Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Youth Engagement Officer

🎯 Role Definition

The Youth Engagement Officer is responsible for designing, delivering and evaluating inclusive, trauma-informed programs and outreach that engage young people (typically ages 10–25) in positive development, civic participation and service delivery. This role combines community outreach, stakeholder engagement, casework support, program management, monitoring & evaluation, and safeguarding to increase youth participation, reduce risk factors, and support transitions into education, training and employment. Key focus areas include recruitment and retention of participants, developing youth leadership, partnership development with schools and community groups, and using data-driven approaches to measure impact.

Keywords: youth engagement, youth outreach, community engagement, youth development, safeguarding, program coordination, mentoring, monitoring and evaluation, partnership building.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Youth Worker / Youth Support Worker
Community Outreach Coordinator
Volunteer Coordinator

Advancement To:

Senior Youth Engagement Officer / Team Lead
Youth Program Manager
Community Programs Manager
Service Delivery Manager (Youth Services)

Lateral Moves:

Education Liaison Officer
Volunteer & Outreach Manager
Case Management or Family Support Roles

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Develop, plan and deliver evidence-based youth engagement programs and activities (workshops, drop-in sessions, mentoring circles, civic projects and digital outreach) tailored to local demographic needs and aligned with organizational strategy and funding requirements.
Conduct targeted outreach and recruitment campaigns to engage underrepresented and at-risk young people, including direct street outreach, school and college visits, social media campaigns and partnerships with community organisations.
Build trusting relationships with young people using trauma-informed approaches and youth development principles to assess needs, set goals and co-design individual or group support plans that promote wellbeing, resilience and positive outcomes.
Facilitate regular youth leadership and participation opportunities (peer mentoring, advisory boards, youth-led events) to increase youth voice and influence in program design, policy feedback and service delivery decisions.
Provide one-to-one casework and short-term case management: assess risk, develop safety plans, make referrals to statutory services (mental health, housing, substance use support), and coordinate multi-agency responses where required.
Monitor attendance, participation and individual progress through regular check-ins, case notes and outcome tracking; use monitoring data to adapt activities and improve engagement and retention rates.
Design and implement evaluation frameworks, KPIs and outcome measures for projects; collect qualitative and quantitative data (surveys, focus groups, impact storytelling) and prepare clear reports for funders and senior management.
Prepare high-quality funding applications, grant reports and bid submissions that present program logic, budgets, risk assessments and measurable outcomes to secure and sustain youth programs.
Build and manage strategic partnerships with schools, colleges, local authorities, community organisations, employers and volunteers to expand reach, develop referral pathways and enhance service integration.
Provide group-based workshops on life skills, employability, sexual health, digital safety, citizenship and substance misuse prevention, adapting facilitation style to different age groups and cultural backgrounds.
Recruit, train, supervise and support volunteers, peer mentors and sessional workers; create induction materials, safeguarding briefings and ongoing professional development opportunities to maintain quality and safety.
Co-design culturally responsive outreach materials and communications (flyers, social content, videos) that resonate with target youth audiences and improve sign-up and retention for programs and events.
Maintain accurate case records, safeguarding logs and confidentiality in line with data protection policies (GDPR) and organisational procedures; escalate safeguarding concerns promptly and liaise with statutory services as required.
Manage project budgets, process purchase orders and maintain financial records for small to medium-sized projects; ensure efficient use of resources and provide budgetary updates to managers and funders.
Coordinate logistics for youth events, trips and workshops including venue bookings, risk assessments, transport arrangements and parental consent processes to ensure safe and seamless delivery.
Facilitate restorative practices and conflict resolution interventions for young people in group settings to de-escalate incidents and promote positive peer relationships and accountability.
Promote access to education, training and employment opportunities by developing employer partnerships, organising careers sessions, work placements and providing employability coaching and CV support.
Lead outreach campaigns that incorporate digital engagement strategies (social media, SMS, WhatsApp groups, livestreams) to maintain regular contact and build online communities for youth support and information sharing.
Contribute to policy development and organisational practice around youth participation, safeguarding, equalities and inclusion to ensure services are accessible, safe and youth-centred.
Deliver culturally competent and anti-oppressive practice across all activities; incorporate intersectional approaches that address race, gender, disability, sexuality and socioeconomic barriers to participation.
Support crisis responses: respond to immediate welfare concerns, liaise with emergency services when needed, and coordinate follow-up care and multi-agency support for young people in crisis.
Run targeted interventions focused on reducing offending, substance misuse and school exclusion in partnership with statutory partners and diversionary programs.
Mentor young people through transitions (e.g., leaving care, entering employment or higher education) with tailored action plans, referral coordination and ongoing follow-up to improve long-term outcomes.

Secondary Functions

Maintain and enhance digital participant databases (CRM) / case management systems; run regular data quality checks and produce participant lists, attendance reports and referral summaries for stakeholders.
Support the development and review of program policies, safeguarding procedures and risk registers; contribute to audits and compliance checks required by funders and regulators.
Contribute to community consultation processes, needs assessments and co-design sessions to ensure program relevance and to capture lived-experience insights from diverse youth populations.
Provide input to organizational strategy and funding roadmap by identifying service gaps, new funding opportunities and partnership prospects based on frontline observations.
Support ad-hoc training delivery to staff, volunteers and partners on youth engagement techniques, safeguarding, de-escalation and cultural competency.
Coordinate volunteer rosters, sessional staff contracts and payroll inputs for project personnel; ensure timely timesheet submission and induction paperwork completion.
Assist with promotional events, open days, youth forums and inter-agency meetings to raise profile and secure referrals and sustained engagement.
Track and respond to program feedback, complaints and safeguarding incidents with timely follow-up, learning capture and implementation of corrective actions.
Participate in multi-disciplinary case conferences, safeguarding meetings and local partnership forums to represent youth service perspectives and advocate for client needs.
Support small-scale fundraising and community fundraising events, including donor communications, sponsorship proposals and post-event stewardship.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Program design and curriculum development for youth services with the ability to produce session plans and measurable outcomes.
Case management and assessment skills, including risk assessment, safety planning and referral pathways to statutory services (mental health, housing, social care).
Monitoring & evaluation expertise: designing KPIs, running surveys and focus groups, analysing impact data and producing funder-ready reports.
Experience with CRM/case management systems (e.g., Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud, CharityLog, Raiser’s Edge or similar) and MS Office / Google Workspace.
Safeguarding/child protection knowledge and ability to apply local statutory safeguarding frameworks and mandatory reporting procedures.
Community outreach and partnership development skills, including stakeholder mapping and MOUs with schools, local authorities and NGOs.
Grant writing and budgets: preparing funding proposals, managing project budgets, and reporting to funders on outcomes and spend.
Digital engagement and social media skills for youth outreach (TikTok, Instagram, Facebook) and basic content creation tools.
Group facilitation and workshop delivery for a range of topics (life skills, employability, sexual health, mental wellbeing).
Basic data analysis and reporting (Excel, Google Sheets, basic visualization tools) to monitor program performance and inform continuous improvement.

Soft Skills

Strong interpersonal and relationship-building abilities, able to build trust quickly with young people and community stakeholders.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills for reports, presentations and public-facing outreach.
Empathy, cultural competence and trauma-informed practice when working with diverse and vulnerable young people.
Coaching and mentoring skills to foster youth leadership and personal development.
Conflict resolution and de-escalation skills in group and one-to-one settings.
Problem-solving and adaptability to react to changing community needs and operational constraints.
Time management and prioritisation to balance caseloads, events and administrative duties.
Teamwork and collaboration across multidisciplinary teams and partner organisations.
Resilience and self-care awareness to manage emotionally demanding work and maintain professional boundaries.
Attention to detail for safeguarding records, consent forms and funder reporting obligations.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Certificate or diploma in youth work, community development, social care, education or related field (or equivalent proven experience).

Preferred Education:

Bachelor's degree in youth studies, social work, community development, education, psychology or related discipline.
Professional accreditation in youth work or community practice (where applicable).

Relevant Fields of Study:

Youth Work / Youth Development
Social Work / Social Care
Community Development / Community Education
Psychology / Education / Public Health

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 2–5 years’ experience working directly with young people in community, school, justice, outreach, or youth service settings.

Preferred:

3+ years of progressive responsibility in youth engagement, case management or program coordination.
Demonstrable experience delivering outreach to marginalized populations and managing partnerships with statutory bodies.
Valid safeguarding/child protection certification, basic first aid, and (where required) a clean driving licence for outreach and transport duties.
Experience in grant-funded program delivery, reporting and budget management.