Stakeholder Engagement Officer

• Directorate: Highways, Infrastructure & Planning
• Location: Merrow Complex, Merrow Lane, Merrow, Guildford, GU4 7BQ

We are committed to the development of our workforce. This position is only available to applicants who already work for Surrey County Council.We thank you for your interest in our roles and would encourage you to review our vacancies which are open to all.

The starting salary for this role is £40,296 per annum, working 36 hours per week.

This is a 12-month fixed term contract/ secondment opportunity.

We are pleased to be hiring a new Stakeholder Engagement Officer, to join our Highways Engagement and Commissioning Team.This is an exciting opportunity to work within a small team engaging with county councillors, district and parish Councils, residents and other stakeholders about highway project priorities, enhancing communication between the organisations on highways processes.

The team is based out of Merrow Complex, Merrow Lane, Merrow, Guildford, Surrey, GU4 7BQ, but we promote a hybrid approach to working, meeting collaboratively when required.

Rewards and Benefits

• 26 days' holiday (prorated for part time staff), rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 31 days after 5 years' service
• Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
• An extensive Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
• Up to 5 days of carer's leave per year
• Paternity, adoption and dependents leave
• A generous local government salary related pension
• Lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, shopping and many more
• 2 paid volunteering days per year
• Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources

About the role

The Stakeholder Engagement Officers work with key local stakeholders to better understand the needs of an area, with an aim to influence the work of the various engineering teams for the local community. This is likely to be through focus groups, surveys or engagement events and research.

The team has a well-established way of working with parish/town councils alongside our county councillors to ensure that we are all working as one team, which you will be involved in, and will also be focusing on an emerging process in areas of the County with residents' associations.

You will also work collaboratively with other internal teams to understand and shape clear and transparent processes for local stakeholders, so that this can be communicated appropriately. In addition to this you will be responsible for supporting Members to commission highways works as part of their local budgets.

You will need to translate technical information into clear prioritised proposals within a political environment. With a passion for challenging conversations as well as an advocate of doing things differently, this role gives the opportunity to calmly influence to turn around opinion to give positive outcomes. We are looking for someone who is self-motivated and aims for solution-focused outcomes.

Shortlisting criteria

To be shortlisted for interview, your CV and personal statement will clearly evidence:

• A Degree or equivalent qualification, or an equivalent level of experience in customer facing services
• A high standard of communication, presentation, organisation and IT skills
• An understanding of the governance of local authorities and working with elected members or equivalent stakeholders in your work arena - e.g. shareholders.
• Confidence in dealing with a wide selection of customers and striving for Customer Service Excellence
• An ability to manage workloads and deal with conflicting priorities
• An ability to form excellent working relationships with a variety of individuals across organisations

Due to the nature of this role, a full driving licence is essential as you will be expected to travel around Surrey as the role demands.

Contact us

Please contact us for any questions relating to the role. This could be to discuss flexible working requests, transferable skills or any barriers to employment.

For an informal discussion contact Michelle Collins or Sarah Woodworth by email or on MS Teams.

The job advert closes at 23:59 on 11th May 2025, with interviews taking place in the weeks commencing 19th May 2024, to be flexible around holiday times.

We look forward to receiving your application, please click on the apply button below to submit.

Our Values

Our values are as important as our abilities and shape who we are as an organisation. Discover more about ourvalues .

Before submitting your application, we recommend you read the job description. Our Life at Surrey handbook provides insights of the culture at Surrey and how as a valued employee, you can help shape our Council.

Our Commitment

Surrey County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. A guaranteed interview will be offered to all disabled applicants where:

• The candidate has evidenced the minimum criteria for the role through their application
• The candidate has chosen to share that they have a disability on the application form

Our application form and onboarding process will provide an opportunity to request any reasonable adjustments for the interview and/or the role. We want to be an inclusive and diverse employer reflecting the community we serve and particularly welcome applications from all underrepresented groups.