Cabinet Officer

LONDON BOROUGH OF BRENT; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 42,000 - 45,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual leave 27 days

Pension scheme (LGPS)

Hybrid/flexible working

Family-friendly policies

Wellbeing support

Financial wellbeing

Travel support

Learning & development

Brent Rewards

Job summary

Brent Council invites applications for a Cabinet Officer in the Leader's Office to provide executive support, policymaking and communications, helping Cabinet Members turn ambitions into action.

You will build internal networks with the Corporate Management Team, support priority communication to external stakeholders, and gain exposure to senior politicians while developing policy expertise aligned to corporate priorities.

Qualifications

• Provide executive support to at least four Cabinet Members
• Prepare agendas, reports and action taking as required
• Build internal networks between Cabinet and CMT
• Support Cabinet Members to communicate priorities to external stakeholders
• Exposure to senior politicians and council officers
• Opportunity to develop policy expertise contributing to corporate priorities

Responsibilities

• Provide a full range of executive support services to Cabinet Members
• Assist in preparation of agendas, reports and action taking
• Build strong internal networks for Cabinet–CMT collaboration
• Support Cabinet Members to communicate priorities externally
• Develop portfolio of policy expertise and support corporate priorities

Skills

Excellent communicator

Policy-making interest

Organised

Negotiation skills

Stakeholder management

Job description

Salary range: £42,060 - £44,685

Contract: Permanent

Hours of work: 36 hours per week, with the occasional evening work

Location: 3 days a week at the Civic Centre and other locations from time to time

Are you passionate about people, the places where they live, and policymaking?

You will be working in a London borough which embodies the most exciting aspects of our capital city. Brent has many juxtapositions - from the iconic arch of Wembley to the thoroughfare of Kilburn, this is a place where economic, environmental and demographic contrasts collide in just a short walk. We are a borough which is rapidly expanding, with all of the challenges and opportunities that this change creates. It's what makes it such a fantastic place to be a public servant and what makes us like no other place in London.

This is an exciting time to join Brent. A new Cabinet is pursuing a radical and far-reaching agenda for the borough, with a new vision for the next four years now taking shape. We want to be a council that delivers locally while also making the case for wider change, as we have done through our high-profile work on gambling harms and the need for stronger powers to protect our high streets. As a Cabinet Officer, you will be at the heart of that work, helping to shape policy and turn the Cabinet's ambitions into action for residents.

About the role

We are recruiting for a Cabinet Officer role, which will be at the heart of Brent Council in the Leader's Office, helping the Cabinet with executive support, policymaking, and communications.

• Provide a full range of executive support services to at least four Cabinet Members, assisting in the preparation of agendas, reports and action taking as required.
• Build strong internal networks to facilitate the effective relationships between Cabinet and the Corporate Management Team (CMT).
• Support Cabinet Members to communicate their priorities to external stakeholders
• You will have unparalleled exposure to the senior politicians and sector-leading council officers, with the ability to be a part of key decisions at every turn.
• Alongside your primary responsibilities, there is significant scope for development within the role, with potential to build a portfolio of policy expertise and support projects contributing to the council's corporate priorities.

About you

The ideal candidate will be an excellent communicator, at ease with senior politicians and officers, and with a strong interest in policy-making. It comes with the territory that you must be highly organised if you are to support multiple Cabinet Members, as well as having an eye for the details that can make or break a political career. By its very nature, you will need to be able to navigate and negotiate through situations which are complex, confidential and sensitive.

Experience is valuable and desirable, but if you can demonstrate that you understand what local government in London does and how it sits within a political, financial, and legislative context, we want to hear from you.

Why join us?

We know people do their best work when they feel valued, supported and able to grow. At Brent, you will benefit from:

• 27 days' annual leave, rising with length of service, plus bank holidays
• Local Government Pension Scheme with generous employer contributions
• Hybrid and flexible working options available for most roles
• Supportive family-friendly policies, including carers' leave, paternity leave and compassionate leave for eligible employees
• Health and wellbeing support, including eye test support and a 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme
• Financial wellbeing support, including education sessions, childcare deposit loans and season ticket loans
• Travel support, including affordable parking nearby, a Cycle to Work scheme and onsite facilities
• Learning and development opportunities to support your career
• Access to My Brent Rewards with exclusive discounts on shopping, travel, leisure and entertainment

Closing date: Monday 14 September 2026 (23:59)

You will need to submit a supporting statement demonstrating how you meet the essential criteria in the job description. This is a key part of the selection process, and applications without a supporting statement may not be considered. You may also upload a CV to support your application, but it cannot replace the supporting statement.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications.

Applications from candidates who have applied for this role in the last 6 months will not be considered.

Interviews are expected to take place in Week Commencing 28th September 2026.

Brent Council values the diversity of its community and aims to have a workforce that reflects the people we serve. We welcome applications from all sections of the community and encourage applicants to complete the diversity survey section of the application.

We are committed to fostering an inclusive workplace where everyone is treated with dignity, respect and fairness. We expect all employees to demonstrate a commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and to promote inclusive, non-discriminatory practices in their work. This commitment forms part of our recruitment process, and candidates may be assessed on their understanding of and ability to contribute to an inclusive working environment.

The information we collect from you will be shared with Cifas, who will use it to help prevent fraud and other unlawful or dishonest conduct, malpractice, and other seriously improper conduct. Further details on how your information will be used by Brent and Cifas, and your data protection rights can be found here.

As a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role. This includes people with hidden disabilities, long-term health conditions, diagnoses and mental health conditions. We also guarantee an interview to care-experienced applicants who meet the essential criteria. Information shared for this purpose will be treated fairly and used only to confirm eligibility under these schemes.

If you need reasonable adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process, please contact [e-mail].

Brent has a positive approach to flexible working.