Democratic Services and Governance Officer

We are looking to appoint a Senior Democratic Services and Governance Officer (DSGO) focused on supporting Council and Regulatory Committees within the high‑performing Democratic Services and Scrutiny Team at the London Borough of Croydon. This senior role sits within a small dynamic team responsible for delivering an efficient, high‑quality Democratic Services function.

Responsibilities

• Leading on the delivery and management of Regulatory Committees and Full Council meetings, ensuring they are properly constituted, well‑run and compliant with legislation and Council procedures.
• Managing committee work programmes, scheduling meetings, and ensuring all statutory deadlines are met.
• Preparing, reviewing and overseeing the publication of agendas, reports and minutes to a high standard and in line with legal requirements.
• Attending meetings as a Democratic Services representative and providing authoritative procedural advice to Chairs, Councillors, Executive Mayor and Cabinet Members and Senior Officers.
• Monitoring and recording formal decisions to ensure they are lawful, transparent and correctly implemented.
• Leading and developing a small team, including line management of two officers and a trainee, ensuring high performance and continuous improvement.
• Building strong working relationships with Councillors, senior leadership and external partners, providing guidance on governance and decision‑making processes.
• Contributing to service development, including improvements to democratic processes, governance frameworks and efficiency initiatives.
• Facilitating the webcasting of meetings and supporting wider democratic engagement and transparency.

Qualifications

• A strong understanding of democratic processes and the legal framework within local government.
• Proven experience of servicing and managing complex committee meetings in a political or public sector environment.
• Excellent organisational and administrative skills, with strong attention to detail and the ability to manage competing priorities.
• The confidence and experience to advise senior Councillors, including Committee Chairs, on procedural and regulatory matters.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate at all levels.
• Experience of supervising or managing staff, supporting development and performance.

Equal Opportunities Statement

Croydon Council is an inclusive employer and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. Subject to business needs, we will be pleased to consider applications from candidates seeking flexible working arrangements and support hybrid working, whereby staff attend the workplace for part of their working week and work from home, or elsewhere, remotely for the rest of the time. As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the advertised role. Croydon Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be subject to a DBS check, if the role requires one.