Head of Governance

Do you want to champion good governance, strengthen democratic accountability and ensure decision-making across Gateshead Council is transparent, lawful and effective? If that sounds like you, keep reading we might be the perfect match.

These roles form part of a wider organisational redesign to ensure the Council is structured to deliver high-quality, efficient services for the people of Gateshead. This supports our commitment to putting residents at the heart of everything we do and enabling everyone in our borough to thrive. At Gateshead Council, we pride ourselves on our ambitious and forward-thinking approach to delivering high-quality services that improve outcomes for our communities.

As a senior leader in Legal & Democratic Services, you will play a central role in shaping the governance of the organisation, supporting political leadership and ensuring that we uphold the highest standards of probity, ethical conduct and public trust. You will join a leadership community that values integrity, collaboration and innovation, and you’ll have the opportunity to influence policy, lead corporate initiatives and help shape the future direction of the Council.

Our Governance, Legal and Democratic Services play a critical role in enabling the Council to function effectively and openly. From managing the democratic process and maintaining the Constitution, to ensuring compliance with legislation such as Freedom of Information, Data Protection and RIPA, the service ensures that our decision-making is robust, lawful and transparent. It supports councillors, committees, scrutiny functions and officers across the organisation, enabling good governance and strong political leadership.

As Head of Governance, you will lead these essential functions, overseeing democratic services, corporate governance, ethical standards, scrutiny, constitutional management and statutory duties, while also supporting the Chief Legal Officer and Monitoring Officer in maintaining the integrity of the Council.

What You Will Get To Do

• Lead the development and delivery of governance functions across the Council, ensuring transparency, accountability and effective decision-making.
• Act as Deputy Monitoring Officer and Statutory Scrutiny Officer, supporting lawful, ethical and evidence-based Council governance.
• Provide and oversee democratic services for Council meetings, committees, panels and reviews, ensuring sound administration, advice and support for Members and officers.
• Maintain, update and develop the Council’s Constitution, Standing Orders and governance framework to ensure full legal compliance and strong corporate governance.
• Provide expert constitutional and local government advice to Members, senior officers and political leadership.
• Devise and deliver training to councillors and officers on governance and constitutional matters.
• Manage corporate processes including ethical standards, complaints handling, scrutiny, Freedom of Information, Data Protection and RIPA (as Senior Responsible Officer).
• Lead the dissemination and implementation of legislative and regulatory changes, ensuring the Council operates within the correct legal framework.
• Represent the Council at local, regional and national level on governance, democratic services and policy matters.
• Lead, motivate and develop teams, managing employees, budgets, assets and trading accounts to deliver high-performing services.
• Support corporate planning, business continuity, risk management and the delivery of the service business plan aligned to the Council’s Thrive agenda.
• Provide advice to portfolio holders, Members and partners, and respond to media enquiries in partnership with the Communications Team.
• Participate in the corporate emergency response rota as Duty Incident Director, supporting the Council’s emergency planning arrangements.
• Deputise for the Service Director / Chief Legal Officer / Monitoring Officer and for the Clerk of the Council when required.

What You Will Bring

• Qualification as a lawyer with strong advocacy and professional experience.
• In-depth knowledge of the local government statutory framework, governance standards and constitutional requirements.
• Experience of working within local government, with a strong understanding of political processes, ethical standards and modernisation challenges.
• A proven track record of advising councillors and senior officers on governance and democratic matters.
• Strong leadership skills, with the ability to build high-performing teams and lead change.
• Excellent analytical, communication and influencing skills.
• Political awareness, sound judgement and the ability to operate effectively in complex, sensitive and high-profile environments.

What’s In It For You

• Competitive Salary: We offer fair and transparent pay that reflects your skills and experience.
• Outstanding Pension Scheme: We don’t just offer a great salary we invest in your future too.
• Generous Annual Leave: Enjoy 28 days of annual leave, rising to 32 days after 5 years (2 of which can be fixed by the Council), plus the option to buy up to 10 extra days.
• Flexible Working Hours: Benefit from up to 26 flexi days per year (subject to business needs), giving you more control over your time.
• Hybrid & Flexible Working: We support a healthy work-life balance with flexible and hybrid working options.
• Learning & Development: Access a wide range of training, development, and progression opportunities to help you grow your career.
• Health & Wellbeing Support: From discounted gym memberships through our partner GLL to mental health resources, we care about your wellbeing.
• Cycle to Work Scheme: Save money and stay active with our tax-efficient cycle to work programme.
• Electric & Hybrid Car Scheme: Get behind the wheel of a brand-new electric or hybrid vehicle through our salary sacrifice car scheme in partnership with NHS Fleet Solutions.
• Exclusive Discounts & Salary Sacrifice: Through our VIVUP employee benefits platform, enjoy discounts on shopping, travel, and services plus salary sacrifice options on white goods, electronics, and more.

We are an equal opportunities employer and aim to have a culture and a workplace where our people feel a sense of belonging, are respected and empowered to do their best work. We welcome applications from suitably qualified people from all sections of the community, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.

You can apply online using the apply now button below. Within the form, you’ll be asked for details about you, your career history, skills, experiences and qualifications. We advise you to be as detailed and specific as possible, paying particular attention to any of the above which are relevant to the role to which you are applying.

If you have any questions about your application, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our recruitment team.

Please note: As a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role.