Democratic Services Officer

Democratic Services Officer (Temporary)

• Location: Welwyn Garden City - Hybrid working
• Rate: £19.00 - £20.50 per hour
• Contract: Temporary on going
• Hours: 37 hours per week, flexible hours

Join a dynamic local authority team as a Democratic Services Officer on a long-term temporary basis. This role offers a unique opportunity to support the democratic decision-making process, ensuring effective governance and delivering high-quality support to elected members and senior officers. This role will involve attending approximately 6 evening session meetings per month. Working times are flexible and arranged around this.

Day-to-day of the role:

• Organise and support a range of committee, cabinet, and council meetings.
• Prepare, publish, and distribute agendas and reports within statutory deadlines.
• Attend meetings to produce accurate minutes and decision records.
• Provide procedural and governance advice to councillors, officers, and committee chairs.
• Ensure compliance with relevant legislation, constitutional requirements, and governance frameworks.
• Support public engagement activities, including petitions, deputations, and public participation at meetings.
• Maintain committee management systems, work programmes, and governance records.
• Handle confidential and sensitive information with professionalism and discretion.
• Assist with election-related and civic activities as required.

Required Skills & Qualifications:

• Flexibility to attend several evening session meetings per month
• Previous experience working within Democratic Services or Local Government Governance.
• Strong knowledge of council procedures, constitutions, and decision-making processes.
• Proven ability to support committee meetings, including producing agendas and minutes.
• Excellent organisational skills with the capability to manage multiple deadlines.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to interpret legislation and provide procedural guidance.
• High levels of accuracy, attention to detail, and professionalism.
• Experience using committee management systems is advantageous e.g. modern.gov or CMIS.

Benefits:

• Opportunity to work within a respected local authority.
• Exposure to senior stakeholders, elected members, and key decision-making processes.
• Flexible temporary assignment with competitive rates.
• The chance to make a meaningful impact on local democracy and governance.

Interested?