The Role

Are you looking for your next career move? If you have a track record in governance and want the responsibility of leading a small team, we want to hear from you. To be a Democratic Services Manager here, you will have knowledge of local authority constitutions and decision-making processes, along with experience of supporting and advising various committees.

You will be working alongside politicians and senior officers across all departments, as well as providing advice and information to members of the public. You will be based mainly in Wandsworth, but you will be expected to work flexibly across both boroughs, as necessary.

We offer challenging opportunities for you to work with your team on a range of Executive, Scrutiny and Regulatory Committees. We are looking for someone with the right skills, abilities and talent to support our Councillors in their work.

You will need to demonstrate political sensitivity, the ability to interpret and apply legislation, effective prioritisation skills and an ability to manage a team. You will need to have strong verbal and written communication skills, have the ability to explain complex guidance and be confident in providing advice to Councillors and Officers in a range of meeting situations. We are also looking for someone with great analytical skills who can help the service develop new and efficient ways of working on democratic services for Richmond and Wandsworth.

So, if you are looking to progress your career in a local authority governance team, we want to hear from you. This is a career graded post and we will support your development.

In addition, the London Boroughs of Richmond upon Thames and Wandsworth present a unique opportunity to be part of a team who work together in a ground-breaking shared staffing structure across both boroughs.

If you would like to find out more about the job, please contact Peter Sass, Head of Governance on 020 8871 6005 on Peter.Sass@richmondandwandsworth.gov.uk or Kathryn Thomas, Deputy Head of Governance, on 020 8891 7860 or Kathryn.thomas@richmondandwandsworth.gov.uk

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 part-time hours, 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:  Sunday 24^th July 2022

Shortlisting Date: 25/26^th July 2022

Interview Date: 4/5 August 2022

Useful Information:

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.

We particularly welcome applications from sections of the community who are currently underrepresented within our teams, including   

Richmond and Wandsworth Councils are committed to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone. We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and developing a culture that values differences, recognising that employees from a variety of backgrounds bring important and positive contributions to the Councils and can improve the way we deliver services. We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer.

Important Information:

Richmond and Wandsworth Councils are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Richmond and Wandsworth Councils