Social Value Specialist

Sovereign Network Group

Sovereign Network Group (SNG) is a leading Housing Association, committed to providing quality, affordable homes and services within sustainable, successful communities. We’re led by our values and driven by a strong sense of social purpose, placing our customers at the heart of everything we do.

We have an amazing opportunity to join the Community Foundation as Social Value Specialist on a permanent basis. You’ll be based in one of our offices across SNG’s operating area, ideally Wembley or Bristol as there will be a big focus on working with our London and Bristol based suppliers and community partners. You’ll combine both home and office working to ensure a positive work/life balance. This role involves travel to other offices and events which will require some flexibility and ideally access to a car.

The Role

The Social Value Specialist will support SNG to embed impact measurement and social value into teams across the organisation, providing a central, efficient point of contact that leads on developing systems, processes and continuous service improvement.

You will engage with supply chain partners to ensure the delivery of social value in contracts and enable seamless customer service using digital platforms and relationships with community partners.

Connect with team members across the organisation to deliver impact reports and support in creating our annual ESG report.

The Social Value Specialist will report to the Social Value Manager.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, plan and implement a community investment evaluation and monitoring framework, in direct alignment with the community foundation strategy and strategy and the corporate plan
• Work collaboratively across the multi-disciplinary community investment directorate and with other internal teams in the customer directorate across localities to embed a framework for social impact and outcomes recording
• Support the Social Value Manager to provide regular social impact and environmental social, governance (ESG) reporting to the communities’ leadership team and to senior management and board when required
• Develop and implement monitoring and evaluation methods and processes for Community Foundation projects and roll out good practice to colleagues and external partners so we can effectively demonstrate our Social Impact
• Lead and support internal teams and external partners in the upload of data such as KPIs onto impact measurement platform for the business, ensuring that information is accurate and easily accessible when required
• Demonstrate strong project management skills to lead and oversee project teams across SNG and with external partners that will bring in external funding
• Build and maintain excellent relationships with stakeholders, including funders, businesses, local authorities and national agencies as required by the Head of Service and managers
• Work closely with the communications team to enable a coordinated communications approach that raises the profile of SNG’s work in communities
• Prepare and present written, financial and statistical reports to internal and external bodies as required and ensure funders requirements are met
• Demonstrate everyone safe and well everywhere, every day by making health and safety a primary consideration in your decision making

What we need from you

A good understanding of HACT’s Wellbeing Valuation and Social Value Insight would be an advantage, but this is not essential. It would be great if you have some knowledge or experience of working in communities, supply chains and or, monitoring and evaluation.

• Good communication and interpersonal skills
• Excellent organisation and customer service
• Proactive and proven Stakeholder management skills with colleagues and external partners
• Knowledge of monitoring and evaluation methods and techniques, including Theory of Change and Logic Models
• Ability to validate and impact assess, to escalate data issues as required
• Ability to inspire and activate, fostering great partnerships with suppliers to ensure social value is secured and delivered through our supply chain
• An understanding of social value in relation to the construction industry
• Storytelling skills to share social value activity and support others in understanding the impact of the Community Foundation

What you’ll receive from us

We have some fantastic benefits at SNG, including:

• 25 Days Holiday + Bank Holidays (with an extra day every year up to 30 days)
• Company pension scheme matched up to 12%, life cover at 4x your salary
• Flexible working – we’re committed to giving people flexibility as widely as possible
• Private medical insurance, dental insurance & critical illness cover
• Wide range of training courses available to support your career development

We are committed to our Equality Diversity and Inclusion strategy and believe that you can truly be yourself at SNG.

This is a great opportunity to join the team as we progress through an exciting period of change at SNG. We pride ourselves on having a relaxed, supportive and forward-thinking culture, working collaboratively to achieve success.