Democratic Services Officer

At Suffolk County Council, we're reimagining what local government can achieve. Working as a Democratic Services Officer based within the Governance, Legal and Assurance Service, you'll help to support the shaping of Suffolk's future by providing high quality support and advice to the Council's Committees in a high profile and public facing role at the very heart of the Council.
Reimagine the possibilities.
Your role and responsibilities
You will be a skilled and motivated Democratic Services Officer able to play a key role in supporting effective, transparent and lawful decision-making across the Council. This is an exciting opportunity to work at the heart of local democracy, providing high-quality committee and governance support to councillors, senior officers and external partners. You will be responsible for agenda planning, convening and supporting formal meetings, issuing agendas, recording proceedings, and producing accurate minutes, decisions and recommendations. You will support the implementation of the Council's Constitution, help resolve complex procedural issues, maintain committee work programmes, and ensure full compliance with statutory and constitutional requirements. You will also contribute to councillor and officer training and keep abreast of legislative developments and best practice in democratic governance.
You will need
- excellent administrative and IT skills and be comfortable working in a high profile, public facing role at the heart of the Council;
- the ability to provide clear, confident and impartial governance and constitutional advice, often in politically sensitive environments.
- to be flexible and adaptable in order to meet the needs of the service and manage competing deadlines;
- excellent written and oral communication and interpersonal skills, and a high level of attention to detail.

You can view a full list of requirements in the Job and Person Profile (JPP), see below. If you believe you can succeed in this role, apply. Even if you don't meet all requirements, still apply. We would appreciate the opportunity to consider your application.

The team
- You will be part of a highly supportive and friendly team and will be provided with training and ongoing support to meet the daily challenges of the role.
- This is a hybrid working role where your time may be split between home and office working. There will be requirements to be office based on specific rota and committee days in order to meet the needs of the service.

Empowering Everyone
We're big believers in potential, possibility and the power of different ideas. We're always searching for ways to encourage, respect and enable everyone to be the best they can be. We want to represent the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from all individuals, especially those from groups that are currently underrepresented in the organisation, as shown in our Workforce Equality Report., Step 3 - Upload a supporting statement answering the following questions below (no more than 400 words per question). You should use the Supporting Statement template (Word).
1. What do you believe is the most important contribution Democratic Services makes to effective local democracy, and how would you demonstrate that in this role?

2. Describe a time when you were responsible for planning and supporting a formal committee or board meeting. How did you ensure it ran smoothly?

3. Tell us about a time you built effective working relationships with multiple stakeholders, such as councillors, senior colleagues, partners or the public, to achieve an outcome-focused solution?

Disability Confident
About Disability Confident
A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to .

This authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks or police vetting will be required for relevant posts. #LI-Hybrid
As a modern and effective council, we offer a wide variety of careers to suit people with a range of skills, abilities and ambitions. We offer working options that flex to reflect the way people work today and take the time to understand and support your individual needs. We're driven to make a positive difference to the world around us and encourage everyone with drive and focus to join us and build an influential and impactful career. Reimagine the possibilities.
In return, you'll enjoy:

up to 29 days annual leave entitlement (pro rata), plus UK bank holidays and two paid volunteering days
membership of a competitive Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
travel, lifestyle, health and wellbeing benefits
performance-related annual pay progression, in addition to an annual cost-of-living pay increase
training and encouragement to expand your knowledge
a variety of career development opportunities across our organisation
diverse and active staff networks
flexible working options, with the right to request flexible working from your first day

Plus lots more!