Essex County Council (ECC) are delighted to be advertising the Sport Development Officer vacancy on behalf of the Active Essex Foundation.

To apply for the position, please click HERE.

The Job Title and Role: Sport for Development Officer

Salary range: £30,000 – £33,000 dependent on experience

Fixed term contract: 18 months October 2026 to March 2028 (extension subject to funding)

Hours: Full Time 37.5 hours a week

Please note this opportunity is available on a fixed-term contract or secondment basis.

Directly responsible to: Operations and Development Manager

Location: Anywhere worker – You will work from the Chelmsford office approximately 1 / 2 days a week and across our operational area on other days, depending on business need. (County Hall, Chelmsford, CM1 1QH)

Active Essex Foundation is a successful and growing charity dedicated to creating the conditions for young people and communities across Essex to thrive. Our work focuses on three core areas: improving young people’s mental health, reducing vulnerabilities to youth crime and exploitation, and strengthening communities through trusted relationships and positive engagement.

A defining feature of our approach is our network of more than 100 Locally Trusted Organisations (LTOs) across Essex. These community-based organisations are at the heart of our delivery model, providing trusted relationships, local insight and direct support within the communities they serve. Working closely with our LTO network enables us to reach those who may be least likely to engage with traditional services and ensure support is tailored to local needs.

Through partnerships with our LTOs, we deliver programmes that use physical activity, mentoring and community support to build resilience, improve wellbeing and reduce inequalities. This role will play a key part in developing and strengthening these relationships, helping our LTO network to maximise its impact and deliver positive outcomes for young people and communities across Essex.

Everything we do is shaped by the real experiences of the people we serve, ensuring our interventions are meaningful, accessible and rooted in what communities tell us they need

We are pleased to offer an exciting opportunity to join the Active Essex Foundation team as a Sport for Development Officer.

Active Essex Foundation works to improve life chances for young people and communities across Essex by focusing on three core areas: mental health, youth crime prevention, and strengthening communities. Through our programme structure, we co-design community-led initiatives that use physical activity and positive engagement as tools to build resilience, improve wellbeing and reduce inequalities.

The Sport for Development Officer will play a key role in supporting the delivery and growth of these programmes. Working closely with our programme leads, locally trusted organisations (LTOs), and community stakeholders, the postholder will help strengthen organisational capability, and ensure high-quality delivery across our mental health, youth crime prevention and community strengthening work. The role will also contribute to the leadership of workstreams aligned with our strategic Outcomes, supporting the Foundation’s mission.

The ideal candidate will bring strong relationship-building skills and experience of working collaboratively with a diverse range of stakeholders. They should demonstrate a track record of delivering impactful projects or initiatives at local or county level, applying a systems approach to complex community issues, and using strengths-based methods to build resilience and capacity within local organisations.

The post holder will work with AEF staff across the business to deliver the duties and responsibilities set out below.

Main duties and responsibilities:

Relationship Management

• Act as the primary point of contact for Active Essex Foundation’s network of Locally Trusted Organisations (LTOs), building and maintaining strong relationships to support effective programme delivery and community impact.
• Manage relationships ensuring consistent communication and high‑quality support across Sport, Youth Crime Prevention, and Young People’s Mental Health & Wellbeing programmes.
• Develop a detailed understanding of people and LTOs at places within the programme delivery
• Build strong, collaborative relationships with LTOs to enhance programme delivery, identify emerging needs, and promote best practice.
• Liaise with the Marketing and Communications team to coordinate content from Locally Trusted Organisations (LTOs) for newsletters, reports, social media and other promotional activities.

Compliance, Governance & Funding

• Lead on LTO compliance processes for all funding rounds, ensuring timely submission of required documentation and adherence to grant conditions.
• Monitor LTO performance against funding agreements and escalate risks or issues where necessary.
• Provide guidance to LTOs on grant management, reporting expectations, and financial accountability.

Training, Events & Capacity Building

• Plan, and coordinate training sessions and development opportunities for LTOs, tailored to programme needs.
• Organise and facilitate Share & Learn events, networking sessions, and peer‑support opportunities to strengthen the LTO network.

Quality Assurance & Monitoring

• Conduct regular quality assurance visits to LTOs, assessing delivery standards, safeguarding practice, and alignment with programme objectives.
• Provide constructive feedback and action plans to support continuous improvement.
• Maintain accurate records of visits, findings, and follow‑up actions.

Evaluation, Data & Reporting

• Assist in co-ordination of programme‑related data collection processes, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and compliance with evaluation frameworks.
• Support the drafting of evaluation reports, case studies, and impact summaries for internal and external stakeholders.
• Work closely with colleagues to ensure data insights inform programme development and strategic decision‑

Programme & Project Administration

• Support the coordination of referrals into project activities, working with delivery partners and Locally Trusted Organisations (LTOs) to ensure referrals are tracked, communicated and actioned effective
• Provide administrative support across all programme areas, including scheduling, documentation, communications, and record‑
• Contribute to project planning, delivery timelines, and coordination of cross‑programme activities.
• Support the rollout of Smart Courses across both the SYCP and Mental Health programmes, ensuring consistent quality and uptake.

Continuous Improvement & Strategic Support

• Identify opportunities to strengthen LTO capability, programme effectiveness, and partnership working.
• Contribute to internal discussions on programme development, funding sustainability, and long‑term strategy.

Other Responsibilities:

• Take responsibility for personal professional development.
• Work closely with the other colleagues to improve operational practices and effectiveness.
• Attend Active Essex Foundation Trustee meetings as directed by Trustees.
• Attend Active Essex Foundation Events and meetings as required.
• Attend Active Essex team meetings as required.

Active Essex Foundation General Duties:

• To adhere to existing working practices, methods, procedures, undertake relevant training and development activities and to respond positively to new and alternative systems.
• It will be necessary to work with information technology and associated systems in accordance with Active Essex Foundation policies.
• To co-operate with the Active Essex Foundation in complying with relevant health and safety legislation, policies, and procedures in the performance of the duties of the post.
• To carry out the duties and responsibilities of the post in compliance with the Active Essex Foundation equity and safeguarding policies.
• To maintain confidentiality and observe data protection and associated guidelines where appropriate.
• To carry out any other reasonable duties and responsibilities within the overall function, commensurate with the grading and level of responsibilities of the post.

Knowledge Skills and Experience

• Educated to A level or equivalent by experience, with ongoing professional development.
• Strong relationship management skills with a broad range of individuals and stakeholder organisations across different system settings
• Proven track record of delivering impactful projects at local or county level.
• Experience working with communities using a strengths-based approach to build resilience and capacity.
• Ability to support data collection and reporting to demonstrate impact.
• Effective team player with strong collaboration skills
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including clear presentation and reporting abilities.
• Excellent organisational skills to manage multiple projects and meet deadlines.

Applying for the role

Please provide a CV and a covering letter explaining your relevant experience that meets the job description for the role to admin@activeessexfoundation.org using the title ‘Sport for Development Officer’ in the subject line. If you have any questions relating to this post, please contact: Jamie Rhodes jamie.rhodes@activeessex.org .

The closing date for applications is 23:59 on 27 September 2026.

Shortlisting will take place on week commencing 28th September 2026 with successful applications being offered an interview slot by Thursday 01 October 2026.

If you know you will be unavailable on the dates above, please state this on your application form. Interviews will take place face to face in Chelmsford. If for any reason this does not suit or you would need any additional requirements, please also state this on your application form.

The Active Essex Foundation is fully committed to the principles of equality of opportunity and is responsible for ensuring that no job application, employee, volunteer or member receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of age, gender, disability, race, ethnic origin, nationality, colour, parental or marital status, pregnancy, religious belief, class or social background, sexual preference or political belief. The Active Essex Foundation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

Essex County Council (ECC) are delighted to be advertising the Sport Development Officer vacancy on behalf of the Active Essex Foundation.

To apply for the position, please click HERE.