Connecting Communities – Development Officer

The Connecting Communities Development Officer will play a critical role in creating and assuring the sustainability of Community Transport across Dumfries and Galloway over the next 4 years. There is significant value to be unlocked within this sector by the addition of development capacity through this role and we are excited about the opportunities for this new team.

A detailed knowledge of Transport or Community Transport is not needed for this role – it is a business support role, and will not involve the direct delivery of any community transport operations. There will be no driving, no logistics planning and no working directly with drivers.

Instead, this role will support Community Transport Operators (CTOs) with the evolution of their Business Plans, grant finding, volunteer recruitment and employability opportunities. You will form great relationships with the CTO Managers, making sure you add real value amongst their daily jobs.

This role would suit someone with experience of working in business support or administration for a third sector organisation and with ambitions to make an even bigger difference to the people of Dumfries and Galloway through a regional role, or a new entrant with the correct skills and approach.

The role will be line managed and supported by the Lead for Community Transport and further supported by the wider TSDG Comms and Business Support teams. We are advertising for the Lead Officer in parallel with this post, so this is an exciting opportunity to join and shape a new regional project in Dumfries and Galloway.

It is principally a 9am – 5pm, 4 day/week role, with very limited evening or weekend working anticipated. The actual work pattern would be discussed at interview but we can offer a high degree of flexibility through our flexi-time policy. A minimum 25% of time would be expected to be in the Dumfries office, 25% out with the CTOs across the region and the rest home-working or in the Dumfries office.

Be the visible face of TSDG to the Community Transport Operators so that they feel well-supported in their delivery.
Support CTOs in their development aspirations such as decarbonisation, fleet replacement, governance etc.
Work with CTOs to ensure that their Business Models are better able to attract grant funding and earned income.
Work with the TSDG Employability team and CTOs to plan and deliver effective Employability programmes through CTOs.
Plan and deliver a programme of region-wide volunteer-recruitment to CTOs, in partnership with CTOs to ensure that it matches local need.
Work with CTOs to gather and evaluate relevant information as per the agreed plan around the impact of their services.
Support colleagues across TSDG to deliver on our joint outcomes and contribute to effective team working to make TSDG a great place to work.

More about you
You will have experience of business support or administration, or equivalent Training / Qualifications – this role would suit a new entrant with the right skills and approach.
You will be able to quickly form excellent working relationships with a wide range of partners.
You will highlight emerging opportunities to line management, displaying good judgment and a bias for action.
You will take responsibility for delivery of your own outcomes, and to escalate challenges or concerns in good time.
You will be a good team player, with good verbal and written communication skills and good knowledge of current common workplace IT systems.