Governance Officer – Basildon Borough Council

Basildon, Essex

£20.374 PAYE / £26.129 Umbrella Temp-to-Perm

36.25 Hours per Week

Closing Date: Monday 21st September 2026

Essex County Council (ECC) are delighted to be supporting Basildon Council to recruit a Governance Officer on a temp-to-perm basis. Due to the nature of this role, the successful candidate will be required to be onsite a minimum of 3 days per week.

MAIN PURPOSE

The Governance Officer supports the Council’s democratic and decision-making processes by providing high-quality committee, member and executive support. Working as part of a small team, the post helps ensure meetings are well managed, compliant with the Constitution, relevant legislation and corporate standards, and supported by effective governance arrangements. The role provides support to Council committees, partnerships and internal working groups, including agenda preparation, meeting attendance, constitutional advice, minute production, follow-up actions and clear communication of deadlines.

GENERAL INFORMATION

The role will require evening attendance at meetings.

Accountabilities

• Develop and maintain an understanding of local government democratic processes, with support and direction from senior officers.
• Provide administrative support for the Executive, committees, sub-committees, Partnerships and officer or councillor groups.
• Attend meetings where councillors are present and represent the Service as required.
• Arrange and clerk meetings, prepare agendas, reports and minutes, and ensure decisions and actions are accurately recorded and communicated in line with the Council’s Constitution.
• Coordinate appointments to Outside Bodies, including nominations, Annual Council reporting, outcome notifications and member contact arrangements.
• Responsible for the arrangement of Training for Members as and when required as directed.
• Managing the record of any Member training.
• New Member starter administration.
• Actively promote and comply with the Council’s diversity and equality policies.
• Ensure compliance with the General Data Protection Act, relating to personal information held by the Council.
• Undertake all duties within the framework of Equal Opportunities.
• Cooperate in all matters relating to Health and Safety and implement all procedures for your job role.
• Highlight any Health and Safety related risks within the working environment to management.

The Experience You Will Bring

• Demonstrable experience of managing and providing administrative support to formal committees and partnerships i.e. production of agendas and minutes and adhering to statutory deadlines whilst maintaining the strictest confidentiality.
• Excellent organisational skills and ability to cope with challenging workloads.
• Excellent I.T skills, including experience of the use of report management systems and streaming/webcasting.
• Knowledge of Mod.Gov.
• Excellent written communication skills including the ability to write quality reports and minutes of meetings.
• Ability to work under pressure and in sometimes difficult emotional situations while maintaining high standards.

Why choose Basildon Council?

Basildon Borough Council is one of the largest local authorities in the East of England region and serves a population of approximately 172,000 people. The town of Basildon is regarded as a key economic hub with the main areas of employment being engineering, research and development, distribution and financial services. Basildon is also the second biggest economy in the Thames Gateway, outside of Canary Wharf. Working for Basildon Borough Council means making a practical and positive difference to the lives of people living and working in the Borough and provides a fulfilling career. Each of our employees - whatever job role they are undertaking - can feel motivated by having a unique opportunity to use their skills to make Basildon a better place to live.

Note: ECC are advertising this role on behalf of Basildon Council. Basildon Borough Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults, and expects all employees, contractors and volunteers to share its commitment to prevent abuse, harm or exploitation. The Council applies a robust recruitment vetting process. If you are successful you will need to undergo a Pre-employment Vetting Procedure.

If you have queries on this role or require anything further, please email Ashleigh.Drake@essex.gov.uk