Senior Electoral Practice and Performance Officer in Cardiff

Basis: Permanent, Full time 36 hours per week. A £312 tax-free working from home allowance is also payable annually.

Location: Cardiff (Hybrid – min. 2 days in office)

Benefits: Outstanding benefits including Civil Service Pension Scheme, flexible working, 28+ days holiday, and more.

About the Electoral Commission: The Electoral Commission is the UK’s independent body overseeing elections and regulating political finance. Everything we do is about ensuring trust, participation, and integrity in the democratic process. As we enter a new chapter under our Corporate Plan, we are increasing our workforce and transforming how we plan and deliver core services. This post plays a central role in that journey.

About the office: Our office in the centre of Cardiff is home to the Commission’s Wales team. It also brings together colleagues from across the wider Electoral Commission, creating a collaborative and supportive environment where ideas and expertise are shared. You’ll be joining a friendly, inclusive community where people genuinely support one another. Our office is designed for flexibility, with spaces for both collaboration and focused work, alongside a relaxed culture and regular social activities. We’re proud of our bilingual environment, where Welsh and English are part of everyday life, making it welcoming for speakers and learners alike. Just a short walk away you’ll have easy access to Cardiff’s parks, landmarks and vibrant atmosphere.

About the role: As a Senior Electoral Practice and Performance Adviser, you will play a key role in supporting the effective delivery of elections and electoral registration services across Wales. Working closely with Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), Returning Officers (ROs), local authorities and other electoral stakeholders, you will provide expert advice, guidance and support on electoral legislation, policy, practice and performance. This is a varied and influential role combining stakeholder engagement, performance improvement, analysis and advisory work. You will help electoral administrators navigate complex challenges, identify opportunities for improvement and contribute to maintaining public confidence in democracy.

• Providing professional advice and guidance on electoral law, policy and practice to electoral administrators across Wales.
• Delivering and supporting the Commission's performance standards framework for Returning Officers and Electoral Registration Officers.
• Analysing electoral performance information, identifying trends, risks and opportunities for improvement.
• Building strong relationships with local authorities, the Electoral Management Board for Wales and other key stakeholders.
• Developing guidance, resources and reports that support the delivery of high-quality electoral services.
• Leading specific projects and workstreams while managing your own portfolio of work.

About the team: You will be joining the Wales team, a friendly and collaborative group that plays a key role in supporting the delivery of elections and electoral registration services across Wales. The team works closely with colleagues across the Electoral Commission's devolved offices and wider UK teams, ensuring a coordinated approach to electoral guidance, performance, policy and stakeholder engagement. This role has strong relationships with a wide network of external stakeholders, including Returning Officers, Electoral Registration Officers, local authority elections teams, the Electoral Management Board for Wales, professional bodies and other partners involved in delivering democratic processes. The team helps drive consistency, share best practice and support continuous improvement across electoral services in Wales. We are a collaborative, knowledgeable and supportive team that combines specialist expertise with a strong commitment to partnership working. Team members are encouraged to take ownership of their work, contribute ideas and work flexibly across a broad range of projects and priorities.

Who we’re looking for: We're looking for a proactive, analytical and collaborative professional who enjoys solving complex problems, building productive relationships and influencing positive change. You’ll be comfortable working independently while managing multiple priorities and engaging confidently with stakeholders at all levels. You’ll have excellent judgement, strong communication skills and a genuine interest in supporting democratic processes and public services. You will likely have experience in elections, local government, regulation, governance, policy, performance improvement or a similar environment.

We’re particularly interested in candidates who can demonstrate:

• Experience providing advice, guidance or support on complex operational, regulatory, governance or policy matters.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and relationship-building skills.
• Experience analysing information, identifying trends and making evidence-based recommendations.
• The ability to manage projects, workstreams and competing priorities effectively.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• The confidence to influence, negotiate and work collaboratively with a range of stakeholders.
• High levels of integrity, impartiality and commitment to public service.

Welsh language skills are desirable in this role and experience of electoral services would be advantageous but is not essential.

Why work for us? This is a unique opportunity to contribute directly to the integrity and effectiveness of democratic processes across Wales. You'll work with senior leaders across local government and the electoral community, helping to shape and improve the delivery of elections and electoral registration services. We offer a strong total reward package, including:

• Flexible working and hybrid model (40% office minimum)
• 28 rising to 30 days annual leave + bank holidays
• Study support for professional qualifications
• Ongoing learning and development opportunities
• Ride2Work, eye care vouchers and more

Disability Confident Commitment Statement: The Electoral Commission is proud to be a Level 2 Disability Confident Employer. As part of this commitment, we aim to prioritise interviews for disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria listed in the job description. There may, however, be occasions where it is not practicable or appropriate to interview all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria. For example, during periods of exceptionally high application volumes or seasonal recruitment activity, the Commission may need to limit the overall number of interviews offered to both disabled and non-disabled applicants. If you have a disability and would like to be considered under this commitment, please indicate this when you apply. We also welcome requests for reasonable adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process or within the workplace.

Key dates: Interviews (2nd stage): Week commencing TBC. Anticipated start date: TBC. Interviews are expected to be conducted in person at our office in Cardiff.