Projects Officer - Communities

Job Title: Projects Officer - Communities
Starting Salary: £31,537 progressing to £34,434 per annum (pro rata for part time)
Hours: 37
Location: Stevenage - Hybrid
Contract Type: Permanent
Directorate: Growth & Environment

About the team

Join our award-winning Communities Team and be part of something truly impactful. We work closely with local people across Hertfordshire to bring projects to life that support nature recovery and improve access to the natural environment. From managing a diverse portfolio of greenspaces to enhancing the wider countryside, this is a unique opportunity to help create meaningful connections between communities and nature while making a lasting difference to the environment.

About the role

You will play a key role in delivering a county-wide programme of practical volunteer projects that promote nature recovery and improve access to the natural environment. The role involves managing a weekly, mobile conservation volunteer team, coordinating activities across a range of sites.

You will support and strengthen existing Friends of Greenspaces groups across South West Hertfordshire, while also identifying and developing opportunities to establish new community-led groups. In addition, you will be responsible for planning and scheduling work for a regular Rights of Way practical task team, ensuring successful delivery of projects.

Strong communication skills are essential, as you will work closely with a wide range of stakeholders, including landowners, user groups and professional partners. You will be confident in engaging and mobilising local community volunteers, demonstrating strong leadership, organisational and motivational skills to ensure safe, effective and high-quality delivery of practical conservation work.

This is a hands-on role, with work sites often located in remote areas and across challenging terrain, requiring a proactive and adaptable approach.

About you

Essential:

• Demonstrable experience and understanding of countryside and greenspace management across a range of sites
• Experience of managing volunteers
• Excellent time management skills
• Ability to work on own initiative
• Strong communication skills, both oral and written, for a range of audiences
• Good IT skills, including competency in Microsoft Office packages
• Ability and willingness to travel using own vehicle or company vehicles (DVLA check required on appointment)

This is a rare opportunity for an experienced individual to join our enthusiastic and industrious Service and progress your career in Countryside Management. You will be involved in delivering practical projects which result in very significant and meaningful benefits for the wildlife and people of Hertfordshire. If this proposition excites you, and you are suitably experienced, we very much look forward to receiving your application.

We welcome applications from candidates who currently reside in the UK with established proof of right to work documentation. We are not able to offer sponsorship at this time for this role.

This job role is Level 8. Please locate the job profile here:

Job profiles: Technical services

To hear more about this opportunity please contact Heidi Hutton on 01992 555149 for an informal discussion about the role.

Interview Date: week commencing 13th July 2026

Benefits of working for us

How to apply

As part of your application, please upload your most recent CV. Ensure your CV is up to date with your employment history (including any employment gaps), and including any training/qualifications. We encourage you to include examples of where you have demonstrated the requirements/criteria in the advert / job profile to allow the panel to fully recognise your skills and abilities. You will have the opportunity to include a short covering paragraph within your application to give us a little more information about your skills, knowledge, and experiences.

Additional information

We are changing
Hertfordshire County Councilis undergoing Local Government Reorganisation (LGR). If you are employed by Hertfordshire County on 1 April 2028, it is expected that most roles will transfer to the newly-created unitary councils on existing terms and conditions under TUPE (Transfer of Undertakings – Protection of Employment) principles.

LGR is one of the biggest changes we will face in a generation. It will reshape how we work and how services are organised and gives us a real opportunity to build something better. To find out more, visit https://www.hertfordshire-lgr.co.uk/

Disability Confident
We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer and guarantee an interview to anyone disclosing a disability whose application meets the minimum criteria for the post.

Driving required
You’ll need to have the ability to drive and/or travel around Hertfordshire, either using your own mode of transport or a company car to travel to other locations.

English Fluency
The ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post (for those whose language is a signed language the provision of a sign language interpreter who speaks English to the necessary standard of fluency will be required). Further information about the legal requirement can be found here.