The LGA is the national voice of local government. We work with councils to support, promote and improve local government.
We are a politically-led, cross-party organisation that works on behalf of councils to ensure local government has a strong, credible voice with national government. We aim to influence and set the political agenda on the issues that matter to councils so they are able to deliver local solutions to national problems. The LGA provides a range of practical support to enable councils to exploit the opportunities that ‘sector-led improvement’ provides. There has never been a more exciting time to work for us.
About the region and the role
One year fixed term contract or secondment opportunity
Home-based (expected to be based in the South West, or in close proximity, and able to travel to all parts of the region as required)
Supporting 41 local authorities and 5 fire and rescue authorities in the South West, a diverse and dynamic region including cities, rural and coastal communities stretching from Gloucestershire in the north to Cornwall in the far south and Swindon and Dorset in the east.
We are seeking an enthusiastic Adviser to be part of the Local Government Support (LGS) Team. This is an opportunity to work with support, promote and improve local government in the South West and provide direct support to the LGA’s peer challenge programme.
Reporting to the Principal Adviser (South West) you will develop, commission and deliver improvement support to councils. Working closely with the Programme Manager you will also provide research and analysis, co-ordinate promotional activity, and carry out stakeholder engagement to support the national peer challenge programme.
This is great opportunity for someone who is passionate and knowledgeable about local government and wants to be personally involved in supporting improvement in councils, as well as helping to maintain and develop a high profile national programme that is a critical part of the LGA’s Sector-Led Improvement offer.
You will help design and deliver projects as part of that support offer, and develop and maintain relationships, partnerships and networks. You will help maintain promotional materials, and be responsible for collating and analysing a range of data including the demand for peer challenges and client feedback, and producing high quality briefings and reports that will inform the future development of the programme.
We need someone with an enquiring mind, who loves to research and find out about current practice and innovation in the sector and is able to produce clear and concise reports and briefings.
You will need to have a good understanding of local government and the challenges it faces. Experience of successful project management is essential, as are great communication and organisational skills and the ability to pull together briefings from a range of data sources and draw out the key issues. You will also need to have good analytical skills and be comfortable working on range of different projects concurrently. Also required is experience of organising and facilitating workshops or events. Practical experience of local government improvement activity would be advantageous. You will need to be politically savvy and able to work with political sensitivity and discretion, gaining the confidence of senior officers and members.
The post is offered on a homeworker basis. You will ideally need to live within the South West. The LGA fully supports homeworkers.
To find out more about this role please contact:
Paul Clarke, Programme Manager (South West) and lead for peer challenge 07899 965730
Andy Bates, Principal Adviser (South West) on 07919 562849
Please note the job description is generic, with specific details regarding the role outlined above.
Closing date: 5pm, 12 April 2018
Interviews: 25 April 2018 (interviews to be held in Taunton, Somerset)
We value diversity and encourage applications from all sections of the community