Programme Support Officers - ICAS

Location: Office or home based

Contract: Fixed term until 31st December 2026

Salary: £38,752 (Including London Weighting)

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.

We value diversity and encourage applications from all sections of the community to this high-profile role.

About the role

We are looking for two Programme Support Officers to join the Improvement, Coordination and Strategy Team. You will play a key role in supporting teams delivering the MHCLG-funded Sector Support Programmes.

We deliver a wide range of programmes that support officers and locally elected councillors to lead their councils and communities. This includes a programme of peer challenges which provides councils with external insight into their operations and performance, as well as expert hands‑on support to help councils improve productivity, efficiency and respond to specific challenges.

In this role, you will provide essential administrative and programme support, including organising in-person and virtual meetings and events across a range of programmes. You will be a key point of contact, overseeing shared inboxes and responding to queries, maintaining accurate records, and supporting procurement and financial activities.

• 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

You can work independently across multiple projects, updating and analysing spreadsheets and producing reports. You are experienced in planning and preparing meetings and events, taking minutes, raising orders and invoices and monitoring budgets. You maintain accurate project records and ensure compliance with corporate policies and processes.

You are a team player who is flexible and able to work with minimal supervision. Highly organised and self-motivated, you can plan and deliver a varied workload. You have strong interpersonal skills and excellent attention to detail.

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:

* Previous administrative experience and knowledge of office systems, software packages including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, email and the internet, ideally gained in a project based environment.

* Strong organisational skills, the ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines with robust attention to detail.

* Excellent written skills, with the ability to accurately summarise and convey complex information.

* Good interpersonal skills, with the ability to deal with members, colleagues and external partners with courtesy, tact and sensitivity, the ability to exercise discretion, judgement, and confidentiality, and to demonstrate political neutrality at all times.

* Excellent oral and influencing skills, with the ability to give clear advice on procedural issues.

* A collaborative and flexible approach, with a “can-do” attitude.

To help us anonymise applications efficiently, please ensure your CV meets the following formatting requirements:

* Please use standard fonts such as Arial, Times New Roman, or Calibri

* Avoid complex graphics, logos, or images where possible

* Keep formatting simple – use basic bullet points and standard paragraph formatting

* Save your CV as a standard PDF file

* Ensure the file size is under 5MB

* Avoid unusual page layouts or multi-column designs

* Use standard text colours (e.g., black, or dark grey)

CVs that do not meet these guidelines may not be processed correctly by our system.

Closing Date: 5pm, Friday 5 June 2026

Interview Date: W/C 15 June 2026

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.ukif 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.