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Southwark is one of London’s most diverse and innovative boroughs. The council works in a complex political, social and economic environment, with decisions being made every day that affect residents, communities, partners and local services.

Our democratic and political support functions play an important role in making sure elected members are properly supported, well briefed and able to carry out their roles effectively. This includes supporting meetings, correspondence, policy work, research and engagement with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders.

We’re looking for a Group Support Officer to join the Labour Group Office and provide practical, organised and politically sensitive support to the Leader of the Group, Shadow Cabinet and wider Group members.

*Please note this is a 4 year fixed term contract*

About the role

This is a varied support role working in the Labour Group Office. Reporting to the Political Officer, you’ll work closely with elected members and council colleagues to make sure the Group Office runs smoothly and provides effective support across a range of priorities.

You’ll help organise meetings, prepare papers, take minutes, coordinate follow-up actions and support the flow of information between members, officers and external contacts. You’ll also help manage correspondence, briefings, schedules, records and other day-to-day activity that supports the work of the Group.

This isn’t a routine administrative role. You’ll be working in a political environment where priorities can change quickly, information can be sensitive, and judgement matters. You’ll need to be organised, discreet and able to manage several pieces of work at the same time.

Key responsibilities include:

• Supporting the Leader of the Group, Shadow Cabinet and wider Group members with meetings, briefings, correspondence and follow-up activity
• Organising internal and external meetings, including preparation, minute taking and sharing actions or information afterwards
• Carrying out research and analysis to support policy development and Group priorities
• Producing clear reports, briefings and presentation materials for different audiences
• Working with council officers, elected members, MPs, voluntary organisations, statutory bodies and community representatives where needed

What we're looking for

We’re looking for someone who’s organised, thoughtful and confident working in a political or public sector environment.

You’ll need to be flexible, discreet and able to use your initiative. Just as importantly, you’ll need to be comfortable working with confidential information and handling contact with people at different levels.

You’ll have a good understanding of current social, political and economic issues affecting local government and public services. You’ll also be comfortable carrying out research, interpreting information and turning it into clear written material.

You’ll need to be able to write clearly and concisely, especially when dealing with complex or sensitive topics. You’ll also need good IT skills, including word processing, spreadsheets and presentation software, and the ability to use technology to support the work of the Group Office.

To be considered please detail the following experience in your application:

• Carrying out research and analysis
• Writing reports, briefings or presentation materials for different audiences
• Supporting meetings, correspondence and follow-up activity
• Working collaboratively with colleagues, elected members or stakeholders
• Managing deadlines and delivering agreed pieces of work with minimal supervision

Additional Information

Guaranteed Interview Scheme:

As part of our commitment to inclusion, we offer guaranteed interviews for specific groups of people. To qualify, you'll need to meet the minimum requirements for the role, and identify with one of the below criteria:

• Members of the Armed Forces and veterans
• Are currently in care, or have previously been in care
• If you consider yourself to be disabled or if you have a long-term health condition

We are an organisation who is passionate about our people and understands that richness of diversity is a requirement to provide the best possible services to our communities. This is demonstrated through our council-wide ambitious commitment to tackle racial inequality in our communities and workforce through our Southwark Stands Together programme. We particularly welcome applications from members of the Black, Asian and ethnic minority communities to increase representation at senior management level in the Council.

Benefits and more information:

In your role, we want you to feel supported, challenged and rewarded. You will benefit from our family-friendly policies including flexible working, home working, and a local government pension scheme, plus many other staff benefits. You will join a motivated, driven and supportive team that strives for excellence and values its members. You will also be part of a successful and high-achieving development team that is making a real difference to the lives of residents in the borough. For more information about the wide variety of benefits you can take advantage of please visit our Staff Benefits page.

Attachments

• Group Support Officer - Job Description & Person Specification.docx