Policy Assistant

Durham County Council; North East; Hybrid; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

A local government authority in North East England is seeking an individual to conduct policy analysis and support service planning. The ideal candidate will possess NVQ Level 3 in Business Administration or equivalent experience. Essential skills include collaboration across teams, data interpretation, and draft reporting. This role offers a competitive rewards package, including 27 days of annual leave, a pension plan, and flexible working arrangements including hybrid options. Interviews are scheduled for 19 January 2026.

Benefits

Attractive salary package

Generous annual leave entitlement

Membership of a career average Local Government Pension Scheme

Flexible working arrangements

Qualifications

• Qualified to NVQ Level 3 or equivalent or have significant relevant experience.
• Experience in working collaboratively across different teams.
• Strong skills in information analysis and report drafting.

Responsibilities

• Research developments in the external policy environment.
• Support development of key corporate planning documents.
• Assist in the council’s service planning arrangements.

Skills

Working collaboratively across organisational boundaries

Collation, analysis and interpretation of information

Drafting reports and presenting information

Working to deadlines

Education

NVQ Level 3 or equivalent in Business Administration

Job description

We are looking for an individual who has a flexible approach to work who has the ability to work in partnership with others and forge effective relationships to join our team.

WHAT IS INVOLVED?

• research developments in the external policy environment and collate and disseminate policy analysis relevant to Durham County Council.
• support the development of key corporate planning documents e.g. Council Plan.
• support the development, coordination and management of the council’s service planning arrangements.
• support the delivery and continuous improvement of the governance and assurance arrangements of the council’s policy framework.
• support areas of work to ensure the council meets its statutory obligations and corporate requirements under the Equality Act 2010.

We encourage you to contact Gemma Wilkinson, Policy & Equality Team Leader via email at [e-mail] to arrange an informal discussion about the role.

WHAT WILL I NEED?

You will be qualified to NVQ Level 3 or equivalent in Business Administration or a relevant area or have significant relevant experience.

You will have experience of:

• Working collaboratively across organisational boundaries
• Collation, analysis and interpretation of information
• Drafting reports and presenting information in a variety of formats
• Working to deadlines

Please refer to the attached Person Specification for the full criteria.

INTERVIEWS

Interviews will be held on Monday 19 January 2026.

We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that can show they meet all the essential criteria and have indicated they have a disability, are a looked after young person, care leaver or a veteran.

OUR OFFER TO YOU

We offer a competitive rewards package that includes attractive salaries, a generous annual leave entitlement of 27 days (rising to 32 after five years’ continuous local government service), membership of the excellent contributory career average Local Government Pension Scheme, and a range of flexible working arrangements including hybrid working (home and office) where applicable. Explore the full range of rewards and benefits on our website https://www.durham.gov.uk/article/26895/Rewards-and-benefits-if-you-work-for-us

Rewards and benefits are subject to individual terms and conditions.

EQUALITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION

We are a proud equal opportunities employer and believe a diverse workforce brings fresh ideas and drives service improvement. We welcome applications from everyone and make employment decisions based on skills and ability. As a Disability Confident Leader, we actively encourage applications from disabled people and offer support throughout the recruitment process.

HOW TO APPLY

Please note, we do not accept CVs. All applications must be submitted online via the Northeast Jobs portal. Use the ‘Person Specification’ section of the form to clearly demonstrate how you meet the essential (and where possible, desirable) criteria. Applications that do not evidence the essential requirements will not be shortlisted. For guidance on completing your application, visit our website https://www.durham.gov.uk/article/2083/How-to-apply-for-a-job-with-us

If you require assistance when applying for this role, please contact our Recruitment Helpdesk on 03000 26 27 27, or via email [e-mail]

We welcome applications from disabled people and those who are or consider themselves to be neurodivergent.

CONNECT WITH US

Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dccjobsandcareers/

Like us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/durhamcountycounciljobsandcareers

Visit our website durham.gov.uk/jobsandcareerswithus

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