Elections, Executive and Civic Support Manager - REQ05461

INTERNAL APPLICANTS MUST APPLY VIA MYSELF

This vacancy is internal and open to applications from employees of North Lanarkshire Council and Associated Employers* only. The "Apply now" button is not activated for this role. Please log into your MySelf account for further instructions on how to apply as an internal candidate.

*Fusion Assets, NLP LLP

NLC13 (£54,418 - £59,423)

We are seeking an experienced and highly capable Elections, Executive and Civic Support Manager to lead the effective delivery and future development of the Council’s elections and executive support functions.

Reporting to the Governance and Business Services Manager and working closely with the Chief Officer (Legal & Democratic), you will have strategic and operational responsibility for the delivery of all electoral activity, the provision of high-quality executive and elected member support, and the effective management of administrative resources.

You will act as a principal professional adviser to the Returning Officer, Depute Returning Officers, Chief Executive, and Corporate Management Team on elections and democratic governance matters, ensuring statutory compliance, operational resilience, and service excellence.

This is a senior, high-profile role requiring strong leadership, sound judgement, and the ability to operate with confidence in a complex and politically sensitive environment.

Key Responsibilities

Elections and Electoral Administration

• Lead the planning and delivery of all elections and referenda, ensuring full compliance with electoral legislation, guidance, and statutory deadlines.
• Provide expert advice to the Returning Officer and senior officers on electoral law, procedure, and risk.
• Oversee nominations, statutory notices, polling and count arrangements, postal voting processes, and security of ballot materials.
• Manage relationships with the Electoral Registration Officer, Police Scotland, Royal Mail, and other key partners.
• Recruit, train, brief, and manage polling and count staff, ensuring resilience during peak periods.

Executive, Elected Member and Civic Support

• Manage the delivery of professional, confidential Executive Support services to the Chief Executive and Corporate Management Team.
• Oversee high-quality support to elected members, including the Leader, Depute Leader, Provost, and Depute Provost.
• Lead administrative support for civic and lieutenancy functions, working closely with the Lord Lieutenant.

Democratic Governance and Committees

• Act as Clerk to statutory appeals bodies, including Education Appeals Committees and related statutory forums.
• Ensure committee, appeal, and governance processes are administered lawfully and effectively.
• Prepare reports and attend Council Committees, Sub-Committees, and Working Groups as required.

Leadership and Management

• Provide effective leadership and line management to staff across elections, executive support, and associated administrative teams.
• Manage recruitment, performance, development, and workforce planning, including temporary and election staff.
• Lead service modernisation and continuous improvement, including the adoption of digital and technical solutions.
• Contribute to service planning, performance management, and budget control, ensuring best value and compliance with financial regulations.
• Participate fully in the Council’s corporate management approach and cross-service working.

About You

You will bring substantial experience within local government or a comparable public sector environment, with a strong track record in elections, democratic services, or complex statutory administration.

Essential requirements include:

• A degree, HND, SVQ Level 4, or equivalent qualification in a relevant discipline.
• Significant experience in the planning and delivery of elections or electoral administration.
• Proven experience of managing staff, resources, and complex workloads within a statutory framework.
• Strong knowledge of electoral legislation and democratic governance in Scotland.
• Excellent communication, analytical, and organisational skills, with the confidence to advise senior officers and elected members.

Desirable:

• A professional qualification in elections, democratic services, or public administration (e.g. AEA Certificate or equivalent).
• Experience of executive or senior management support, committee administration, appeals, or civic functions.

You will demonstrate high levels of integrity, discretion, and impartiality, be resilient under pressure, and show a strong commitment to public service values and continuous improvement.

Additional Information

The post requires flexibility, including the ability to work extended and unsocial hours during election periods, and travel to various Council locations as required.

For further information or an informal discussion about the role, please contact Rachel Blair, Chief Officer (Legal and Democratic) at BlairR@northlan.gov.uk

Work pattern:

35 hours per week - Monday to Thursday - 08:45 to 16:45 - Friday - 08:45 to 16:15.

Working here at North Lanarkshire Council

If you’re considering a career with us, you’ll be keen to know what’s in it for you. We have a great package of benefits available, from health and wellbeing to finances and family. This includes 27 days annual leave and 6 public holidays*, and a wide range of benefits available to you, find out more at work well NL. We also have a full package of learning and development through our learning academy LearnNL to help you reach your full potential and further your career.

For more information on local authority careers visit the myjobscotland career hub

North Lanarkshire Council are Happy to Talk Flexible Working, we operate a Smarter Working Policy.

Click here to see our Recruitment Charter.

*For all casual/sessional roles, you will receive 12.1% of your hourly rate for every hour worked in total recompense for annual leave, including public holidays. These rates will be indicated separately on your payslip. You will only be paid for the hours that you work.

North Lanarkshire Council has reached its current allocation of Certificates of Sponsorship and, as a result, we are unable to provide visa sponsorship at this time.

We are a Disability Confident Leader and offer a guaranteed interview to applicants who consider themselves to be disabled, as long as they meet the essential criteria of the person specification/job description.

We have also adopted the Armed Forces Community Covenant to show our support for service personnel, veterans and their families. We offer a guaranteed interview for service leavers, spouses, reservists and veterans, as long as they meet the essential criteria of the person specification/job description.

North Lanarkshire Council is committed to #KeepingThePromise. This means that if you have ever been in care (looked after at home with a social worker, lived with a relative other than your parents, experienced foster, residential or secure care) you are entitled to a guaranteed interview for this post, as long as you meet the essential criteria of the person specification/job description. This is one way North Lanarkshire is demonstrating our commitment to supporting Care-Experienced People.

The Plan for North Lanarkshire is to be the place to live, learn, work, invest and visit. The Council recognises that work is an important part of adult life and is critical to our wellbeing and shaping how we live. The Fair Work Convention’s Framework defines Fair Work as work that offers effective voice, fulfilment, opportunity, respect and security. We believe Fair Work can boost creativity, realise untapped potential and increase productivity. To find out more click on the link.

Alternative Application Packs can be requested in other formats for example, Large Print, Braille, and Audio. To request an alternative Application Pack please phone 01698 403151.

The following link contains our Easy Read documents which will help explain the process and what happens during the selection process: Easy Read – My NL

***PLEASE NOTE WE DO NOT ACCEPT CVS IN PLACE OF THE APPLICATION FORM. TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THIS VACANCY YOU MUST ENSURE AN APPLICATION FORM IS SUBMITTED. ANY CV SUBMISSIONS WILL BE DISREGARDED.***