Governance Services Officer

Overview

Hackney is one of Britain's most exciting and fastest-changing boroughs. We have changed the reputation, not just of the Council, but of Hackney itself. The challenges that have arisen over the last two years have intensified the need for action and we are determined to rebuild Hackney for, and with, our diverse communities.

Governance Services is looking for an enthusiastic and committed person to join the team to help shape the way that governance is delivered across the whole Council. We are looking for an officer to support the organisation of committee meetings and other governance programmes that directly impact on the meetings through which residents engage with the Council. This is an excellent opportunity for someone who is well organised, has exceptional administrative and communication skills and can work well under pressure to support the whole governance team in a range of activities and special projects.

Responsibilities

• Administering committee meetings, and creating and publishing agendas, minuting meetings and producing decision notices
• Supporting elected Members and organising Member development events and briefings

Qualifications and Skills

• Experience in governance is not essential but would be beneficial
• Good IT skills to support hybrid meetings and to use and maintain systems such as Modern.Gov
• Strong communication and organisational skills
• Ability to understand the Council's Constitution and statutory provisions relating to local authority meetings
• Confident in advising Members of the Council and senior officers on formal council meetings and decision-making processes
• Ability to prioritise own work to meet legal and constitutional deadlines
• Ability to understand complex documents and discussions and to extract, summarise and record the key points
• Experience in managing meetings within a political or governance environment is advantageous but not essential; training will be provided

Additional Information

This post is politically restricted under the Local Government and Housing Act 1989, meaning that the postholder is unable to have any active political role, such as standing for office, canvassing on behalf of a political party or advocating publicly for a political party.

The role is located in the vicinity of the Hackney Town Hall campus, and you would work flexibly from the office in addition to attending evening and late-night meetings.

As a Council, our most outstanding asset is our staff, who are highly dedicated to serving our residents and committed to our goals as an organisation.

We operate a fair and open anonymous selection process. Therefore, we do not accept supporting statements or CVs. To proceed with your application, you will need to create an account and submit your application. You will need to complete a number of competency-based questions as part of the application process to demonstrate your suitability for the role and provide examples of your skills, knowledge and experience outlined in the job description.

We understand the benefits of using AI in the workplace. However, if you are thinking of using this tool to submit your application, we ask you to think about what value it will add. AI tools tend to lack the personal touch and authenticity we value in candidates. We encourage you to showcase your unique knowledge and skills using your own voice.

Closing date for applications: 28 September 2025 (22:59)
Interview and assessment date: W/c 06 October 2025

Hackney Council works to eradicate discrimination on the basis of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation. We also recognise that people can be disadvantaged by their social and economic circumstances, and we welcome applications from disabled people, as this group is currently under represented in our workforce.

The Council has a dedicated employment support service (Hackney Works), which offers Hackney residents guidance in relation to applying for jobs. If you are thinking about applying for a job, please contact the Hackney Works team to find out what support is available: