scheme.
* A Flexible Benefits Scheme via salary sacrifice to obtain a cycle for work and health screenings.
* My Staff Shop offering discounts in shops, online shopping, restaurants, cinema tickets, insurance benefits and more...
The salary for the role starts at Grade 12, £27,711 per annum, increasing in set increments as per the Graduate scheme to a final salary of Grade 11, £31,586 per annum.
This Graduate scheme is fixed term for a period of 2 years.
The recruitment process for the Somerset County Council Graduate Scheme will be structured into 3 stages, explained below:
* CV/Application submission – sifted based on entry criteria.
* Presentation: you will be asked to present on the following topic – “What do you consider to be the main challenges Somerset Council will face in the next 3 years?” – the presentation should last no more than 15 minutes and will then be followed by up to 5 minutes of follow-up questions.
* Service specific formal interview – if successful at the presentation stage, you will then be invited to attend a formal interview with the specific service you have applied to.
The interview will take place at Bridgwater House, Bridgwater, Somerset, TA6 3AR.
When completing your application/CV please provide your full employment history and ensure that any gaps in employment are explained. Please start with your current or most recent employment.
If you have all the information you need, just hit the apply button - we can’t wait to hear from you.
Basic DBS clearance is required for this role via the online disclosures procedure.
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