Farming Engagement Support Officer

About the job

Key information

• 22.2 hours per week.
• The work includes hybrid working locations including home but with regular attendance at the National Landscape Office, Fyne Court, Broomfield.
• There will be a requirement to attend/set-up meetings at venues around and beyond the Quantock Hills, and for occasional outdoor site visits.
• There is a requirement to work occasional evenings and weekend days to help run meetings and events, for which time off in lieu is given. Working pattern is flexible and will be agreed between the successful candidate and the team.
• 25 days annual leave (pro rata for fixed term/part time contracts)
• Fixed term contract until 31st March 2029
• The salary for this role is £15,593 – £16,085 per annum
• Interviews are scheduled for Friday 13 March 2026

What will I be doing?

You will be part of a friendly team that works with farmers, landowners and communities to protect and enhance the Quantock Hills National Landscape. You will have the opportunity to support the team to make a real difference to the local environment, economy and community.

You will work under the direction of the Landscape Projects Officer. You will lead the administration of the team’s landscape projects, particularly our two grant schemes: the Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) Programme and Greater Quantock Landscape Development Fund (GQLDF). This includes providing financial support such as monitoring budgets, producing data reports for Defra and other funders, and using Somerset Council’s finance systems to raise purchase orders, process invoices and make grant payments. You will also provide administrative support such as processing grant applications and agreements, setting up meetings and preparing papers and minutes for the Local Assessment Panel.

You will produce promotional materials such as press releases and post on social media, which is a key engagement tool. Finally, you will provide assistance with organising and hosting events, and support the development of our farm cluster

What kind of experience or qualifications do I need?

We offer ongoing support, training and guidance to help you be the best you can be. But it will really help if you have:

• Experience of administrative processes, including organising meetings and events, financial processes and the use of social media for publicity.
• Good communication and customer service skills
• Excellent ICT skills, particularly in Microsoft Office applications (Excel, Word, Outlook etc). Good competence with Excel is particularly valuable in this role
• We’re proud to be here for the people who work, live in or visit the Quantock Hills National Landscape but also for everyone in Somerset. An important part of this is ensuring that we are as diverse and inclusive as the people and communities we serve.

We welcome applications from a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences to enrich our team. You can always contact the hiring manager for a chat if there’s anything you want to talk about before you apply.

What is in it for me?

We are proud to offer an environment that is supportive and rewarding, working as part of a team who are passionate about the work they do to improve the lives of people in Somerset.

We offer great training and development opportunities, with supportive management. As well as this, we have some fantastic employee benefits available:

• We promote a healthy work-life balance and offer flexible working arrangements wherever possible, including working from home.
• Generous annual leave allowance, with the opportunity to purchase additional leave
• Staff discounts in gyms.
• Employee Assistance for the times you may need some support and a variety of employee wellbeing services.
• Auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme and optional pension enhancement through our Additional Voluntary Contribution scheme.
• A Flexible Benefits Scheme via salary sacrifice to obtain a cycle for work and health screenings.
• My Staff Shop offering discounts in shops, online shopping, restaurants, cinema tickets, insurance benefits and more

Supporting documents and information

For further information about this role, please contact Iain Porter, Manager, 07977 412077 or Sally Pheasant, Farming Engagement Support Officer 07469 413432

We’d welcome the opportunity to arrange and hold interviews ahead of the closing date for suitable candidates. If you have all the information you need, just hit the apply button. We can’t wait to hear from you

Closing date: 5 March 2026

Apply on the Somerset Council website

Apply now