Communities and Welfare Strategic Lead
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 £70,975 per annum, based on a 36-hour working week.
We have a great opportunity to join the Communities Leadership team as a Communities and Welfare Strategic Lead. This is a 3-year fixed term contract opportunity until 31st March 2029. As this role cannot be offered as a secondment, we encourage internal applicants to discuss the opportunity with the hiring manager before submitting an application.
We support hybrid working with the right balance. We come together in person for 2 days per week on average (40% of the working week) and support working from home arrangements.
Our Offer to You
- 26 days’ holiday, 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
- A generous local government salary related pension
- Up to 5 days of carer’s leave and 2 paid volunteering days per year
- Paternity, adoption and dependents leave
- An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
- Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources
- Wellbeing and lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, and shopping
- A chance to make a real difference to the lives of our residents.
About the Service
The Communities Service at Surrey County Council is committed to fostering vibrant and resilient communities where everyone can flourish. We aim to strengthen the feeling of community across Surrey, so that more people are participating, engaging and living a healthy and fulfilled life. To help ensure no one is left behind. Our focus is on empowering communities, so people feel connected, and confident they have a say over the places in which they live and the services they use.
About The Role
We are seeking an enthusiastic and experienced Communities and Welfare Strategic Lead to play a pivotal role in shaping and delivering Surrey County Council’s Welfare Offer. You will lead the transition to the Crisis and Resilience Fund and the development of a new, holistic approach to welfare across the county, ensuring this work supports the Council’s priorities set out in the Surrey Way. As a key member of the Communities Leadership team, you will provide visible, strategic leadership across the service and the wider organisation.
You will provide clear strategic direction across welfare, crisis support and community resilience, overseeing major programmes of work including transformation projects, community capacity building and the development of new delivery models. You will advise and work closely with senior officers, Cabinet Members, Select Committees and local Councillors, shaping proposals and guiding them through formal governance processes, while acting as the Communities Service’s senior representative at key meetings, boards and cross‑organisational workstreams. Responsibilities will also include leading and developing communities teams, shaping welfare‑related policy informed by national and local insight, managing assigned budgets and commissioning strategies, and monitoring performance to identify risks, opportunities and improvements in outcomes.
In this role you will play a crucial part in building a stronger, fairer future for Surrey’s residents by developing resilient, community‑centred services that make a real difference to people experiencing financial hardship. By creating a joined‑up welfare and crisis resilience offer, you will help ensure that residents receive timely, meaningful support that addresses immediate need while strengthening independence and long‑term wellbeing. Through strong leadership, partnership working and strategic influence, you will drive transformational change, reduce inequality and enhance the resilience of communities across Surrey.
Your Application
In order to be considered for shortlisting, your application will clearly evidence the following skills and align with our behaviours:
- Extensive leadership experience within democratically led organisations, working closely with elected members and governing bodies, including establishing robust governance arrangements for organisation‑wide change.
- Proven ability to lead complex, multi‑agency programmes, navigating competing priorities across health, social care, local government and partners to deliver sustainable, system‑wide outcomes.
- Strong track record of creating, developing and leading high‑performing teams, including cross‑functional and cross‑organisational teams, and embedding new delivery models into business as usual.
- Significant experience in partnership working and community development, particularly with the VCSE sector, building community capacity, partnership networks, corporate social responsibility models and strengths‑based initiatives.
- Demonstrated resilience and change leadership, overcoming opposition, supporting cultural change, developing others and delivering long‑term transformation at scale.
- Extensive experience delivering large‑scale commissioning and transformation programmes, using co‑design and co‑production approaches, with the flexibility to travel across the county and attend occasional evening meetings.
To apply, we request that you submit a CV and a personal statement of no more than 2 pages.
Before submitting your application, we recommend you read the job description & Our Life at Surrey handbook to get an insight into working at Surrey.
The job advert closes at 23:59 on 10/05/2025 with interviews planned to follow.
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.
Please contact Louis Perry by email or on MS Teams.
Local Government Reorganisation (LGR)
Surrey County Council is undergoing Local Government Reorganisation, moving from a two-tier system to two new unitary councils in April 2027. If you are employed by Surrey on 1st April 2027, your role will transfer with current terms and conditions to one of the new organisations, supporting local devolution and greater powers for our communities.
Join our dynamic team and shape the future of local government. Make a lasting impact with innovative solutions and improved services for our community. Help us build a brighter future for our residents! Please see more information here: Information for applicants on Local Government Reorganisation - Surrey County Council
Our Commitment
We are a disability confident employer which means if you have shared a disability on your application form and have evidenced you meet the minimum criteria, we guarantee you an interview.
Your skills and experience truly matter to us. From application to your first day, we’re committed to supporting you with any adjustments you need, we value inclusion and warmly welcome you to join and help build a workplace where everyone belongs.