Strategic Place Programme Lead

Job Introduction

This full-time role has a starting salary of £40,296 per annum based on a 36 hour working week. This is a fixed-term contract for 22 months – with expectation that the contract will be extended following the next funding round in 2026. 

Active Surrey is looking for an ambitious, driven and inspiring Strategic Place Programme Lead for Physical Activity, to join our fantastic team. This role is open to hybrid working and will split time between working from home, and collaborating together, with partners in Stanwell and Spelthorne and at our Woking offices.

Rewards and Benefits 

• 26 days’ holiday (prorated for part time staff), rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 30 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 dependants 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
• Friendly, passionate and supportive Active Surrey teammates, all of whom will make you feel right at home and welcome from day one

About the Team

We are Active Surrey. We are one of 43 national Active Partnerships, who are funded by Sport England, to tackle inactivity which is driven by inequalities. We believe in the power of physical activity and the benefits it can offer. A mood booster, a confidence lifter, a social enhancer and a life extender.

Less than half Surrey’s kids / children and young people are doing enough physical activity every week, which falls to only 4 out of 10 children amongst lower-income families. In addition, 3 out of 10 Surrey adults aren’t doing enough, rising to over 4 out of 10 amongst those earning less. That’s why we need YOU to join our Movement for Change. Help us challenge and change the status quo to get more people moving, help us create a fairer, better and healthier future for everyone.

Where you live plays a huge part in how active you are. Sport England has committed to £250m over 5 years to its place expansion, investing in local communities where it’s hardest to be active, which includes Stanwell in Surrey.

About the Role

As the Strategic Place Programme Lead for Physical Activity, you will lead our Stanwell Place Partnership work. Your focus will be on understanding the needs of the community, and what it will take the break down the barriers to being physically active in Stanwell. You will work strategically, collaboratively and flexibly to identify and develop local solutions, measure impact and build our learning, to directly help to tackle inactivity and inequality in Stanwell.

Reporting into the Head of Strategy and Innovation, and the new Stanwell Place Partnership Governance Board, you’ll have line management responsibility for a part-time Community Activator.

As a connector and convenor, you will work closely with: Active Surrey, Spelthorne Borough Council, NW Surrey Alliance, Surrey County Council, the voluntary and community sector, Sport England and the wider Active Partnerships network. You will also support colleagues in place based working across the county.

In this job you’ll be: 

• Strategically leading on the focussed investment into Stanwell – to identify and tackle the underlying causes of inactivity
• Building and growing key relationships locally and nationally, to reduce inactivity and inequality
• Leading on the planning, execution, evaluation and learning, of the programme plan for the initial (Discovery) phase of the Stanwell Place partnership, including test-and-learn initiatives, developing an evaluation and learning approach, for the full programme
• Responsible for budgets, reporting, and governance with transparency
• Collaboratively leading the creation and delivery of a place-based Theory of Change (ToC) for Stanwell, (ToC training will be provided)
• Managing, supporting, developing and guiding the Community Activator to strengthen local engagement
• Building and owning the full programme plan (in the next phase of funding), applying system change concepts to tackle the underlying cause of physical activity

Shortlisting Criteria

To be considered for shortlisting for this position, your application will clearly evidence the following:

• Minimum of 2 years’ experience managing complex projects and budgets
• Excellent collaboration and communication skills, able to draw people with you, and find ways to work across organisations
• Ability to self-start, unpick challenges and create opportunities for change
• Understanding of systems change, stakeholder engagement and community development
• Love of evaluation and learning techniques to capture feedback, insight and evidence, enabling these to be shared, both nationally and locally, to support effective decision-making
• Passion and ambition to make a positive difference through physical activity   

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 please contact Mark Hamilton via email at mark.hamilton@surreycc.gov.uk.

The job advert closes at 23:59 on 15th June 2025 with interviews to follow.

We look forward to receiving your CV (max. two pages) and personal statement (max. one page). Please click on the apply online 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 our values.

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.