Senior Committee Services Officer

Norwich City Council; Norwich; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 52,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

LGPS (Local Government Pension Scheme)

Living Wage accreditation

26–33 days annual leave (pro rata for

Job summary

Norwich City Council is seeking a Senior Democratic Services Officer to provide governance and democratic support to committees and elected members. You will service formal meetings, provide procedural advice, and ensure decisions are lawful, transparent and effective.

You will work closely with councillors and senior officers to uphold high standards of governance and public accountability.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in democratic services, governance or committee administration.
• Strong understanding of local government decision-making processes and governance principles.
• Excellent written communication for agendas, reports and minutes.
• Ability to provide confident procedural advice to elected members and senior managers.
• Highly organised with ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Manage and support committee meetings from agenda preparation through to minutes and follow-up actions.
• Provide advice on constitutional, procedural and governance matters.
• Support councillors in their democratic responsibilities.
• Advise officers on report preparation and decision-making requirements.
• Assist with member development, training and induction programmes.
• Maintain and develop the Council's Constitution and governance framework.
• Act as lead officer for designated committees and panels.

Skills

Governance knowledge

Committee administration

Procedural advice

Minutes & agendas

Stakeholder relations

Education

Governance qualification

Willingness to pursue qualification

Tools

Job description

Help shape local democracy in Norwich

Norwich is a vibrant and ambitious city with a proud heritage and a clear vision for the future. We are looking for an experienced and highly motivated Senior Democratic Services Officer to join our Democratic Services team and play a key role in supporting the Council's democratic decision-making processes.

This is an exciting opportunity for an individual with strong governance knowledge, excellent organisational skills and a passion for public service to work at the heart of local democracy.

About The Role

As a Senior Democratic Services Officer, you will provide high-quality governance and democratic support to the Council, its committees and elected members. You will take responsibility for servicing a range of formal meetings, providing procedural advice and ensuring that the Council's decision-making processes are lawful, transparent and effective.

You will work closely with councillors, senior officers and external stakeholders, helping to maintain the highest standards of governance and public accountability.

Key Responsibilities Include

• Managing and supporting committee meetings from agenda preparation through to production of minutes and follow-up actions.
• Providing advice and guidance on constitutional, procedural and governance matters.
• Supporting councillors in the performance of their democratic responsibilities.
• Advising officers on report preparation and decision-making requirements.
• Assisting with member development, training and induction programmes.
• Supporting the maintenance and development of the Council's Constitution and governance framework.
• Contributing to the continuous improvement of democratic services and governance arrangements.
• Acting as the lead officer for designated committees and panels.

About You

We are looking for someone who:

• Has significant experience working in a democratic services, governance or committee administration environment.
• Possesses a thorough understanding of local government decision-making processes and governance principles.
• Has excellent written communication skills, including the ability to produce accurate agendas, reports and minutes.
• Can provide confident procedural advice to elected members and senior managers.
• Is highly organised and able to manage competing priorities and deadlines.
• Has excellent interpersonal skills and can build productive relationships at all levels.
• Demonstrates political awareness and the ability to work impartially in a sensitive environment.
• Is committed to delivering high standards of customer service and continuous improvement.

A relevant governance qualification or willingness to work towards one would be advantageous.

Why work for us

Our council is full of people who have chosen to work in local government because they want to help others and make a difference to their lives or the environment in which local people live.

To find out more about working and living in Norwich Home | Work in Norwich.

The council has a long and proud history of being a council that is keen to push the boundaries of what a district can achieve, to find out more about what it is like to work in local government visit Working in local government - #LocalGov Careers - Youth Employment UK.

We offer our employees a competitive pay and benefits package. Whether you're looking for a new career, promotion, flexible working opportunity to fit with your home life or a sideways move - we have a variety of challenging employment opportunities for everybody.

Norwich City Council offers the opportunity to work with great people who are passionate about promoting Norwich and the services the council provides. We also offer good career prospects with competitive rates of pay, generous holidays and working arrangements to suit all lifestyles.

Equal Opportunities Policy

The council is committed to a policy of equality opportunity in employment, in recruitment and the services we provide. Applications are considered on the basis of their suitability for the post regardless of sex, gender reassignment, race, ethnic origin, disability, age, marital status, domestic responsibilities, sexual orientation or religious affiliation. People with disabilities are guaranteed an interview provided they are suitably qualified and/or experienced.

Candidates will be considered for shortlisting on the factual information on their application form. Therefore it is important to give as much detail as possible including information about experience gained outside employment.

Benefits

We offer our employees a competitive pay and benefits package and are proud to have the Living Wage accreditation. Whether you're looking for a new career, promotion, flexible working opportunity to fit with your home life or a sideways move - we have a variety of challenging employment opportunities for everybody.

• All employees are eligible to join the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
• Paid holiday entitlement starts at 26 days per annum and increases with length of service to a maximum of 33 days per annum. This is pro rata for part-time employees
• In addition to the statutory public holidays, we grant an additional statutory day leave at Christmas
• Norwich City Council supports its employees through the provision of occupational health and employee assistance support