Scrutiny Officer

The starting salary for this role is £36,989 per annum based on a 36-hour working week.

This role is open to remote working meaning you aren't required in the office 5 days a week. We’re less about you driving to work and more about us collectively driving down our carbon footprint. We care about how you work rather than where you work; the people rather than the postcode. In support of our people and our greener futures strategies, we’d welcome a conversation with the successful candidate on what remote working may look like for you!

We have a great opportunity for a Scrutiny Officer to join our Democratic Services, that will put you at the heart of Surrey County Council’s strategic decision making processes!

In this role, you’ll be working with a wide variety of Members, Senior Officers and residents from across Surrey society on high profile work to drive improvement in public services. You will gain unique experience of political processes in a County Council, develop your research, report writing and political awareness skills as well as benefiting from regular training.

We’re a flexible, friendly team, used to working together to solve problems and coming up with new ideas. Our work can be high profile and subject to pressure so we always aim to support one another and share our knowledge and experience.

About the role

Working in the Council’s Democratic Services, you will provide support and guidance to Members in their local, strategic and civic roles. The role will involve day-to-day contact with County Councillors and senior officers in organising committee business.

This is a challenging and varied post where your contribution will be key! You will be managing and co-ordinating the work of one of the Council's scrutiny committees plus the Surrey Police and Crime Panel. This will include planning inquiries, carrying out research and collecting evidence, drafting reports and briefing papers, advising on policy options, and providing procedural advice to Members and officers. In addition to this you will also be responsible for managing task groups linked to the Council's select committees.

Here are the qualities, skills and experiences we are looking for in our Scrutiny Officer:

• Excellent communication, negotiation and influencing skills
• Strong political awareness and the ability to analyse problems and issues
• Ability to manage a diverse workload to deadlines and agreed procedures
• Ability to translate complex information into clear, concise reports

You will also need sound judgement, political sensitivity and a creative, innovative approach to the job.

At Surrey, our values and behaviours are just as important as our skills and abilities. They shape who we are as an organisation. Find out more about the values we follow.

For more information please find the full job description below and refer to this before submitting your application. We also invite you to read our Life at Surrey handbook to see insights of the culture at Surrey and how as a valued employee, you can help shape our Council.

The job advert closes at 23:59 on 23rd April 2023.

Interviews will take place week commencing 24th April 2023.

This post has been designated as a politically restricted post in accordance with the Local Government and Housing Act 1989.

Contact Details

For an informal discussion please contact Ross Pike, Scrutiny Business Manager, on 07805 803 593 or by e-mail at ross.pike@surreycc.gov.uk.

We look forward to receiving your application, please click on the apply online button below to submit.

Benefits

From flexible working to job sharing we are committed to providing a healthy work life balance. You will benefit from 26 days' annual leave, rising to 28 days after 2 years' service, a generous local government salary related pension, as well as the option to join our car lease scheme. For more information about the wide variety of benefits you can take advantage of please visit MyBenefits for Surrey County Council staff.

Our Commitment

Surrey County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We want to be an inclusive and diverse employer of first choice reflecting the community we serve and particularly welcome applications from all under represented groups.