Active Environments Officer

Job Description

Job Title: Active Environments Officer
Salary: £39,027– £44,463 per annum
Grade: E
Contract Type: Fixed-Term Contract - 30 months
Working Hours: 37 hours per week

About the Department

Thurrock Council are seeking an Active Environments Officer to join its Recreation and Leisure Team.

The Recreation and Leisure Service is responsible for the strategic planning, development and operational management of parks, open spaces and leisure services across the borough. The service ensures that outdoor environments, recreational assets and leisure provision are safe, well maintained and contribute to the Place Directorate’s wider ambitions for high‑quality, sustainable and inclusive local environments.

About the Role

The post is being recruited on a fixed term contract for 2.5 years following a successful partnership application to Sport England’s Place Partnership Expansion Programme. Supporting active environments is a strategic priority and you will play a key role in helping us achieve outcomes against the priority and contributingto improving health and wellbeing outcomes for Thurrock residents.

You will be working within the Recreation and Leisure Service, delivering a borough‑wide approach to increasing physical activity through improving parks and open spaces and promoting the active use of them. The role works with Council teams, partners and developers to help shape places that support movement, wellbeing and community use. You will also contribute towards the development of best practice and network by building relationships across the Active Network, particularly with other Place Partnership Expansion areas.

You will be particularly focused on areas with lower activity levels, including Chadwell St Mary, South Ockendon, Tilbury, West Thurrock and Purfleet. The role will understand and apply the Public Sector Equality Duty as part of all work.

The role includes but is not limited to the following:

• To identify and develop projects that improve parks, open spaces to support physical activity.
• To comment on planning applications and work with Planning officers to secure Section 106 funding and other contributions.
• To secure external funding and support the delivery of funded projects.
• To work with internal teams, partners and delivery organisations to implement agreed projects.
• To use data and evidence to help prioritise investment and demonstrate impact.
• To engage with communities and partners to ensure projects reflect local need.
• To prepare reports and updates on progress where required.

What We Are Looking For

You must have experience in developing projects and securing investment, including managing a varied workload, preparing funding bids or business cases, and working with partners to deliver projects successfully. This will include commenting on planning applications and working with Planning colleagues to secure Section 106 and other developer contributions to support parks, open spaces and active environments.

This role requires experience of:

• Working with Council services and external partners, including Planning and developers.
• Managing multiple projects and meeting funding or delivery deadlines.
• Securing or supporting external funding and investment.
• Applying knowledge of parks, leisure, planning or active environments.
• Using data and evidence to support decisions.

DBS Check: No DBS is required for this role.

Benefits of Working with Us

At Thurrock Council, we value our employees and offer a comprehensive benefits package, including:

• Generous annual leave entitlement
• Local Government Pension Scheme
• Flexible and hybrid working opportunities (where applicable)
• Ongoing training and professional development
• Employee assistance programme and wellbeing support
• Staff discounts and local offers
• A supportive and inclusive working environment

Important Dates

Closing Date (Redeployment Only): 23rd April 2026

Closing Date (Internal & External): 10th May 2026

Interview Date: To Be Confirmed

Additional Information

If you have any questions about the role or interview process, please contact:

Rocchina Raymond - Recreation & Leisure Service Manager

RRaymond@thurrock.gov.uk

To view the Job Profile and Person Specification, please follow the link below:

Download Job Profile (PDF Document)

About us

Why Thurrock?

Working at Thurrock Council gives you the opportunity to join an organisation that is changing at pace, one where you can make a real difference to the lives of the people we serve.

Thurrock Council is moving towards a new community leadership approach which involves linking with local partners and communities as we shape our improvement for the years ahead.

This is an exciting time to join us, to shape the future success of our changing organisation and to have a positive influence on our borough.

Our location

Thurrock is located on the north bank of the river Thames. Our urban centres are a vibrant mix of established towns and new young communities, with a diverse and growing population of around 160,000 residents.

We are an emerging cultural and arts centre, home to the production centre for the Royal Opera House and the National Skills Academy for Creative and Cultural Skills. We have excellent retail and leisure opportunities, including Lakeside Shopping Centre, country parks, forests, and marshes.

Thurrock is just half an hour journey away from the centre of London by train and well connected by road.

Staff benefits

We offer lots of staff benefits, including a generous annual leave entitlement and hybrid working. We champion flexible working and job share applications are welcome.

Further information can be found here Employment benefits | Working for the council | Thurrock Council

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

Thurrock Council is committed to equal opportunities. As a Disability Confident Employer, disabled people will be offered an interview where they meet all essential criteria on the person specification.

We serve a diverse community where people are different yet equal. Diversity underpins everything we do.

For further information about Thurrock Council please visit our website: Thurrock Council