Senior Democratic Services Officer

Senior Democratic Services Officer

PO4: Starting salary £48,063 pa rising in annual increments to £51,099 per annum incl LW

Hybrid working

About Us:

It is an exciting time to join Lambeth Council, we have bold ambitions for the future of Lambeth’s communities and residents through our Lambeth 2030 Plan ‘Our Future, Our Lambeth. To deliver on these ambitions, we have embarked our transformational One Lambeth Programme ensuring we are ‘connected by purpose,’ in everything we do to deliver excellence. We are proud to have recently developed a refreshed set of One Lambeth Values and Behaviours that were develop for staff by staff; Equity, Ambition, Kindness, and Accountability. For more information, please have a look at our dedicated One Lambeth Values and Behaviours page. 

About the Borough:

Located in the heart of South London, Lambeth Borough is a vibrant community of over 317,600 residents. Stretching from the dynamic neighbourhood of Streatham in the South to the iconic landmarks of Waterloo in the North, we are proud to be the 9th largest borough in London. Our diversity is our strength, with more than 130 languages spoken, making Lambeth the home of the Windrush generation, London's largest LGBTQ+ community, and a thriving Portuguese-speaking community. 

With exceptional schools, lush green spaces including Brockwell Park, cultural gems like the Black Cultural Archives, and world-renowned institutions such as St Thomas's Hospital, Lambeth offers an enriching and dynamic environment.

About the Team:

The Council’s Democratic Service team looks after governance procedures and ensures the Council operates in line with its constitution and decision-making processes are compliant with the law. The team co-ordinates a large number of Council meetings and committees each year as well as provides advice and support to 63 councillors.

Democratic Services also includes the Mayoralty office which looks after civic engagements for the Mayor of Lambeth, the first citizen of the borough.

About the Role:

You will be innovative, positive and help to drive improvement and be responsible for a wide range of governance tasks within the team. You will also manage activities related to elected members, including Overview and Scrutiny, member (councillor) development and other tasks that enables our elected Councillors to discharge their roles effectively. 

You may be looking for the next step up or already be a senior, either way a thorough knowledge of how local government operates is needed as well as having worked in a Democratic Services or similar governance role previously. 

You will have strong all-round communication and interpersonal skills, political awareness, tact and diplomacy, attention to detail, an ability to think logically and able to plan ahead and work with the minimum of supervision. Reliability and calmness under pressure are pre-requisites, given that the role often involves working to tight deadlines.

To be considered for interview, your CV and supporting statement will clearly evidence:

How you meet the shortlisting criteria marked on the person specification, where possible give the example from your previous or current work.

For detailed qualifications and requirements, please review the job description and person specification in hyperlink below:

Job Description and Person Specification 

Contact Information:

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Richard Plummer, rplummer1@lambeth.gov.uk

Recruitment Timelines:

Advert close date: @23:59 on Wednesday 6^th March 2024

Shortlisting: 7^th and 8^th March 2024

Interviews: week commencing 19^th March 2024.

Benefits:

We believe in rewarding our staff. When you join us, you'll gain access to a range of benefits, including:

• Participation in our 5 Staff Networks: Black, Asian, and Multi-Ethnic, LGBTQ+, Disability, Young Professionals, and Women's.
• Generous annual leave entitlement starting from 27 days, increasing to up to 35 days depending on length of service.
• Membership in the Local Government Pension Scheme.
• Hybrid Working.
• Employee Assistance Programme.
• Occupational Sick Pay based on length of service.
• Discounts at local restaurants.
• Discount at our Active Lambeth Gyms.
• Learning and Development opportunities, including Apprenticeships.
• Cycle to Work Scheme.
• Secure Bike Storage facilities at our Town Hall and Civic Centre.
• Trade Union Membership.

How to Apply:

If you're interest in this opportunity, click on the apply button and complete an online application. 

In your supporting statement, please clearly demonstrate how you meet the shortlist criteria marked with an 'A' at shortlist stage. We operate an anonymised application process, so be sure to remove personal details when uploading your CV or personal statement.

At Lambeth, we are dedicated to providing quality services and equal opportunities for all. We are committed to safer recruitment and are proud to be a Stonewall diversity champion, a Living Wage Employer, and to guarantee interviews for all disabled candidates who meet the minimum criteria of the role. For a full list of our accreditations, please click here.