Democratic Services Officer

Grade: Grade: PO2 £42,771 - £45,750 Full time – Fixed term (12 Months) Closing Date: Fri 16/10/2026 Directorate: Resources Organisation : London Borough of Waltham Forest Salary: PO2 £42,771 - £45,750 Contract Type: Full time – Fixed term (12 Months) Working hours per week: 36 including some evenings Application Deadline: 16/10/2026 Proposed Interview Date(s): TBC Reference: 2344 About Us: Bursting with culture, energy, and opportunity, the London Borough of Waltham Forest is a fantastic and exciting place to work. We are a highly ambitious borough. Driven by culture and the innate creativity of our residents, we have developed new and innovative ways to build our communities. Our Council is relentlessly resident-focused, insight-led, digitally driven and commercially minded; a Council focused on meeting the needs of our existing and future residents. London Borough of Waltham Forest is one of the Mayor of London’s Good Work Standard employers. This accreditation is a proof of our commitment to creating a healthy, fair and inclusive workplace. This includes fair pay and conditions, workplace well-being, skills and progression and diversity and recruitment. The Council’s preference is for online application. However, if you have a disability and are unable to complete an online application, please email recruitment@walthamforest.gov.uk so we can arrange an alternative application method. About the role: This role sits within Democratic Services team and works at the heart of the council’s decision-making process supporting our committees, councillors, and residents. You will work closely with councillors and senior officers to ensure that decisions are properly taken and that the council is held to account by its scrutiny committees and residents. This is a fantastic opportunity to bring your experience, skills and ideas to support the political governance of the Council and make a real difference to people’s lives. This is a fixed-term position, anticipated to last for 12 months. However, applicants should be aware that the duration of the contract may be subject to change. The contract may be terminated with appropriate notice in accordance with the terms of employment. >> Click here to download the Role Profile << Key Responsibilities: Supporting committees and other council meetings Preparing agendas, reports and minutes Providing advice to councillors and officers Helping residents, partners and others access the democratic process Developing briefings and advice on policy matters for councillors and senior leaders Qualifications and Requirements: To be considered for this position, you should meet the following requirements: Experience supporting committees or governance processes Strong planning and organisational skills Experience of providing services to senior leaders (councillors and officers) in a fast paced, political environment with resilience in the face of contradicting priorities and demanding workload Experience of writing high quality communications, including briefings, minutes and committee reports Excellent interpersonal and presentational skills, with proven ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of audiences. Good understanding of the context in which Waltham Forest Borough Council operates, including major issues facing local government, key stakeholders and relevant national policy context. Terms and conditions: Satisfactory employment references; Satisfactory declaration of interest; This post is politically restricted therefore the post holder is disqualified from undertaking certain political activities under the Local Government Officers (Political Restrictions) Regulations 1990. As a public authority, we must ensure that members of staff in public-facing roles are able to speak fluent English. This means that they must have a command of spoken English, with confidence and accuracy, sufficient for the effective performance of their role. This requirement does not refer to any partic