Senior Democratic Services Officer

Located in the heart of South London, Lambeth Borough is a vibrant community of over 317,600 residents. Stretching from the dynamic neighbourhood of Streatham in the South to the iconic landmarks of Waterloo in the North, we are proud to be the 9th largest borough in London. Our diversity is our strength, with more than 130 languages spoken, making Lambeth the home of the Windrush generation, London's largest LGBTQ+ community, and a thriving Portuguese-speaking community. With exceptional schools, lush green spaces including Brockwell Park, cultural gems like the Black Cultural Archives, and world-renowned institutions such as St Thomas's Hospital, Lambeth offers an enriching and dynamic environment.

The Council’s Democratic Service team looks after governance procedures and ensures the Council operates in line with its constitution and decision‑making processes are compliant with the law. The team co‑ordinates a large number of Council meetings and committees each year as well as provides advice and support to 63 councillors. Democratic Services also includes the Mayoralty office which looks after civic engagements for the Mayor of Lambeth, the first citizen of the borough.

You will be innovative, positive and help to drive improvement and be responsible for a wide range of governance tasks within the team. You will also manage activities related to elected members, including Overview and Scrutiny, member (councillor) development and other tasks that enables our elected Councillors to discharge their roles effectively. You may be looking for the next step up or already be a senior, either way a thorough knowledge of how local government operates is needed as well as having worked in a democratic services or similar governance role previously.

You will have strong all‑round communication and interpersonal skills, political awareness, tact and diplomacy, attention to detail, an ability to think logically and able to plan ahead and work with the minimum of supervision. Reliability and calmness under pressure are pre‑requisites, given that the role often involves working to tight deadlines. Candidates must be able to demonstrate innovation, ideally in respect of modernising decision‑making processes in a local authority context. Experience of the Modern.Gov or any other committee management system would be highly advantageous.

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Wayne Chandai, Assistant Director of Governance at wchandai@lambeth.gov.uk. You will be required to undertake a Cifas check. To be considered for interview, your CV and supporting statement will clearly evidence how you meet the shortlisting criteria on the personal specification marked “A” for application: We operate an anonymised application process, so be sure to remove personal details when uploading your CV or personal statement.

At Lambeth, we are dedicated to providing quality services and equal opportunities for all. We are committed to safer recruitment and are proud to be a Stonewall diversity champion, a Living Wage Employer, and to guarantee interviews for all disabled candidates who meet the minimum criteria of the role.