Governance Officer

About the role

A unique opportunity to join Democratic Services and influence one of the largest unitary Councils

North Northamptonshire Council is an ambitious, exciting, innovative and supportive place to work. The Council is committed to focused service delivery to improve the lives of our residents. Following local government reform, we are well on our way into our transformation journey to deliver excellent services in an inclusive and creative environment where ideas are encouraged alongside a commitment to staff development.

The Council has an ambitious growth agenda, securing significant levelling up funding to support regeneration projects and an overall revenue and capital budget of £431 million. The Council is proud to have delivered a balanced budget and despite the challenging financial position nationally is as a result, able to remain focused on delivery of its objectives.

We operate an Executive governance model and have invested in our Democratic Services team to support delivery of the Council's priorities.

We are committed to supporting your professional development in the field of governance. This role offers a unique opportunity to work at the heart of the Council’s decision-making processes, ensuring transparency, accountability and compliance with statutory requirements. You will play a key role in shaping how the Council operates, influencing policy and procedure and supporting elected members to deliver effective and lawful governance.

What will you be doing?

To provide comprehensive committee administrative support to the Council’s decision-making processes, providing advice, support and guidance to members, officers and the public where appropriate.

Principal responsibilities

• To provide a comprehensive committee administration service to the Council in support of the decision-making process including compiling and circulating agendas, drafting minutes etc.
• To assist in maintaining a register of decision making and maintenance of the Forward Plan, internal forward plans and similar as required.
• Updating information on Mod.Gov or similar software, ensuring that information is circulated and or accessible to members, officers and the public as required by statute and local preference.
• To utilise and administer virtual meeting technology as required.
• To provide advice and guidance to members, officers and the public in relation to the Council’s decision-making processes and governance issues.
• To ensure venues and meeting rooms are booked and housekeeping arrangements for such meetings are in place.
• To ensure the efficient operation of the approved Public Participation Policy of the Council as detailed in the Council’s Constitution.
• Under direction, to assist in providing training to members and officers in relation to the decision-making processes of the Council.
• To provide support to the Head of Democratic Services and the Democratic Services section in other duties commensurate with the grading of the post and subject to the skills and abilities required.
• To assist, under the direction of the Executive or Committee Manager, the preparation and delivery of Executive or committee work programmes and individual reports throughout their lifecycle, ensuring liaison with lead officers, and to provide impartial advice and guidance to members as required.
• To assist, under the direction of the Executive or Committee Manager, report authors in the preparation of their reports throughout the lifecycle from drafting to decision stages, providing advice and guidance on report management processes.

General responsibilities applicable to all jobs

• Demonstrate awareness/understanding of equal opportunities and other people’s behavioural, physical, social and welfare needs.
• Comply with the Council’s policies and procedures including (but not limited to) safeguarding, financial regulations, promotion of equalities, customer care, agreed audit actions and health and safety (ensuring that reasonable care is taken at all times for the health, safety and welfare of yourself and other persons).
• Carry out any other duties which fall within the broad spirit, scope and purpose of this job description and which are commensurate with the grade of the post.

Politically Restricted Post

Under the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 this post is classified as a politically restricted or sensitive post. Holders of such posts are disqualified from seeking election to or being a member of the House of Commons, the European Parliament, or a Local Authority, other than a Parish Council.

Other special features of the job

Meetings of councillors are held both during the day and in the evening, so there will be a requirement to attend evening meetings as part of this role, indicatively once or twice a month although frequency will be subject to change in accordance with individual work commitments.

Ability to travel independently to meeting venues around North Northamptonshire.

If this sounds like a job for you, we would love to hear from you. The closing date for applications is 8th February 2026. In-person interviews will be scheduled for 2nd March and 4th March 2026.

If you would like to have a discussion about the role, please contact David Pope, Executive Manager, on 01536 805571.

Please refer to the attached job description for full details of job responsibilities

About you

If you are:

• Educated to at least A Level or equivalent.
• Ability to prepare clear and concise minutes, reports and decision-notices.
• Ability to advise to a high level on constitutional matters, governance procedures and democratic processes
• Tactful and diplomatic, with the ability to deal with sensitive and confidential information

We would love to hear from you

Our Benefits

Here at North Northamptonshire Council, we’re transforming for the better, using all our creativity and imagination to create the best life for our local people.

You’ll find that we have a wide range of careers that may be more surprising than you think!

Why choose us?

We offer a vibrant working environment with:

• a competitive salary
• a pension scheme, where we pay a significant contribution on top of your contribution. It provides life cover and ill-health protection.
• lots of opportunities to develop your skills, knowledge and potential in a large unitary council
• generous leave entitlement (28 days, rising to 33 days) and bank holidays, plus the option to buy up to an extra 10 days
• hybrid and flexible working arrangements, where practicable for service needs to help you with a healthy work-life balance.

We provide a range of great benefits such as an Employee Assistance Programme, an Employee Benefits Scheme, wellbeing support, travel rates at HMRC rates, as well as supporting a range of active Employee Network Groups.

About us

Our Values and Behaviours

Our values define who we are and how we operate, by forming the foundation for how we interact with our customers, colleagues and provide our services. They are also at the forefront of our decision making and delivery and are:

Customer-focused
Respectful
Efficient
Supportive
Trustworthy

Our key commitments help ensure that the priorities we make, now and in the future, maintain the necessary breadth of focus in those areas that we believe matter most.

Disability Confident Employer

We are proud to be a recognised Disability Confident Employer and is committed to providing an inclusive recruitment process and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role.

Our Employment and Disability Service provides bespoke support to individuals facing barriers to employment, helping them work towards their goals to start, stay and succeed in employment. For further information please click here The Employment and Disability Service (EADS) | North Northamptonshire Council

Armed Forces Community

The council obtained the Gold status award for the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS).

Further information can be found at Jobs and careers | North Northamptonshire Council (northnorthants.gov.uk)