About The Role Location: Lancaster, Cambridge, or Oxford. Oxford Archaeology’s Hybrid Working Policy will apply (see benefits).

Contract: 9 months fixed term with possible opportunity for extension

Hours: 37.5 hours per week. Flexibility to work weekends and evenings as required (TOIL or paid overtime available).

Salary: £42,846- £54,713 per annum dependant on experience

Function: Reporting to the Head of Community Engagement and Social Value , the Community Engagement and Social Value Project Manager will develop and manage imaginative, meaningful, and impactful archaeological engagement and social value projects in partnership with Project Managers and Team Leaders. The Community Engagement and Social Value Project Manager will manage CESV Officers and Supervisor placements to develop and build OA’s CESV capacity.

The Community Engagement and Social Value Project Manager will work closely with the Head of Community Engagement and Social Value to deliver OA’s Community Engagement and Social Value Strategy and achieve broader organisational strategic objectives, advocating for community engagement and social value across the organisation and sector.

About Us Community Engagement and Social Value Team Oxford Archaeology is committed to empowering communities to work towards an equitable and sustainable future through understanding and connecting with our shared past. This work is led by Oxford Archaeology’s Community Engagement and Social Value (CESV) Team.

Our role is to bring the discoveries made by our archaeological specialists to new and existing audiences, through exciting and enriching engagement projects. Our work includes both social value projects funded by commercial development (e.g. infrastructure and large-scale private developments) and community engagement projects funded by other means (e.g. partnering with local charities, research grants, and our own charitable work). We collaborate with stakeholders to develop and design these programmes, so we can harness archaeological heritage to address local priorities and contemporary challenges. To deliver these projects, we work with regional teams across Oxford Archaeology’s three offices (Lancaster, Cambridge, and Oxford), supporting our colleagues in Fieldwork and Post-Excavation to build and develop their engagement skills. We also closely collaborate with the Head of Communications and Communications Team to share our work and discoveries through online channels.

About The Role Responsibilities:

• Manage staff on key CESV projects across OA
• Comply with and provide feedback on organisational requirements for quality, Health, Safety, and Environment, Safeguarding, legal requirements, general duty of care and other relevant policies
• Monitor and support the delivery of OA’s Objectives and Aims for Community Engagement and Social Value
• Support the delivery of OA’s organisational strategy
• Manage collaborative programme development (including tenders and funding bids, objectives and outcomes, and evaluation) with community stakeholders, internal colleagues (including joint venture colleagues), clients and funders, to deliver meaningful impact for local communities.
• Maintain and develop OA’s strategic partnerships with external stakeholders to facilitate impactful engagement
• Determine and assemble appropriate project teams, including subcontracting specialists, and other staff resource requirements
• Control project costs, quality, and progress of impactful engagement projects to ensure effective and successful project delivery.
• Manage evaluation and reporting on individual community engagement and social value projects, using qualitative and quantitative data, for internal and external audiences (including clients, industry peers, community members etc).
• Manage training and development for direct reports and placements.
• Manage training opportunities for regional staff to build and develop engagement skills
• Take responsibility for professional self-development and performance management
• Internally and externally advocate for the potential of archaeology to address contemporary challenges and deliver meaningful public impacts for new and existing audiences in high-profile contexts.
• Provide internal guidance on archaeological community engagement and social value best practice to colleagues from other teams.

About You Skills, Knowledge and Experience Essential

• Strong understanding of effective methods and tools to manage staff, fostering collaborative and supportive environment
• Thorough understanding of relevant legislative and statutory guidance and models of best practice, and how to ensure compliance in own work and across OA
• Developed analytic skills, capable of interpreting complex data (e.g. evaluation, performance, finances etc) and identifying organisational, departmental, and project needs
• Strong skills in designing and developing imaginative and creative community engagement and social value programmes and proposals that are financially and commercially sound
• Ability to manage complex relationships with varied stakeholders, including colleagues, communities and clients
• Effective collaborator, capable of working with varied stakeholders towards shared goals, and navigating conflicting priorities
• Comprehensive project management skills, including the ability to manage resources, track finances, resource effectively, and lead a project team
• Specialist understanding of evaluation and Social Return on Investment valuation and its implementation, including different frameworks, valuation systems, and methods for specific project types and audience groups
• Ability to guide, influence, and train other members of OA staff, effectively sharing expertise, knowledge, and understanding with non-specialists
• Effective communicator, able to report effectively on projects and departmental activities, and advocate compellingly for Community Engagement and Social Value
• Committed to embedding principles of equality, diversity, and inclusion throughout own work and OA

Behaviours Essential

• Imaginative and creative approach to community engagement, excited to explore new practices and approaches
• Excellent communicator, able to adapt tone and vocabulary in verbal and written communication for different audiences
• Collaborative, able to work closely with colleagues with different specialisms and stakeholders with different experiences and priorities
• Analytical, able to identify strengths and areas for improvement in group and individual work
• Compassionate, supportive, and reflective, demonstrated through commitment to embedding inclusion, accessibility, and diversity throughout group and individual work
• Passionate and enthusiastic about heritage/archaeology and its potential to deliver public benefit
• Reflective, with the ability to identify and implement improvements and changes to ensure ongoing organisational, project, and personal continuing development
• Strategic, adept at understanding long-term goals, and identifying opportunities to contribute to these through intentional use of resources and understanding of individual agency

Employee Benefits:

• Competitive, constantly benchmarked, salary range £42,846 – £54,713 appointments will be made based on demonstrated ability, previous experience and CIfA membership if appropriate.
• A company pension scheme with 6% employer contributions. Employees with 10 years of employment or in project management roles gaining access to the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS), which is one of the few remaining defined benefit schemes in the UK.
• Continued professional development is strongly encouraged through a very supportive approach to further training and education, attendance of and contribution to conferences, and involvement with academic institutions.
• Annual leave starting at 25 days (depending on years of service) with an extra 3 concessionary days at Christmas and Bank Holidays.
• A generous hybrid working policy is in place, dependant on role, and a considerate approach is taken to flexible and part-time working where appropriate to the role, individuals’ personal circumstances, and the needs of the business.
• We pay 100% of CIfA subscription fees.
• Comprehensive care for employee welfare through a number of policies, including: the AXA Health Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) Premier, generous paid sick leave, a network of mental health first aiders, and personal accident insurance.
• Cycle to work scheme.

An Enhanced Disclosures and Barring Service check will be required for this role. Baseline Personnel Security Standard clearance will be required for this role. How To Apply Please submit the following documents via email to hr@oxfordarchaeology.com by midnight Tuesday 9th December 2025.

• A CV no longer than two sides of A4. Please ensure your CV is tailored to this role, highlighting relevant professional and/or voluntary experience and academic, vocational, and/or technical qualifications.Answers to the following questions:
• Why are you interested in this role? (no more than 500 words)
• What key strengths would you bring to this role at Oxford Archaeology? (no more than 500 words)
• Why does archaeological engagement matter? (no more than 500 words)

If you have any questions, please contact Ayesha Purcell, Head of Community Engagement and Social Value at community@oxfordarchaeology.com.

For more info: Community Engagement and Social Value Project Manager | Oxford Archaeology Oxford Archaeology is an Equal Opportunities employer. All applications are judged on the relevant skills and experience of the candidate, and not by gender, sexual orientation, marital status, religion, belief, age, nationality (other than where work permits may be required), or ethnicity. You must meet the requirements to live and work in the UK by UK Visas and Immigration.

Registered Charity No. 285627; Company Registration No. 1618597

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