Democratic Services Officer, Derby City Council

Salary: Grade H, £37,280 – £39,862 a year

Contract type: Permanent, Full time

Contracted hours: 37 hours a week

Derby City Council is seeking a Democratic Services Officer, to act as a governance advisor to the local authority, working closely with Derby’s political leaders and most senior officials. Working as part of a small team, the successful candidate will provide comprehensive support to the Council’s committees and scrutiny boards, whilst building strong relationships with stakeholders both inside and outside the organisation.

What We Offer:

• Flexible work/life balance scheme
• Hybrid working
• Modern office environment
• Continued professional development opportunities & career conversations
• 27 days annual leave (rising to 32 days after 5 years’ service), plus bank holidays
• Local Government Pension Scheme
• Team Derby Rewards – retail and leisure discounts
• Tusker Car Benefit Scheme
• Cycle2Work Scheme & free cycle training
• Employee Assistance Programme, Wellbeing Calendar and Support
• Access to our Equality Employee Networks – LGBTQ+, Disabled Employee Network & Carers and our Black, Asian & Minority Ethnic Employee Support Network and Neurodiversity Network
• Support for colleagues who are carers

The Opportunity:

In the role of Democratic Services Officer, here’s an example of what you’ll be doing to make an impact:

• Liaising with lead officers and committee chairs regarding the content of agendas and ensuring the effective delivery of information to members
• Undertaking research and preparing reports or other information for presentation at meetings constitutionally prescribed and other meetings involving both Officers and or Elected Members, including taking a lead role in coordinating the work of allocated overview and scrutiny committees
• Commissioning reports from, and ensuring the timely delivery of reports by, others including council departments and external partners or other organisations
• Attending meetings as required and providing comprehensive committee support including giving procedural advice to ensure compliance with the Council Constitution and relevant parliamentary Acts and Regulations
• Accurately capturing resolutions and producing minutes in a timely manner and in line with internal targets and legislative requirements
• Producing and publishing agendas compliant with the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985 and other appropriate Acts, and which are consistent with council policies
• Taking responsibility for all administrative arrangements in connection with meetings
• Taking a lead role as directed and allocated in other administrative duties within the remit of Democratic Services including dealing with outside bodies and petitions and providing specific support to the Leader of the Council, Cabinet members and other councillors as required
• Providing support in relation to School Admission Appeals including direct support to the Admission Appeals Officer as appropriate
• Contributing to other corporate projects as directed, including supporting the effective delivery of elections and referenda
• Expected to work outside office hours to meet the needs of the service and attend meetings and participate in training events as and when required
• Understanding and complying with the council’s environmental policies
• Complying with all health and safety policies and legislation in performance of the duties of the post
• Working with information technology and associated systems in accordance with the council’s policies and procedures
• Complying with standing orders, financial regulations and departmental instructions
• Carrying out duties and responsibilities of the post in compliance with the council’s Equality and Diversity Policy
• Taking part in the council’s Managing Individual Performance scheme

About You:

To be successful in this role, you’ll ideally have… Candidates will have excellent written and verbal communication skills; the ability to manage complex and competing workloads; and, be able to demonstrate existing knowledge of local government decision-making processes and modern committee management practices. In particular, we’re looking for candidates who have well‑developed skills of research and analysis, that can be employed in support of the Council’s Overview and Scrutiny activity. While not essential criteria, any applicant who holds an appropriate qualification in the field of public administration or Democratic Services (for example, the ADSO Diploma in Local Democracy), will be considered favourably. The role requires a willingness to work outside of regular office hours on a semi‑regular basis to administer evening meetings. The role forms part of the Democracy Service, which includes councillor and civic support, school admission appeals and licensing, as well as responsibility for the delivery of citywide elections. As a part of a wider team, you will be asked to be involved in these areas of the Council’s business on occasion. The position may suit either an existing or aspiring governance professional looking to take the next step in their career, but what is most important is the attitude and approach to your work. If you’re passionate about the democratic process, a strong communicator and not afraid to embrace innovative ways of working, we’d love to hear from you.

In return for your hard work and commitment, you will be entitled to access the Council’s flexible hours scheme and enjoy the benefits of hybrid working. We also offer a competitive salary and a host of other benefits: these include support for your continuous professional development, generous annual leave entitlement, membership in the Local Government Pension Scheme, and more.

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion:

We are a fair and inclusive employer and welcome applications from people from all backgrounds. We recruit for diversity and value difference. As many of our roles can now be home‑based, we are able to offer more opportunities for people who need this facility. We are proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. If you are a disabled person, you have the choice to apply under our Guaranteed Interview Scheme so long as you demonstrate that you meet the essential requirements for the job. We feel it is essential that we recruit a talented workforce that is as diverse as the community we work for. Please let us know of any individual requirements or reasonable adjustments you may have during the application, interview, or onboarding process and we’ll do all we can to help. We strongly believe in social understanding of disability and for us it’s all about removing barriers to equality.