This role has a starting salary of £38,746 per annum, based on a 36-hour working week. We are excited to be hiring a new Scrutiny Officer to join our fantastic Democratic Services team. The team is based in Woodhatch Place, Reigate and the role is right at the heart of the council's political and strategic decision making. This is a hybrid role, and the Council operates an agile working policy. You will be expected to be in the office on average one to two days per week and there will be opportunity to work flexibly from different locations according to business need around this. Rewards and Benefits 26 days' holiday (prorated for part time staff), rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 30 days after 5 years' service Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave An extensive Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing Up to 5 days of carer's leave per year Paternity, adoption and dependents leave A generous local government salary related pension Lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, shopping and many more 2 paid volunteering days plus 1 team volunteering day per year Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources About the Team We're a flexible, friendly team used to working together to solve problems and come 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 This role is based in the heart of Surrey's democracy. It involves working with Cabinet Members, Committee Chairmen and Senior Officers on a daily basis, managing the business of the Council's select committees which hold the Executive and decision-makers to account. Effective scrutiny helps secure the efficient delivery of public services, drives improvements within the authority itself and is fundamentally important to the successful functioning of local democracy. 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. 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, developing the Committee's forward work plan and developing its lines of enquiry. Shortlisting Criteria To be considered for shortlisting for this position, your application will clearly evidence the following: 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 Knowledge of government and politics You will also need sound judgement, political sensitivity and a creative, innovative approach to the job. Please note that this post is politically restricted. The job advert closes at 23:59 on 05/05/2024 with interviews planned for the week commencing 13/05/2024. Our Commitment Surrey County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. A guaranteed interview will be offered to all disabled applications where: The candidate has evidenced the minimum criteria for the role through their application The candidate has chosen to share that they have a disability on the application form Our application form and onboarding process will provide an opportunity to request any reasonable adjustments for the interview and/or the role. We want to be an inclusive and diverse employer reflecting the community we serve and particularly welcome applications from all underrepresented groups.