Senior Democratic Services Officer

Senior Democratic Services Officer

Full-time (minimum of 30 hours)

Hybrid Working

Essex

Our client, a Local Authority based in Essex is seeking a senior Democratic Services Officer to join their team on an interim basis for 3-6 months.

Responsibilities of the Senior Democratic Services Officer:

• To be responsible for the timetabling, servicing and co-ordination of the work of meetings of Cabinet, Committees, and any related Sub-Committees (including quasi-judicial hearings) and Panels as appropriate, including partnership and specified internal meetings. To effectively manage and administer meetings of the Council's decision making bodies in accordance with legislative requirements and the Council's Constitution.

• Preparation of Agendas for the Council's meetings to set procedures and within strict deadlines involving collation and checking of material from various sources, writing reports, etc.

• Arrangement and attendance at meetings, usually held in the evening, either hybrid or in person, ensuring that all documents and other material relevant to the meeting are available and taking action as directed upon decisions made by the meeting, involving the preparation of letters and of further reports.

• To provide at those meetings procedural, legal and constitutional advice particularly to Members.

• To provide advice and expert guidance across the organisation regarding the Council's democratic and decision making processes.

• To prepare reports for Council, Cabinet and committees and ensure that all services accord with the Council's processes and arrangements for production of reports to ensure high quality reports and providing training an advice when required.

• To maintain appropriate work plans for meetings and an awareness of work related issues across the service, and lead on issues upon request.

• To act as meetings manager for allocated internal and external meetings to ensure they work smoothly and effectively and driving the agenda business planning system and contributing to new ways of operating.

• To liaise as necessary with the public, Officers of the Council at all levels and Members on a wide variety of subjects relevant to the responsibilities of the service. Fostering good working relationships with the rest of the organisation

Experience required for the Senior Democratic Services Officer:

• At least 3 years' experience of managing and providing administrative support to committees
• Managing projects using formal project management skills
• Experience of working with Elected Members
• Experience of working in accordance with relevant legislation and guidance i.e. a Councils Constitution

How to apply for the Senior Democratic Services Officer role:

For more information or to apply for the Senior Democratic Services Officer role, contact Laura Smith in the Sellick Partnership Manchester office.

Sellick Partnership is proud to be an inclusive and accessible recruitment business and we support applications from candidates of all backgrounds and circumstances. Please note, our advertisements use years' experience, hourly rates, and salary levels purely as a guide and we assess applications based on the experience and skills evidenced on the CV. For information on how your personal details may be used by Sellick Partnership, please review our data processing notice on our website.