We are looking to recruit a capable and enthusiastic Political Group Officer to support the Liberal Democrat Group, its Leader and Members in discharging their function as Members of the Council until May 2027. The Liberal Democrat Group holds 10 of the 42 seats on the Council.

You will need to build and manage relationships with Members and senior officers and work under the direction of the Group Leadership to proactively manage, plan and prioritise the work of the Group Office.

The key duties of the role include:

• Responsibility for research, analysis, briefings and providing media and social media support to the Liberal Democrat Group.
• Arranging and attending meetings of the Group and associated bodies, including preparing agendas, draft reports, minutes and newsletters.
• Assisting in the preparation of speeches, presentations, Council motions and amendments.
• Conducting analysis and research of Council documents and reports, and those of external organisations, to brief and advise the Group accordingly.

The postholder must have excellent interpersonal skills, show discretion and have political awareness. You will need to be flexible and proactive, able to manage competing priorities under pressure. The successful candidate is likely to have previous research experience (preferably in local government); experience of dealing with elected members, senior officers and the public; and practical experience/knowledge of local government services.

You will be supporting Members at relevant Group, Council and committee meetings which are usually held in the evenings. We support flexible working and there will be opportunities to work remotely at times, subject to the support needs of the Group.

While the post is advertised as full time, we would welcome applications from candidates on a part-time basis of 3 days per week.