Adviser - Leadership
Adviser - Leadership
Hours: Full-Time (open to flexible working arrangements)
Contract : Fixed-Term or Secondment Opportunity until December 2026
Salary : £54,587 per annum (including London Weighting)
Location : Westminster, London (or home based, without London weighting)
Help shape the future of local government as part of the team delivering Impact: the local government graduate programme.
About us
The Local Government Association (LGA) is the national membership body for local authorities. We work on behalf of our member councils to support, promote and improve local government.
We are a politically led, cross-party organisation that works on behalf of councils to ensure local government has a strong, credible voice with national government. We influence and set the political agenda on the issues that matter to councils to help them deliver local solutions to national problems. We also provide councils with the tools and resources to respond to challenges present and emerging, and support improvement across the sector.
About the role
Impact: the local government graduate programme is one of the LGA’s flagship programmes, recruiting the next generation of leaders in local government. Impact seeks to match bright, passionate graduates with councils across the country, where they can deliver key projects and value for money. Running for over 20 years, Impact continues to attract a diverse pipeline of talent to local government and works with councils to develop the future leaders of our sector. Impact Finance is a specialist stream within the graduate programme, recruitment future leaders in local government finance.
As an advisor in the Impact team, you will be responsible for contributing to the delivery of the graduate programme, with particular responsibility for managing the delivery of the Impact Finance programme, currently operating across London although we are looking at the possibility of expanding into other regions for the next cohort. You will work closely with colleagues, external suppliers, councils and applicants to deliver the programme, including elements of marketing, recruitment, learning and development and council engagement.
- The position is required to support immediate delivery needs
- The organisation is consulting on its operating model
- The grade and responsibilities are subject to confirmation
- Priority consideration may be given to employees at risk where they have the required qualifications and experience
Job Description
About you
Have you got a strong track record of project management, delivering complex objectives within a tight time frame? Armed with first rate organisation and communication skills, you might be the ideal candidate for this role working to build a talent pipeline of graduates into a local government. We’ll expect you to work as part of a team to deliver the Impact Finance programme, for graduates who want to become future leaders in public sector finance. To thrive in this role, you will have strong attention to detail, the ability to manage a complex workload, skill in managing systems and processes and the ability to build strong relationships with stakeholders.
The Impact team and the LGA are committed to increasing the diversity of local government, so that it is more representative of the communities it serves. You will be committed to improving equality, diversity and inclusion across our recruitment processes, and you will contribute to ensuring Impact helps us achieve our ambition to provide a diverse pipeline of talented future leaders for local government.
The requirements
You will need to have a sound understanding of local government alongside a track record of successfully managing complex projects. Ideally you will also have experience of managing stakeholders, budgets and procurement processes. The ability to work as part of a team and a positive, ‘can do’ attitude, are essential. Experience of graduate and/or early careers recruitment would be beneficial but is not a requirement.
You will be primarily involved in Impact Finance, but there may also be opportunities to be involved in other Leadership development programmes for councillors and officers, shaping local government’s leadership capacity, both current and future. It’s important that you’re politically aware with the ability to exercise discretion, judgement and confidentiality when dealing with politicians and officers at every level.
You must have the right to work in the UK, the LGA are unfortunately unable to offer sponsorship visas. Evidence for the right to work in the UK will be requested at the interview stage.
To apply
If you would like to be considered for the role, please complete the online form and include a supporting statement detailing how you meet the criteria for the role before the closing date.
We are specifically assessing candidates against the following criteria
1. A broad understanding of local and/or central government and how they work.
2. Experience of managing a complex workload, preparing plans and meeting deadlines and milestones.
3. Experience of successfully delivering multi-stage projects.
4. Excellent interpersonal, influencing and communication skills, with the ability to give clear advice on procedural issues.
5. Experience of managing partnerships with successful outcomes.
6. Commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.
Closing Date: 5pm, Tuesday 16th 2026
Interview Date: 26th and 29th June
We use anonymous recruitment, which is the practice of hiding candidates’ identities. This process involves removing any identifying information from candidates’ applications which includes names.
At the LGA we celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. Our recruitment decisions are based on fair, open competition, with appointment on merit.
The LGA are proud to be awarded a “Disability Confident Leader”. Please contact us via Recruitment@local.gov.uk if you require a reasonable adjustment, which is a change to the format or conditions of the recruitment process to accommodate any disability-related needs you may have.
Our benefits
* LGA annual leave entitlement is 29 days, rising to 31 days after three years’ service and to 33 days after five years’ service, plus all UK public holidays (pro rata for fixed term and part time contracts).*
* Flexible & agile working – office-based staff are required to work in the LGA’s London office two days per week as a minimum, subject to business need and this may vary significantly between different roles and from week to week.
* Future development – face-to-face and virtual courses are scheduled in line with developmental goals
* The LGA offers 24/7 access to a free, confidential employee assistance programme managed by Health Assured. This service is also available for Dependants.
* Family friendly policies
For more of LGA’s benefits and working with us, please view our webpage https://www.local.gov.uk/benefits-and-working-lga
Our values & behaviours
Our Values and Behaviours are there to give us an understanding of who we are as an organisation and who we want to be. They are a framework to help us understand:
* how we work with each other
* how we work with our members and stakeholders
* our expectations for ourselves and each other
Our values are:
Collaboration – We value collaboration, to pursue shared goals by encouraging and utilising diverse perspectives and working with internal and external colleagues across the organisation.
Inclusion – We value inclusion, where everyone feels valued, understood, and supported to contribute meaningfully.
Ambition – We value ambition, reflecting our desire to achieve best possible outcomes for local government, communities, and individuals.
Respect – We value respect, to ensure fairness, recognition, and shared accountability.