Committee and Members Service Manager Contract

Committee and Members Service Manager
Swindon
Full-time contract (3-6 months)
£30 per hour

The purpose of this role is
* To lead, manage and supervise the team of staff who facilitate the Client’s decision-making processes to a high standard including Overview and Scrutiny, having regard to legislative requirements plans and frameworks.
* To ensure that the Client’s decision-making is carried out in accordance with the Constitution and in compliance with relevant legislation.
* To perform the duties of Statutory Scrutiny Officer
* Specific responsibility for the line management of three Committee Clerks and two political assistants.

The post holder is responsible for:
* To work at pace in high profile and sensitive situations and exercise high levels of understanding, ability, judgement and political awareness in order to provide advice, guidance and leadership which will have a bearing on the most critical aspects of the Client’s decision-making, with far-reaching budget, policy and reputational implications.
* The provision of high-quality support to a range of decision-making and other meetings, in close liaison with Chairs (including the Leader of the Client, other Cabinet Members and other leading Members) and with senior officers of the Client.
* Proactively managing all aspects of the Client’s Calendar of meetings, including ensuring that meetings are correctly arranged, notified and efficiently supported, and that information before each meeting meets reasonable standards of presentation.
* Maintaining corporate and political awareness and providing advice on the interpretation of the Client’s Constitution and supporting administrative processes, to include assistance in regular reviews and updating of the Constitution.
* Maintaining effective communications with the public, Members, officers, parish clients and partners to support the work of the Client and its Committees, boards and bodies and to provide relevant information and support to the Client’s arrangements.
* Assisting in maintaining and upholding the Client’s corporate governance framework and ensuring that the highest standards of governance are applied.
* Undertaking the role of Statutory Scrutiny Officer and proactively managing the Client’s Scrutiny function and ensuring that it is effective.
* Ensuring that proper records are maintained of the Client’s decision making, that high quality minutes are produced by the team in a timely fashion, and that relevant information is properly published.
* Ensuring that the Client’s statutory and other registers, including those connected with the Code of Conduct and the Register of Members’ Interests, are properly maintained.
* Maintaining accurate records of decision-making by Officers and Clients and ensuring that such decision making is in accordance with statutory requirements and with Client procedures and that such decisions are properly published.
* Managing Member Development and liaising with the Monitoring Officer in identifying training and other requirements for Members.
* Maintaining management and oversight of the budget attached to Members, Scrutiny and Democratic Services (circa £1 million).
* Taking an innovative approach to the maintenance and development of the Information Technology and other electronic processes utilised by the team.
* Engaging in such other project relevant to the post as may be required from time to time.

Requirements:
* Proven management experience with excellent communication skills
* Proven knowledge of political management processes and legislation relating to the satisfactory execution of decision making and scrutiny of decision making
* Sufficient understanding of local government legislation to be able to give complex procedural advice in relation to the Client’s political management arrangements, the Client’s Constitution, local government procedures and practices
* Excellent proven organisational and administrative skills
* IT literacy (Microsoft, Sharepoint and Mod.Gov software)
* The political nature of local government and the confidentiality of many of the issues that may be encountered require an excellent proven ability to deal with issues sensitively in a political environment

If you have the relevant experience and believe you are suitable for the role, please apply directly!