Job Description

Project Dirt: “Head of Our Community”

Our Community is at the beating heart of what we do.  Project Dirt is looking for a very special person to lead on nurturing, growing and truly understanding our network of people and projects.

• Do you believe in the power of people coming together and taking positive action to change the world?
• Do you love, and love engaging with, the ‘Community Sector’?
• Are you a natural online “community manager”?

If that’s three big ticks from you then you should definitely read on!

1.  What is the purpose of this role?

Project Dirt’s Head of Community will have an exciting blend of responsibilities; including recognising and developing key strategic partnerships within the sector, whilst at the same time maintaining a close working relationship with community projects from across our network and beyond.

We’re looking for someone who can confidently cover 3 key areas:

Nurturing our online community … You will:

• promote engagement with our platform(s)
• manage ‘help’ requests, and enable our users to get the most out of our online tools
• develop excellent relationships with our member groups and individuals
• develop a knowledge of the most active organisations within the community in order to connect them with appropriate resources and campaigns
• act as the linchpin between our programme managers and our online community, for example identifying potential matches for corporate support
• produce wonderful stories about Project Dirt and, more importantly, our community.

Growing our online “community of communities” …You will:

• build on our positioning, and look for new ways to drive significant growth in our membership
• develop key strategic partnerships
• support network growth through a keen eye on what the online data are telling us
• organise and participate in events to build community and boost brand awareness
• research and feedback what our platform needs to provide for community groups
• oversee the roll-out of our next phase platform.

Ensuring our understanding of the sector is cutting edge …You will:

• make visits to community projects, identifying their needs and potential responses
• identify trends in the community sector
• develop and execute strategies designed to maximise the potential of Project Dirt’s community network
• attend regional and national events on behalf of our community
• review, enhance and implement Project Dirt’s ongoing community strategy
• support the ongoing development and execution of key business strategies, ensuring that they are all aligned in the context of community.

2. What will the job be like?

Your day-to-day is likely to vary quite significantly.  We’ll expect you to be an excellent time-manager, adept at juggling multiple priorities and thriving in this environment.  From one day to the next, you might be:

• making visits to community projects and events around the country
• writing (and implementing) strategies
• using social media channels to communicate a new funding opportunity
• on the phone with real community change-makers, supporting them to make the most of our platform.

3. What are the key requirements and skills that we’re looking for?

We are looking for someone who will confidently take the lead on helping Project Dirt to nurture and grow our online community, and share our passion and purpose.

On the one hand, this role demands someone with almost limitless energy and enthusiasm, with a desire to get out there and get involved, not hide behind a desk. But on the other we need a thinker, with the ability to plan and implement strategies that will be vital to Project Dirt’s continuing success.

More specifically, you will have:

• experience of managing and developing an online social community
• the ability to identify and track relevant community metrics, and a solid understanding of how to use data to measure progress and drive growth
• experience and a love of working in a micro-business / start-up environment – with all that entails
• excellent written and verbal communication skills
• atention to detail and a proven ability to multitask.

You will also:

• be a natural story-teller
• consider yourself to be a ‘people person’, and have real empathy with the pressures that come with running a community group
• understand the role of social media in growing a user-base and support
• know and understand the ‘Community Sector’ inside-out, both the more structured settings and the informal.

4. About Project Dirt and Our Community

Project Dirt is the UK’s most active network of community projects with an online platform that currently hosts over 3,500 environmental and social projects. We connect community projects with local people and companies who want to help them to achieve their goals and join their story.

Our vision is: People working together in local communities everywhere, to make the world a better place.

For the last five years, Project Dirt has been growing its platform for community projects nationally and developing an impressive client base. We’re building the team, developing our brand and platform, and are now looking for someone to help us super-charge our community!

We run projects like #GreenerwithGreggs (an environmental fund for Greggs), #GivexCollaborate (a team-based volunteering campaign for Dentsu Aegis Network), #YourPintCan (a neighbourhood investment fund for Carling), and Outdoor Classroom Day (a global day to get over 20m children outdoors to learn & play at school, in partnership with Unilever and a network of NGOs).  Last year we ran the Offline Festival for community businesses. 

5. Benefits & Further Details

In this role, you will be working closely with our CEO, development team, client campaigns director and the wider team. You will have significant opportunities for personal development and take overall lead responsibility for the strength of our community.

We have a fun team environment, with drinks evenings, regular picnics & team away days.  Community volunteering is actively encouraged. Other benefits include:

• £35-45k depending on experience; 
• Full time, although flexibility part-time for outstanding candidates
• Central London location, with option of working remotely
• 25 days holiday allowance p.a.
• Pension contribution
• Bonus scheme, related to business performance.

6. How to apply

If you’re keen to join us, please send us your CV along with a covering note about why you feel you’re suitable for the position and links to / evidence of previous campaigns you have worked on. Oh, and can you spot the typo? 

Your deadline is by Thursday 12th April 2018 at High Noon.

The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales please, you do a great job but we’ve got this one covered!