Job Summary Table of Community Engagement

📋 Job Description Summary

The Community Engagement Officer role is a part-time position designed for University of Exeter students to facilitate positive relationships between the student body and local community residents. Officers work in teams to support the Community Liaison Team’s initiatives throughout the academic year, implementing projects that address community concerns while helping fellow students integrate successfully into off-campus life.

🔍 Community Engagement Officer: A Vital Student-Community Bridge

Supporting local communities and ensuring student safety has never been more important in university towns. The University of Exeter recognizes this and has developed an innovative approach through their Community Engagement Officer program. This role serves as a critical link between students living off-campus and the broader Exeter community.

Community Engagement Officers are responsible for fostering positive relationships between students and permanent residents, providing essential information about local services, addressing community concerns, and implementing initiatives that benefit all community members. Working closely with the University, Students’ Guild, local Police, and City Council, these officers ensure that students become active, responsible citizens while living off-campus.

🗓️ Term-by-Term Responsibilities

Term 1: Moving In Focus

The first term centers on helping students settle into off-campus housing and establish good community practices from the start. Officers conduct regular walkabouts in designated areas to:

• Introduce themselves to students living in private accommodation
• Educate students about proper waste management and recycling procedures
• Ensure households have the correct bins and understand local collection schedules
• Provide guidance on safety measures for both personal and property protection
• Address immediate concerns from students or permanent residents
• Respond quickly to specific issues that arise in particular streets or neighborhoods

This term is primarily reactive, with teams deployed strategically to areas requiring immediate attention or assistance.

Term 2: Community Projects

As the academic year progresses, officers shift focus to developing and implementing creative community projects that address specific local issues. During this term, officers will:

• Identify community concerns that could benefit from targeted initiatives
• Design and develop projects that bring students and permanent residents together
• Work with university support teams and community partners to implement solutions
• Access the Community Fund to finance worthwhile community-building activities
• Evaluate project effectiveness and adjust approaches as needed

This term allows officers to demonstrate initiative and creative problem-solving while making a meaningful impact on community cohesion.

Term 3: Moving Out Initiatives

The final term concentrates on the crucial “Students on the Move” scheme, a collaborative effort between the University and Exeter City Council. Officers play a vital role in:

• Promoting proper waste disposal methods as students prepare to leave their accommodations
• Facilitating recycling and reuse of household items rather than disposal
• Implementing the glass caddying scheme to collect and recycle glass waste
• Helping students avoid council fines for improper waste disposal
• Ensuring neighborhoods remain clean and well-maintained during the transition period

💼 Key Responsibilities

Community Engagement Officers must fulfill various duties to improve community relations:

• Conduct proactive ‘walkabouts’ in designated areas to identify and address potential community issues
• Establish and maintain regular contact with both student and permanent residents
• Attend required training sessions, bi-weekly team meetings, and other relevant gatherings
• Create and coordinate community projects each term to address specific local concerns
• Provide information to residents about local services, facilities, and support resources
• Participate in information fairs and roadshows promoting community awareness
• Disseminate important information about burglary prevention, personal safety, and proper waste management
• Follow up on welfare concerns for individual students living off-campus
• Maintain anonymous statistical records of activities and interventions
• Work effectively within a team while recognizing when additional support is needed

🎓 Qualifications and Requirements

To qualify for this position, candidates must:

• Be current University of Exeter students
• Have experience living in private accommodation off-campus
• Be available for in-person training in Exeter on September 9th and 11th, 2025
• Be willing to work flexibly, including some evening and weekend hours as needed
• Demonstrate excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Show initiative and problem-solving abilities
• Be able to work effectively both independently and as part of a team

🏆 Benefits and Perks

• Competitive hourly rate of £12.60 per hour
• Flexible working hours that can accommodate academic schedules
• Valuable experience working with community organizations and local government
• Opportunity to develop project management and community relations skills
• Direct impact on improving student-community relations
• Enhanced CV with demonstrable community engagement experience
• Connection to the prestigious Russell Group university network

🏛️ University of Exeter Overview

The University of Exeter is a member of the prestigious Russell Group of research-intensive universities and ranks in the top 200 universities worldwide according to both Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024 and QS World University Ranking 2024. The university has achieved a Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework Award 2023, underpinned by Gold ratings for Student Experience and Student Outcomes.

Exeter’s world-leading research impact has grown more than any other Russell Group university in recent years, with 99 percent of its research rated as international quality and 47 percent as world-leading (2021 Research Excellence Framework). The university promotes proactive engagement with industry, business, and community partners to enhance research and education impact while improving student employability.

Located in a beautiful part of the UK, Exeter has been designated as a UNESCO Creative City and is emerging as a fast-growing tech hub.

🌈 Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging

The University of Exeter is committed to creating an inclusive culture where all community members can thrive. With over 30,000 students and 7,000 staff from 150 different countries, the university celebrates diversity as a major strength. Exeter engages with evidence-based charter frameworks for gender (Athena SWAN and Project Juno for Physics), race equality (Race Equality Charter Mark), LGBTQ+ inclusion (Stonewall Diversity Champion), and serves as a Disability Confident employer.

The university proudly supports the Armed Forces Covenant and welcomes applications from service people. Reasonable adjustments are available for interviews and workplaces, ensuring accessibility for all qualified candidates.

📝 Application Process

1. Review the complete job description and person specification
2. Submit your application through the online portal
3. If shortlisted, attend an in-person interview in Exeter during the week commencing June 9th, 2025
4. Successful candidates must attend mandatory training on September 9th and 11th, 2025

⏰ Application Deadline

Applications must be submitted by May 25th, 2025.

📞 Additional Information

For further details or questions about this position, please contact Rory Cunningham, Community Liaison Officer/Manager, at r.j.cunningham@exeter.ac.uk.

Ready to make a difference in your university community? Apply today!

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