Application Deadline: 17 January 2025
Department: Corporate Services
Location: Torbay Council
Compensation: £37,938 - £40,476 / year
Description
There has never been a better time to join our team at Torbay Council. We have a real momentum building and have a shared sense of purpose and ambition. Torbay is a fantastic place to live, work and visit, offering unrivalled quality of life for individuals and families.
We are looking to appoint an enthusiastic and motivated individual to the role of Senior Democratic, Overview and Scrutiny Officer. This role will bring you to the heart of our organisation supporting Councillors and officers with the Council's decision-making processes and ensuring they are open and accessible to the people of Torbay.
Everyone who works here has the same thing in common, we want to see a healthy, happy and prosperous Torbay.
The role:
If you like a role that offers variety and each working day to be different, then this job is for you. We are a small unitary authority which means we can make things happen quickly and there's always something new and interesting happening.
You will be an experienced Democratic/Overview and Scrutiny Officer who is passionate about good governance, with first-class organisational skills, and loves working in a fast-paced environment with lots of variety. You will be dynamic and flexible in your approach, have excellent communication skills, preferably with experience in managing Cabinet, regulatory and Overview and Scrutiny meetings. You will be an expert at diary management and capable of foreseeing and dealing with deadlines. Ideally, you will have experience of Modern.gov/Issue Manager, and remote meeting technology (such as Microsoft Teams and Zoom).
If you are the successful candidate, you will be joining a highly effective and capable team in Torbay, a stunning part of South Devon.
We're offering hybrid home/office-based working options along with a host of other local government benefits. There will be some unsociable hours to attend evening meetings (starting at 5.30 pm for which flexi time is accrued), usually at Torquay Town Hall.
Skills
Essential:
* A high level of writing skills sufficient to produce minutes and correspondence that are accurate, understandable, with information conveyed accurately, clearly and simply and appropriate to its audience.
* Excellent verbal and interpersonal skills to communicate effectively, courteously, confidently and professionally with members, officers at all levels in the organisation, partners, external organisations and members of the public.
* Ability to display sensitivity, tact and diplomacy in all situations with high levels of political sensitivity.
* Ability to work with challenging, conflicting and tight deadlines and to determine appropriate priorities with a flexible approach and ability to adapt quickly to changing priorities to complete tasks within deadlines without supervision.
* Ability to work accurately in a busy working environment and maintain high levels of accuracy.
This role requires the ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence and fluency in English.
Knowledge
Essential:
* An excellent understanding of the functions and structures of local government.
* A working knowledge of corporate governance, constitutional and ethical issues and processes sufficient to be able to give direction at a high level including at meetings.
* High level of practical knowledge of local government procedures.
* Ability to understand and contribute towards the development of systems and procedures associated with decision-making structures.
* Able to interpret and explain the provisions in the Code of Practice for School Admission appeals and Exclusion from maintained schools, academies and pupil referral units Code.
Experience & Qualifications
Essential:
* Experience of running quasi-judicial panels and a full range of different types of meetings e.g., regulatory committees, executives, formal, informal, quasi-judicial bodies and partnerships (taking minutes, compiling agendas, correspondence, organising meetings and liaising with councillors).
* Proven experience of local government or equivalent.
* Track record of building constructive and productive relationships with elected members or at an equivalent senior level.
* A relevant degree or equivalent experience.
* Working towards or hold the Association of Democratic Services Officers Certificate in Democratic Services Practice.
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