Engagement Officer - Bus Franchising

If you're passionate about engaging communities, building strong stakeholder relationships and ensuring people have a voice in decisions that affect their daily lives, we'd love to hear from you.

We're looking for two Engagement Officers to join our Bus Franchising Communications Team at the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), helping to deliver one of the region's most significant public transport transformation programmes. Through bus franchising, we're reshaping bus services across the West Midlands to create a more reliable, accessible and integrated network for passengers.

As Engagement Officer, you'll play a key role in developing and delivering community and stakeholder engagement activity that raises awareness of the programme and helps local people influence how services are designed and delivered. Working closely with the Senior Engagement Officer and communications colleagues, you'll help ensure that residents, passengers, businesses, community organisations and key stakeholders are involved throughout the journey.

This is an exciting opportunity for someone who enjoys working with diverse communities, delivering events and consultations, analysing feedback and helping shape engagement activity that makes a real difference across the region.

What you'll be doing

• Deliver engagement and consultation activities that support the Bus Franchising Programme and encourage meaningful participation from communities and stakeholders.
• Develop and maintain positive relationships with residents, community groups, transport user groups, local authorities, elected members and other key stakeholders.
• Support the delivery of engagement and consultation plans for programme activities and milestones.
• Organise and deliver public events, exhibitions, stakeholder meetings and community engagement activities across the West Midlands.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues across communications, transport and programme teams to deliver high-quality engagement activity.
• Monitor stakeholder feedback and sentiment, identifying emerging issues, opportunities and insights.
• Support consultation analysis, reporting and insight gathering activities, helping ensure community feedback informs decision-making.
• Maintain accurate stakeholder records and support effective use of CRM and engagement systems.
• Research emerging trends and best practice in consultation and engagement and help implement new approaches.
• Act as an ambassador for the Bus Franchising Programme at public meetings, exhibitions and stakeholder events.

What's essential

• Experience working in a communications, engagement or consultation role.
• Experience of stakeholder engagement and relationship management.
• Experience working with community groups and voluntary or community sector organisations.
• Understanding of how insight and data can be used to inform engagement campaigns and activities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build productive relationships with a wide range of audiences.
• Ability to communicate effectively across different channels and tailor messages for different audiences.
• A proactive, enthusiastic and flexible approach to work.
• Ability to organise and prioritise workloads in a fast-paced environment.
• Creative thinking and a commitment to making engagement accessible, inclusive and effective.
• A good team player able to build strong relationships.

Location.

The location for this role is 16 Summer Lane with at least 2 days a week spent in the office.

How to apply.

Applying for a role with WMCA is straightforward. Follow these steps to get started.

1. Create your Careers Account. Register with your name, email address, and a password.
2. Build your Profile.Upload your CV to help populate your career and education details.
3. Write your Supporting Statement.Make sure to address each of the required essential criteria.
4. Do one final check and once complete, click submit.

Please note, we reserve the right to close any vacancy from further submissions when we have received sufficient applications from which to make a shortlist. Please apply without delay if you wish to be considered for this role.

Anonymised Applications.

Your uploaded CV won't be visible after submission. Our process is anonymised, and only the information in your profile is used for shortlisting. Be thorough in each section. It's your chance to showcase your skills and experience.

Using Artificial Intelligence (AI)

We cannot stop anyone from using AI to help write application content. Used right, it can be a great tool. If you choose to use AI, then use it as a helper rather than relying on it wholly to write your application.

Applications that rely too heavily on AI may be rejected during shortlisting. For help on how to write a supporting statement, please visit the FAQs section of our careers site.

Reasonable adjustments.

If you have an accessibility need, disability, or condition that means you might require changes to the application or recruitment process, please get in touch with our Recruitment Team ( careers@wmca.org.uk ).

Salary and benefits.

We advertise salary ranges, with new appointments typically starting at the lowest salary point. In exceptional cases, the salary point may be adjusted to secure the best candidate. This approach allows for potential year-on-year salary increases, offering progression and appropriate rewards to employees. Requests for salaries above the maximum advertised range will not be considered.

We offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes:

• Local Government Pension Scheme (one of the most generous pension schemes in the UK).
• Shared Cost Additional Voluntary Contributionscheme where you can build an additional pot of money alongside your pension with contributions exempt from Income Tax and National Insurance contributions (NICs).
• 28 days paid annual leave (with an option to purchase more) + Statutory days.
• EV car benefit scheme
• Healthcare plans.
• Discounted gym membership, will writing,andmortgage advice.
• An option to buy a bicycle, including e-bikes and adapted pedal cycles, at a discounted rate.
• 3 days of paid leave each year to volunteer.
• Interest-free financing through SmartTech to buy the latest technology
• Discounted shopping with over 2,000 big-name retailers, and more. You can now also obtain a Costcomembership through the WMCA.
• Boundlessunlocks unlimited entry to top-rated UK attractions and loads of extra benefits and discounts.
• EyeCare Scheme,offering a free eye test and a financial contribution towards your glasses.

For more information, please visit the benefits page on our career site.

Why join WMCA?

WMCA is laser-focused on improving the West Midlands, bringing economic growth, jobs, homes, and better journeys to the region. We target local needs where it matters most, ensuring everyone has a job that pays well and has access to safe and affordable places they can call home.

We put people and place at the heart of everything we do, working hand in hand with our partners to direct funding where it's needed most. What you do, really matters. Your expertise will help make a big difference, improving people's lives, every day.

Our Values and Behaviours.

Fostering an environment where people feel valued, included, supported, and proud to contribute to our region is important to us at the WMCA. Our behaviours are more than statements; they guide how we work, make decisions, and treat one another - they set the standards we hold ourselves to and the experience we want others to have.

• Collaborative -We work as one organisation. Together we build trust, connection and shared purpose across teams, partners and residents to create the biggest impact for our region.
  
  
• Driven -We are focused on outcomes. We perform at our best to unlock productivity and delivery, achieving the greatest regional impact.
  
  
• Inclusive - We value difference. Creating an environment where people belong, and feel psychologically safe, so we can all thrive and shape a West Midlands built for everyone.
  
  
• Innovative -We are courageous. We embrace new ideas and challenge the status quo to continuously improve and shape the future of the West Midlands.

Creating an inclusive workplace.

WMCA holds diversity accreditations, such as the RACE Code Quality Mark, Armed Forces Covenant (Gold status) and has been recognised as one of the Inclusive Top 50 Employers and The Times Top 50 Employers for Women. We're a Disability Confident Employer with Leader' status, committed to interviewing applicants with disabilities who meet all the essential role criteria.

We are also proud to be a Ban the Box employer, which means we do not ask about criminal convictions at the initial application stage, and will only ask after an offer is made as part of our onboarding checks, which helps us remove barriers for people with past convictions and supporting fair opportunities for all.

We recognise that certain groups, such as women and people of colour, may be less likely to apply for roles if they feel they do not meet all the requirements. However, we encourage individuals who are passionate about the role and want to make a difference to still apply. We value potential and encourage applicants to highlight their skills, including transferable ones, even if they don't fit the traditional "perfect candidate" mould.

We gladly consider part-time, flexible, and job share arrangements, so please don't let these factors deter you from applying

Right to Work in the UK

Proof of Right to Work in the UK will be required for all applicants in accordance with UK Home Office requirements, before any employment offer can be confirmed.

Non-UK applicants (excluding Ireland) would be required to hold a relevant Visa from the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI).