Principal Democratic Services Officer

Grade F to H scp 17 £31,022 to scp 31 £41,771 pay award pending
Contract: permanent x2
Hours: 37 per week
Essential qualification: Degree or equivalent qualification
Interview date: 10 August 2026
For further information about this role, contact: Vicky.ridge@bolton.gov.uk

Unfortunately, we are unable to offer sponsorship for this role.

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The Role

Bolton Council is seeking to recruit two Principal Democratic Services Officers on a career grade ranging from Grade F to Grade H. We are looking to appoint one experienced Democratic Services professional at Grade H and one entry-level candidate who is keen to develop a career in local government governance and democratic services.

This is an excellent opportunity to work at the heart of local democracy, supporting the effective delivery of the Council's decision-making processes and ensuring that all statutory and procedural requirements are met.

In this role, you will provide high-quality administrative and advisory support to a wide range of council meetings, including Council, Cabinet, Committees, Panels and School Admission Appeals.

You will be responsible for preparing agendas and reports, attending meetings, recording decisions, producing accurate minutes and ensuring that follow-up actions are completed in a timely manner. As your experience develops, you will gain the knowledge and confidence to advise elected members and officers on democratic processes, the Council's Constitution and relevant legislation.

About You

We are looking for highly organised individuals with excellent written and verbal communication skills who can build effective working relationships with councillors, officers and members of the public. You will be able to manage competing priorities, work to tight deadlines and maintain a high level of accuracy and attention to detail.

You will have strong ICT skills and the ability to learn new systems quickly, together with an understanding of local government and democratic processes or a willingness to develop this knowledge. You should be comfortable working independently and as part of a team and demonstrate a commitment to continuous professional development.

For the Grade H post, you will have significant experience of Democratic Services, committee administration and governance processes, together with experience of using committee management systems, particularly Modern.Gov (Mod.Gov). You will be confident in providing procedural advice and managing meetings with minimal supervision.

The nature of the role requires flexibility, and you will be expected to attend evening and occasional weekend meetings as part of the service requirement. This post is politically restricted in accordance with legislation.

Career progression
These posts are offered on a career grade from Grade F to Grade H, and successful candidates will be appointed at the grade that reflects their current skills, knowledge and experience. Candidates with substantial relevant experience, including Democratic Services and Mod.Gov experience, may be appointed at Grade H, while those new to the profession will typically be appointed at Grade F and supported to progress through the career grade through training, development and the achievement of agreed competencies.

About Us

This is your opportunity to join us at an exciting time as we have strong ambitions for the borough.

Bolton is a great place to work. We are a welcoming organisation that wants to contribute to a place where people feel active, connected and prosperous. We are passionate about improving the outcomes and experience of Bolton people. We want Bolton to be a vibrant place built on strong cohesive communities, successful businesses and healthy, engaged residents.

As an employer we want to thank our employees for their hard work and commitment, by giving them the opportunity to access a range of exclusive rewards and benefits, including discounts and exclusive gym membership prices and salary sacrifice schemes. In addition, we offer a generous annual leave allowance, flexible work opportunities, access to a Pension Scheme, as well as a range of employee wellbeing and support services.

Our Values are really important to us, read all about them below, along with all our great staff benefits, the job description/person specification for the role and the important legal bits, and our Top Tips too.

Ready to apply? Then please click Apply and upload your anonymised CV and supporting statement discussing your relevant skills and experience and explain how you believe they make you a strong fit for this role.

Within Greater Manchester, local authorities have made a commitment to improve the employment opportunities for people with disabilities, care leavers, carers, and ex-military personnel. Please see greater.jobs for further information before you apply.

This post is a designated customer facing role under the fluency duty and requires a specified level of spoken English as per the person specification.

This organisation has signed up to the Greater Manchester Continuous Service Commitment. That means we will recognise your continuous or ‘unbroken’ service in any Greater Manchester local authority or NHS organisation that has signed the commitment, Transport for Greater Manchester, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service or Greater Manchester Combined Authority, giving you access to our service-related benefits. Please see the home page of greater.jobs for more information.

For more information about working for Bolton Council, please see greater.jobs; for advice and support with your application, contact recruitment@bolton.gov.uk