Senior Democratic Services Officer

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Please apply online by clicking the link below

There has never been a more exciting time to join Wirral Council. We’ve got ambitious targets to meet and to achieve everything we have promised to our residents; we need people who are ready to deliver the very best for our communities and show how they can #BeTheDifference. Our vision is to secure the best possible future for our residents, defined by the community prosperity we create and supported by our excellent people and services. If you strive to #BeTheDifference and want to be at the heart of our change and improvement journey, then this could be the perfect job for you.

Wirral Councils Law and Corporate Services directorate is committed to delivering robust and effective democratic processes. The Corporate Office supports elected Members, senior officers, and the wider community by ensuring decision-making is transparent, efficient, and compliant with legislation.

The Role

As Senior Democratic Services Officer, you will support the Principal Democratic Services Officer in all aspects of committee and democratic functions. You will provide administrative support for Council and Committee meetings, decision-making processes, and appeals, while contributing to the modernisation and improvement of democratic services.

This role requires excellent organisational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to advise on governance, legislation, and constitutional matters.

Key Responsibilities

• Compile, draft, and publish agendas for Council and Committee meetings
• Attend meetings, take accurate minutes, and publish decisions
• Manage and maintain Committee work programmes, arranging meetings and briefings as required
• Advise Members, officers, and external stakeholders on Council policy, procedures, legislation, and governance
• Provide clerking support for statutory independent panels (admission and exclusion appeals)
• Support scrutiny projects and contribute to service improvement initiatives
• Assist with consultations, strengthening relationships with stakeholders and residents
• Provide project management support to the Electoral Services Team for elections and referenda
• Maintain accurate records and ensure compliance with statutory requirements and best practice

Candidate Requirements

• English Language to A-Level standard (or equivalent) and GCSE Mathematics (A¿C grade or equivalent)
• Knowledge of local government law, procedures, and committee democratic processes
• Experience of local authority committee administration, minute drafting, and report writing
• Strong communication skills, both oral and written, with sensitivity to political issues
• Excellent organisational and time management skills, able to prioritise workloads and meet strict deadlines
• Experience of working with Councillors, senior officers, and external stakeholders
• Ability to analyse complex issues and provide clear conclusions
• Competent IT skills, including Microsoft Office; experience with Modern.gov desirable
• Willingness to attend evening meetings and work flexibly, including weekends

Interviews to be held on the 23rd January 2026

For an informal discussion about the role or any queries, please contact Daphne Courtnage at daphnecourtenage@wirral.gov.uk

If you are a Wirral resident, are unemployed or out of work, and require help with your application, please contact Involve Northwest’s employment and skills team on info@involvenorthwest.org.uk or contact 0151 644 4500 or 0151 652 4349.

If you’re already a Wirral Council employee, as part of our Talent Strategy, we’re committed to strengthening opportunities for our people to learn, grow, progress and thrive. For many of you, this may be preparing and applying for your next role with us, and we're passionate about ensuring you feel supported throughout your internal recruitment experience.

Please get in touch if you want to know more about some of the ways in which we could support you by emailing recruitment@wirral.gov.uk

Working at Wirral

You’ll also want to know what it’s like to work here so, as a start:

Our values are more than just pieces of paper on our walls! We’ve all played a role in developing these, so they reflect the immense pride we have in what we do, what matters to us, what inspires us and inform how we think, approach things and behave.

We believe in ensuring staff are well looked after, staff wellbeing is a priority for us. We’re serious about recognising and rewarding people for the great things they do. You’ll benefit from our track record of developing, growing and investing in our people.

We have a range of staff benefits including staff discounts, an excellent pension scheme which includes a generous employer contribution rate, immediate life cover and ill-health protection. We have a strong flexible working approach, hybrid working, family-friendly employment initiatives and an annual leave package starting with 28 days leave plus public holidays.

We have an inclusive, engaged culture, everyone has a voice, everyone is valued for their contribution and understands the role they play in delivering our strategic priorities.

Each voice is heard, each contribution valued. We embrace diversity in our workforce and recognise it is critical to our success. We support an inclusive culture that champions difference and nurtures a sense of belonging. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds, who share our values and our commitment to inclusion to apply for roles with us.

We want you to be your best at work, we create the conditions to help you thrive and we mirror this in our recruitment process. If you’d like us to do anything differently during the recruitment process to make it barrier-free and as accessible as possible please contact recruitment@wirral.gov.uk

Please note that in accordance with the Council’s policy, employees who are in a formal redeployment situation will be considered in the first instance for all vacancies.

It is Council policy not to re-appoint any employee who has left under the terms of the Council's Early Voluntary Retirement (EVR) scheme or who have left with a voluntary severance (VS) package, unless in exceptional circumstances.

Applications will be accepted until midnight on the closing date.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy earlier than the specified date should we receive sufficient applications.

Applications can only be accepted through the Jobs page following registration. Forms received via the post will not be processed.

All applicants invited to interview must evidence their right to work in the UK. Details of required documents can be found by clicking the link at the bottom of the Jobs page.

The job description and other supporting documents will not be accessible once the vacancy closing date has passed so if a copy is required you should download it now.

We do not accept applications or CV’s from recruitment agencies, unless otherwise stated. Therefore, any candidates submitted via a recruitment agency will not be considered for this role.