The Role

Democratic Services Manager required for Richmond and Wandsworth Councils. The post holder will be supporting both the London Boroughs of Richmond upon Thames and Wandsworth through the shared staffing structure. The Democratic Services team Manager will be key to support the council’s decision-making process. If you are keen to take on a new exciting challenge to help deliver the best outcomes for our residents and local businesses and service delivery this could be the role for you.

You will be working in the Chief Executive’s directorate with the rare opportunity to take a leading role in managing the local-decision-making process.  As a senior manager you will be working alongside elected members and senior officers across all departments, as well as providing advice and information to members of the public.

You will be required to

• Work on a range of Executive, Overview and Scrutiny and Regulatory Committees. 
• Skill, abilities and talent to support Councillors in their work.
• Demonstrate acute political sensitivity, attention to detail, effective prioritisation skills,
• Lead and inspire others and to work well in a team.

This post will be based initially at Wandsworth Town Hall, but you may be expected to work flexibly across both boroughs as part of a wider joint democratic services team serving both councils.

Suitable candidates will have:

• Experience of public sector governance and scrutiny work preferably gained in local government.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• The ability to explain complex guidance and be confident in providing advice to Councillors and Officers in a range of meeting situations.
• Experience of managing staff will be an advantage.

This is a career graded post, and we will support your development.  We also welcome applications for job-sharing. 

At Richmond and Wandsworth Councils, we care more about how you work and what you achieve, rather than where you work on any given day. The difference you can make to our local communities is what really matters most to us, service delivery must always come first. We have carefully considered agile ways of working to provide the best experience for residents, stakeholders and our staff. Our agile working strategy actively supports and encourages a dynamic work environment and daily working experience. Agile working helps put the needs of our staff at the centre of everything we do, so if specific flexible working arrangements helps you with this, feel free to let us know.

Your wellbeing and the flexible way in which you can work is and will remain a key priority for Richmond and Wandsworth Councils. We want you to thrive and feel empowered in your work!

We recognise the importance of a good balance between work and home life so we do everything we can to accommodate flexible working including, working from home, compressed or job shares and other arrangements. Please just let us know in your application or at any stage throughout the process (and beyond) if these are options you’d like to explore. We also offer a generous holiday allowance of 39 paid days (pro rata) including bank holidays and a wide range of learning and development opportunities.

In addition, we offer a comprehensive range of staff benefits such as membership of the Local Government pension scheme, childcare vouchers, new technology scheme, interest-free loans on annual travel cards, discounts with many leisure activities, restaurants, shops and other establishments.

Indicative Recruitment Timeline

Closing Date:  24^th April 2022

Shortlisting Date: W/C 25^th April 2022

Interview Date: W/C 10^th May 2022    

For a informal conversation relating to the role please contact Peter Sass, Head of Governance for Richmond and Wandsworth Councils (020 8871 6005) (peter.sass@richmondandwandsworth.gov.uk) or Kathryn Thomas, Deputy Head of Governance, Richmond and Wandsworth Councils (020 8891 7860) (Kathryn.thomas@richmondandwandsworth.gov.uk)

Useful Information:

The shortlisting process is anonymised

The closing date is given as a guide. We reserve the right to close this vacancy once a sufficient number of applications has been received. We strongly advise you to complete your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

Please note that the advertised dates for interviews may change due to the current Covid-19 situation. If they do, we will let you know as soon as possible.

Your health and wellbeing is our top priority. Should you become unwell due to Covid-19 during the recruitment process we would very much appreciate receiving an update from you as soon as possible.

Richmond and Wandsworth Councils