Head of Election Services

Belmont Recruitment are working with South Gloucestershire Council to recruit for a Head of Election Services. Responsible for the provision of all electoral services including the efficient and effective provision of electoral registration, conduct of referenda, Parish/District/Parliamentary and other elections and boundary reviews in co-operation with the Council’s Electoral Registration and Returning Officer. Being part of Election management team, planning the election and delegating work to the core team. This is a contracted post for a minimum of 6 months with the view to extend.

Responsibilities:

• Successful delivery of the Police and Crime Commissioner Elections
• Planning for a ‘snap’ Parliamentary Election and possible delivery of the Election in accordance with legislation.
• Management of the core elections team through the implementation of the final part of tranche 2 changes under the Elections Act 2022 (postal vote handling changes and seeing through the overseas elector changes
• Planning, organising and managing the statutory requirements and processes relating to electoral registration and the conduct of Elections, also in relation to the promotion of participation in the democratic process.
• The value of Election projects ranges from £250,000 - £ 1m depending on the type of Election. Errors in electoral registration/electoral processes could result in the Electoral Registration/Returning Officer being subject to legal action in the courts, which can involve personal liability for the Returning Officer.

Requirements:

• An in-depth knowledge and understanding of the laws, regulations, procedures and guidance that apply to Electoral Registration and Elections (including cross boundary issues in Parliamentary Elections) and experience of advising on compliance.
• An in-depth knowledge of Xpress software and the ability to use relevant government Portals.
• To have responsibility for financial matters in relation to elections including preparation of Election accounts for the approval of the Returning Officer and for provision to DLUHC for payments to be reimbursed from the consolidated fund.
• Practical experience of running Police and Crime Commissioner Elections and Parliamentary Elections (ideally cross boundary parliamentary elections)
• Experience of developing training materials and delivering or commissioning training sessions to a range of audiences including senior staff and casual election staff employed to work in polling stations and at the verification and counting of votes.
• To have knowledge of and be able to implement tranche 2 changes under the Elections Act 2022 which come into force before the May 2024 elections.

Location: Bristol

Hourly rate: up to £400

If this position is of interest, please get in touch with Jake Singh at Belmont Recruitment or apply now! If you are looking for a position in a different sector, do not hesitate to get in touch as we have many other opportunities available across England.

If you know someone that would be interested in this role, please pass on this advert to receive a generous referral fee, if the candidate is successful!