Community Engagement Officer - HEAT

Job description

Position Community Engagement Officer - HEAT

Location Based in the Preston/Greater Preston area, with regular travel to partner meetings, community venues and events.

Salary £25,664 + excellent benefits

Hours 35 hours per week (flexible working)

Status Fixed term to 31 March 2027

Closing date 25 October 2026

Build partnerships. Strengthen communities. Help more households access the support they need.

The Wise Group is recruiting Community Engagement Officers to join our Home Energy Advice Team (HEAT), supporting increased demand for services over the autumn, winter and early spring.

This fixed-term role, running until March 2027, has been created to strengthen our community presence, develop referral partnerships and ensure more households experiencing fuel poverty and financial hardship can access support when they need it most.

As colder weather approaches, many households face increasing pressure from rising energy costs and wider financial challenges. By building trusted relationships with local organisations and community partners, you'll help ensure people are identified early and connected quickly to the advice and support available through HEAT.

This is a highly collaborative role that combines partnership development, community outreach and referral generation. You'll become a trusted ambassador for the Wise Group, working across communities to raise awareness of HEAT, develop effective referral pathways and build partnerships that improve customer outcomes.

The Role

Community Engagement Officers play a key role in extending the reach and impact of HEAT. You'll develop and maintain relationships with organisations that regularly support people experiencing financial hardship, helping them understand how HEAT can complement the support they already provide.

Working with local authorities, housing providers, health services, community groups, charities and other frontline organisations, you'll identify opportunities to reach more households, strengthen referral pathways and build lasting partnerships that make it easier for people to access support.

You'll represent the Wise Group at community events, partner meetings, forums and outreach activities, delivering presentations and sharing information about our services. Just as importantly, you'll listen to partners, understand the challenges facing local communities and use those insights to help shape how we develop and deliver HEAT.

Working closely with the Team Lead and operational colleagues, you'll ensure referrals are timely, appropriate and aligned with service objectives. You'll share intelligence from partners and communities, helping us identify emerging needs, improve customer journeys and strengthen the overall impact of the service.

Activity is particularly high during autumn and winter, when demand for support increases significantly. You'll plan and manage your outreach activity to maximise opportunities, build trusted relationships and ensure vulnerable households can access support as early as possible.

Key Responsibilities

You'll take ownership for:

• Building and maintaining strong relationships with community organisations, local authorities, housing providers, health services, charities and other referral partners.
• Developing and strengthening referral pathways that enable more households to access HEAT support.
• Acting as a trusted ambassador for the Wise Group, promoting HEAT through presentations, workshops, community events and partner meetings.
• Identifying opportunities to build new partnerships and extend our reach into communities where support is needed most.
• Working collaboratively with the Team Lead and operational colleagues to ensure referrals are appropriate, timely and deliver positive customer outcomes.
• Sharing insight from partners and communities to help improve services, identify emerging trends and strengthen customer experience.
• Supporting targeted seasonal campaigns to increase awareness and referrals during periods of peak demand.
• Monitoring partnership activity, referral trends and engagement to understand what's working and where further opportunities exist.
• Maintaining accurate records of outreach, partnership activity and referrals.
• Contributing to team objectives while demonstrating the impact and value of community engagement.

About You

We're looking for someone who enjoys building relationships, connecting people and creating opportunities that make a real difference.

You'll be confident working independently while collaborating closely with colleagues and partners, and you'll be comfortable representing the Wise Group with professionalism and enthusiasm.

You'll bring:

• Strong relationship-building and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Confidence delivering presentations, workshops and community engagement activities.
• The ability to develop trusted partnerships with a wide range of organisations.
• A proactive, organised approach with the ability to manage competing priorities.
• Experience working with community organisations, voluntary sector partners or external stakeholders (desirable).
• The confidence to identify opportunities, build networks and influence others.
• Good organisational and digital skills, including Microsoft Office.
• The ability to use information and feedback to identify trends and improve engagement activity.
• A genuine commitment to improving outcomes for households experiencing fuel poverty and financial hardship.

Contract Details

• Fixed-term contract: November 2026 - March 2027.
• 35 hours per week.
• Remote-first, based in the Preston/Greater Preston area, with regular travel to partner meetings, community venues and events.
• Full training and onboarding provided.

If you're passionate about building partnerships, connecting communities and helping people access the support they need, we'd love to hear from you.

View the Role Profile for full details about this opportunity.