Deputy Registrar

South East Employers; Portsmouth; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 29,000; Full time

Job summary

A local government organization is seeking a confident and energetic Deputy Registrar for a full-time role at Portsmouth Register Office. The successful candidate will register vital events such as births and marriages, prepare certificates, and assist the public during significant moments in their lives. Strong organizational, communication, and IT skills are essential, along with a high level of empathy and attention to detail. The position also involves occasional Saturday work and potential training for conducting ceremonies.

Qualifications

• Experience in a front-line customer service role, preferably in registration services.
• Ability to apply complex legislation and work independently.
• Neat handwriting and excellent accuracy.

Responsibilities

• Register births, deaths, stillbirths, civil partnerships, and marriages.
• Prepare certificates and make appointments for the public.
• Conduct marriage and civil partnership ceremonies after training.

Skills

Organisational skills

Communication skills

IT skills

Attention to detail

Empathy

Job description

Full Time, Permanent, Temporary, Portsmouth, Posted 5 days ago, 26000 - 28000 £ / Year, Closes 9 February 2026

Website Portsmouth City Council

Local Government

Deputy Registrar

Salary: Band 5, £26,473 – £28,239 per annum plus contractual overtime

37 hours per week Monday – Friday, plus 80 hours per annum contractual overtime (worked on Saturdays).

About Portsmouth City Council

Portsmouth City Council is a unique organisation, committed to making a difference, and is guided by core values that set who we are as people, what we stand for, and how we act. We are committed to our values of respect, integrity, collaboration, inclusivity and being people‑focused. These values set out how we can contribute to the success of the council and our own success as individuals. Learn more about our values and behaviours.

Job introduction

We are looking for a Deputy Registrar. This is a full time role based at Portsmouth Register Office, PO1 3AF.

We are looking for a confident, positive and energetic Deputy Registrar to join our team. The successful candidate will have strong organisational, communication and IT skills and thrive on assisting members of the public at key moments in their lives.

Your New Role

Working in the Portsmouth Register Office you will be registering births, deaths, stillbirths, civil partnerships, and marriages.

You will be responsible for preparing certificates for members of the public and making appointments for people to come to the office to register births, deaths, stillbirths and to give notice of marriages and civil partnerships. The role also involves the duty of taking notices of marriage and civil partnership.

There is currently a requirement to work 80 hours per year as contractual overtime to cover Saturday ceremonies booked to take place at Milldam House, licensed venues, and churches within the City of Portsmouth. These hours are worked on a rota basis, working one in four Saturday’s during each month. During the months of April to September this is likely to increase to two in four Saturdays. These 80 hours are in addition to the set 37 hours worked on a weekly basis and are reviewed annually and may therefore fluctuate from one year to another.

There will also be occasional additional weekend work on Sundays and Bank Holidays as requested to cover ceremony duties. These are on a voluntary basis and not included in the 80 hours contractual overtime requirement.

The successful candidate will be prepared to train as a Deputy Superintendent Registrar which will allow the officer to conduct marriage/civil partnership ceremonies and private citizenship ceremonies.

Who Is The Person Summary

You will have experience of working in a front‑line customer service role, within the registration service is desirable. As well as excellent accuracy, an attention to detail and neat handwriting, you will be patient, tactful and empathetic as you will be dealing with people who may be in a highly emotional state in sometimes difficult situations. You will also have the ability to understand and apply complex legislation and be able to work on your own as there will be times when you are working with limited supervision.

We also have a 6 month, fixed term part time (22.2 hours) available – visit our careers page for further details.

To apply for this job please visit searchjobs.portsmouth.gov.uk.