Careers in Community Services

Within the Communities Directorate although we deliver a large and diverse range of different services, we share a common set of aims and objectives. Our aim is to enhance the quality of life for all residents by providing inclusive, accessible, and high-quality services.

We will aim to address the diverse needs of our Island community, promote well-being, and create opportunities for growth and development. We want to build a resilient and thriving environment for present and future generations and actively seek to engage with residents, local organisations, and stakeholders to create a better future for all of us.

These are challenging times for local government. On the Island we are at a turning point with a senior team committed to driving forward our vision, with a passion to invest in and support our communities into the future. We are building upon our strong foundations and creating a set of services to be proud of. 

Any organisation is only as good as the sum of its parts. Along with colleagues we have a shared focus for the future, embedding our values at our very core. Putting our communities at the heart of what we do is essential to providing an excellent service.

Protect our island -  lead risk management for water and flooding

Are you ready to protect our Island community?

As a Flood and Drainage Specialist, you'll play a crucial role in safeguarding our community. 

Apply for Land Drainage and Flood Risk Officer job

I lead a talented and dedicated team of professionals delivering waste and public realm, planning and infrastructure, climate and environment, commercial and business management services. Together we drive innovation, improve processes, and achieve outstanding results.

I am passionate about sustainable practices and development and ensuring that this plays a crucial role in shaping our community. I believe that collaboration, open communication, and a shared vision are key to our success. Together, and with our community, we will create well-planned, resilient services that balance growth with environmental stewardship.

I am committed to an inclusive and supportive environment where everyone can thrive and contribute their best work.

I joined the Communities Directorate in February 2024, having previously worked at Portsmouth City Council for 16 years. My services areas of responsibility are to lead, Environmental Health and Regulatory, Highways and Transport, Licensing and Coroner, Parking and Cowes Floating Road Bridge and Trading Standards and community safety services.

My areas of responsibility are to lead heritage and libraries, registration and bereavement, sports and leisure regeneration and economic development services. I hold values of service delivery, customer care and delivering good services to Island visitors and residents alike as a key motivator. I’m immensely proud to lead and be part of a team that achieves this but also wants to continue to strive forwards in all areas of the business.

Our staff are our most important asset. Together as a senior management team we strive to ensure all our teams can have a healthy work-life balance. The provision of resources for mental and physical well-being is essential to their wellbeing.

Delivering excellent highways and transport services on the Isle of Wight is uniquely challenging.

We work collaboratively as a network of skilled professionals to ensure cohesion, efficiency, and productivity on projects.

Within highways, we deliver a range of services including

• structural, cyclical, and routine maintenance
• emergency planning and network management
• enforcement
• street lighting
• CCTV

Within transport we focus on Island Transport Plan which includes

• public transport
• sustainable travel
• road safety
• rail networks
• infrastructure for walking and cycling

We consider the safety, wellbeing, and prosperity of our 140,000 residents, local businesses and an estimated 2.5 million visitors each year!

The Isle of Wight’s residents and tourists are at the heart of everything we do, with our staff dedicated to making sure the Island’s infrastructure is safe and efficient.

Highways PFI contract with Island Roads

Island’s Transport Plan

If you have an interest in these services, there are a variety of rewarding career pathways within our highways and transport team offering training, progression and all the support you’ll need to succeed.

Shaping our communities with new homes, businesses, parks, and roads, a career in the planning teams covers so much more than you might realise.

Areas we cover include

• Listed Buildings: We look after over 2500 listed buildings on the Isle of Wight including bridges, memorials, telephone kiosks and gravestones.
• Flooding: We look at how flooding has impacted the local community, where to carry out investigations and work to mitigate the risk of similar flooding occurring in the future.
• Biodiversity: We have an emerging new local plan, a Climate & Environment Strategy and a Local Nature Recovery Strategy to consider the opportunities that biodiversity offers.
• Arboriculture: We work to manage and protect trees across our beautiful Island as we understand how important they are to our communities and our wildlife

If you join our planning service, you’ll be a key team member within an authority that strives for positive outcomes to build a brighter future for the Island.

1Leisure is our destination for sports and leisure activities on the Isle of Wight. Our three modern leisure centres located in Newport, Sandown, and Ryde keep residents and visitors physically active and engaged in fitness, sports and overall well-being. 

We look for staff who have a confident and outgoing personalities, who demonstrate good communication and interpersonal skills and who are self-motivated, enthusiastic, and able to work independently and as part of this close-knit, welcoming team.

Our service offers includes three gyms, two heated pools, a diverse range of fitness classes, racket sports facilities, a health suite, and much more to elevate the lifestyle of residents and visitors and to help our community achieve its wellness goals.

Discover more about 1Leisure

Environmental health has a direct impact into everyone’s lives whether living on, working on or visiting the island.

We ensure the food you buy is fit to eat, the places where you work or visit are safe, the air you breathe is not filled with contaminants, that you can have peaceful enjoyment of your home, and that the environment is not overrun with pests or fly tipped waste.

Where possible, we bring about behavioural change through education and advice to protect the community by ensuring the places where we work, eat, live and play are safe.

Working in Environmental Health

We work as ‘One Council’ aiming to be one organisation working to the same outcomes — with the Island at the heart of everything we do. 

Trust

“We believe in each other”

Integrity and reliability ensure our community receives the trusted services they depend on. Our staff are the foundation of our success.

Empowerment

“We drive change individually and together”

You have the freedom and support to make a real difference in our community. Staff initiative is what drives our progress.

Accountability

“We can be counted on and count on each other”

Our commitment to excellence and responsibility is what makes our local services thrive. We count on our staff to uphold our standards.

Motivation

“We deliver!”

The passion and dedication of staff inspires us to deliver outstanding service to our residents. Let's continue to set the bar high together.

Working together collectively helps us achieve our corporate responsibility in delivering Council services and priorities, and more importantly, delivering the best service we can to our community.

We offer extensive training opportunities for our staff to develop and progress throughout their professional careers.