Democratic Services Officer

Fixed Term, Part Time

£30,295 up to £35,641 per annum (full time equivalent)

Location: Chelmsford

Closing Date: 8th July 2026

Please note this vacancy is available as a fixed term contract or secondment opportunity for up to 12 months

Please note this is a part time position working 29.6 hours per week. The pro rata salary will be £24,236.00 up to £28,512.80 per annum – Job share and other working patterns will be considered.

To read more about our business area, please visit:

Corporate Services

The Opportunity

The role of Democratic Services is to deliver effective and high quality member support, committee administration, appeals, election and induction processes and to promote community engagement and understanding of the democratic processes of the Council.

This role operates in the political environment of the authority and requires an understanding of the need for tact and diplomacy alongside a requirement to be accurate in work delivered. The Democratic Services Officer is important to the effective delivery of the democratic process across the Council.

This role will directly provide day to day support to support members of a group. You will be a member of the wider Democracy Team and as such will be multi disciplinary in all aspects of the service provided to support the democratic process.

Accountabilities

Efficient and effective at undertaking essential work within the function. This role is accountable for:
Providing exceptional service delivery by maintaining high standards of quality and quantity of work
Working collaboratively within the function to deliver the best possible outcomes for our customers
Maintain and nurture collaborative relationships in all day to day activity
Continually meet improved levels of service quality
Effective utilisation of digital technologies and innovation within the role
Factors equality and diversity into all daily activities
Factor in risk management as part of daily activities
Maintain a reputation for delivering exemplar customer interactions

The Experience You Will Bring

Educated to an A-level standard including English and Maths at Grade ‘C’ and above or equivalent by experience

Evidence of continuing professional development and good knowledge in a political or policy environment and Local Government.

Good experience of providing administration support and servicing of high level meetings including writing minutes.

Excellent ICT skills including Microsoft applications and specialist systems. Experience of a Committee Management system is desirable.

Good organisational skills and an ability to work to tight deadlines, prioritise own work, use own initiative and be self motivating.

Excellent interpersonal and organisational skills, with the ability to work to tight deadlines and prioritise own workload.

Experience of working in a sensitive political environment with the ability to be tactful and diplomatic..

Experience of conducting research and working on projects.

Why Essex?

As one of the largest and most dynamic UK local authorities, Essex offers a stimulating public service environment. Covering over 1,420 square miles and serving 1.8 million residents, we’re committed to transformational change and delivering better quality at lower cost. Recognised in the top three of the latest IMPOWER index for productivity, we ensure everyone matters in Everyone's Essex. With flexible working options and a focus on innovation, whether you are looking to develop your career or contribute to the local community, Essex is the ideal place for you.

In March 2026, the Government announced that councils in Greater Essex will be reorganised into five new unitary authorities from April 2028. In addition to this, Greater Essex has been accepted on to the devolution priority programme, where we will work towards establishing a Mayoral Combined County Authority. You can read more about these changes, and what this may mean for this role, on our careers site.

Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We’re committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process. We’re also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.

Once you’ve secured your role within Essex County Council you will receive many great employee benefits, including support for unpaid carers and flexible working arrangements to accommodate their needs.

At Essex County Council, we value integrity and ethical behaviour. We kindly ask that you embrace our code of conduct and the Nolan principles, including throughout the recruitment process. Your commitment to these standards helps us maintain a positive and respectful workplace for everyone.

As part of employment with Essex County Council (ECC) should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate. This is an annual subscription, and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained. For further information on the DBS update service please go to https://www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

If you would like to be kept up to date on other relevant opportunities, blogs, news, events and industry related news at Essex County Council, please join The Essex Talent Community

If you have queries on this role or require anything further, please email resourcing.team@essex.gov.uk

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