Do you have experience in Democratic Services and have excellent organisational skills?

Our district is already a special place. We are looking for candidates that will help us improve it, making it an even better place to live, learn, do business and enjoy. To do this successfully, we need to remember its rich cultural and economic heritage and to build on the area as an aspirational place with a reputation for nurturing amazing people. We want the Forest of Dean district to be a place where residents have a fantastic work-life balance and feel secure in their communities – creating a draw for industry to nestle amongst the wild spaces. A modern, connected Forest with deep roots. So join us to celebrate this wonderful area; its towns, its communities, and help them thrive, by delivering good quality well paid jobs, enhancing our education provision, improving housing options and the social mobility of our young people.

About the role…

Publica is a unique place to work – we’re a local government organisation with a twist!

We have an exciting opportunity for a Strategic Support Officer to be part of our busy team in Coleford. You will be responsible for ensuring the smooth operation of council meetings. As a key part of our democratic services function you’ll provide support for officers and members, including the publication of reports and agendas, taking minutes and hosting virtual meetings to increase public engagement.

This role will cover the Forest of Dean. Within the District, there are plenty of places to see and visit whether you love hiking or cycling. With our agile working ethos: you will be spoilt for choice.

Please note we will consider applications from candidates looking for full time and part time basis for this role.

You will need…

• GCSEs (5 A-Cs or equivalent, including Maths and English
  
• Good level of IT skills and aptitude to learn bespoke package

Special Conditions…

• Ability to travel
• This post designated as politically restricted in accordance with the Local Government and Housing Act 1989. Politically restricted post holders are restricted from canvassing on behalf of a political party or for a person who is, or seeks to be, a candidate for election to a local authority, the House of Commons, or the European Parliament

For more information about this role please see the Job Description/Person Specification.

You will be employed by Publica Group Ltd which was created by four partner Councils (Forest of Dean District Council,West Oxfordshire District Council, Cotswold District Council, and Cheltenham Borough Council) to deliver more efficient and improved services.

Publica is a unique place to work – we are a local government organisation with a twist! Publica wants to transform the way local services are delivered. To help do this we have started to fundamentally rethink the way we design our services in the digital era so that Publica is a customer-focused organisation driven by real user needs.

What can we do for you…

• 
  Agile working allowing a mix of home and office working
• Flexible working arrangements (depending on the role)
• 26 days paid annual leave (pro rata if you are working part time) plus bank holidays and an extra two volunteering days off a year for you to support a charity of your choice
• Health cash plan giving you cash back on health, dental and eye care
• Pension scheme with a good employer contribution of 5% of your earnings
• Employee Assistance Programme 24/7, providing positive, preventative and supportive advice and counselling to deal with everyday events and issues
• Cycle to work scheme
• Salary sacrifice car lease scheme with huge tax and NI savings to be made on electric cars
• Access to digital financial advice (covering your pension scheme, mortgages and other finances)
• Generous sickness cover above statutory entitlements
• Additional income protection, covering 50% of your salary for potentially a further five years if you are unable to work due to sickness or injury
• Life assurance, currently four times your annual salary

These are just a handful of the benefits that you can enjoy when you join us!

To apply for this position please click on \"apply now\" within this page to complete an application form and supporting statement together with your CV. Please tell us about your skills, knowledge, qualifications, experience and how they meet the criteria listed above and in the job description/person specification. It’s important that we’re a good fit for each other, so let us know what’s important to you and why you want to work for Publica Group Ltd. Your CV will not be available to the hiring manager unless you are shortlisted for interview to assist with our non-biased screening process so please ensure you complete the application form in full.

It is important that our staff reflect the diversity of our community, and we therefore welcome and encourage applications from people of all genders and sexual orientation, those from Black, Asian, and other minority ethnic backgrounds, and those with disabilities.

Accredited of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy/ies - Please state this within your covering statement or in a separate email.

Safer recruitment practices are applied to all job vacancies. Successful candidates will be required to complete a pre-employment medical questionnaire; provide references; proof of identity; nationality and immigration status; three years’ employment or education history (if applicable) and, in some cases, verification of criminal record.