Scrutiny and Support Officer

Staffordshire County Council; Stafford; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 38,000; Full time

Job summary

Staffordshire County Council seeks a Scrutiny & Support Officer to assist in delivering the overview and scrutiny function. The role supports elected members to hold decision-makers to account, develop and review policy, and ensure the council delivers on commitments to residents.

It is a politically restricted post and requires strong organizational and IT skills. You will work within a small team to plan committee work programmes, conduct strategic research, manage meetings, and contribute to

Qualifications

• Degree level or equivalent is required.
• Experience in an overview and scrutiny environment is preferred.
• Experience working with local authority members, senior officers and partners is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Support the planning and delivery of committee work programmes and manage elements within timescales and resources.
• Undertake research and intelligence gathering to support investigations by Members and forums.
• Coordinate meeting management including agenda management and minuting using mod.gov.
• Demonstrate negotiation and influencing skills to secure outcomes, with a positive service-focused attitude.

Skills

Meeting management

Communication skills

IT skills

Teamwork

Independent working

Negotiation & influencing

Education

Degree or equivalent

Job description

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Scrutiny & Support Officer to join our team to assist in the delivery of the overview & scrutiny function.

This role is part of a small team supporting elected members to fulfil their democratic role within the Council by holding decision makers to account; developing and reviewing policy; as well as considering how the Council is delivering on its commitments to the residents of Staffordshire.

This is an excellent opportunity for the right individual looking to make a positive difference and take that next step in their career, taking on additional responsibility and accountability.

Please note this is a politically restricted post.

The main responsibilities for this role will be:

• Supporting the planning and delivery of committee work programmes, taking responsibility for particular elements (within the appropriate timescales and available resources) and directing the contribution of colleagues and partners.
• Undertaking research and strategic intelligence gathering to support the investigations undertaken by Members through Scrutiny and other Member forums within the County Council including analysis, interpretation, presentation and dissemination of information.
• Co-ordinate the meeting management arrangements for Member committees and forums including agenda management and minuting of meetings using mod.gov.
• Someone who is comfortable with negotiating and influencing at all levels to ensure successful outcomes, with a positive attitude and passion for excellent service who is well organised, calm under pressure and able to work independently on their own initiative.
• Responsible for a busy and varied workload, you will need experience in managing meetings along with excellent communication, IT and team working skills.
• Working as part of a small but talented and friendly team, you will also need the ability to work flexibly, adapt to changing priorities and meet tight deadlines with an attention to detail and innovative approach to service delivery.
• We are also looking for someone proactive who has a commitment to continuous improvement for themselves.

With experience in a directly comparable role and/or an ambition to demonstrate what you have to offer; you will have had exposure to delivering in an overview and scrutiny environment.

Candidates will be qualified to a degree level or equivalent and have experience of working directly with local authority members, senior officers and partners.

Interviews will be held during the week starting 2nd November 2026.