Job Title: Democratic Services Officer
Hours: 37
Salary: HC7 £32,062 to £36,363 per annum
Contract: Permanent
Location: Flexible working, home and office based. The main office is located at Plough Lane, Hereford
Closing date: 24 July 2026
Interview date: 11 August 2026
The Role
Herefordshire Council is seeking to appoint a Democratic Services Officer to make a positive contribution, to drive innovative and modern strategies and deliver increased improvement and efficiency in the authority’s decision making process.
What will you be doing?
The post holders will have pivotal roles in the development and implementation of the Council's governance arrangements working with elected and co-opted members of the Council. You will assist with the planning, management and co-ordination of the overall business of the Council's main committees. The Council is moving toward a hybrid Cabinet with Leader system of governance together with providing a scrutiny function and a range of other statutory bodies or regulatory Committees. We also provide a range of other services and functions to the Council and various bodies including School Admissions Appeals Panels.
About You
For this post you will need a clear understanding and knowledge of local government and how democracy works. Also an understanding of administrative law and procedures relating to local authority meetings would be advantageous.
You will need to be proficient in the use of ICT, including a good working knowledge of Microsoft Office, MS Teams and Zoom virtual meeting platforms. You will need to be a flexible team player with excellent organisational and communication skills, political awareness, a confident and positive disposition and the ability to work with people at all levels.
In return we will offer you a very rewarding position and a career at the political centre of Herefordshire Council.
We Offer
A competitive salary, holiday entitlement, and access to our contributory pension and staff benefits scheme, which includes:
- Salary range of £32,062 to £36,363 per annum
- Enrolment in the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
- Career progression: clear pathways to progress
- Annual Leave: 31 days’ annual leave (pro rata) plus bank holidays. You can also purchase an additional 10 days per annum during the request period
- Flexible working: including the potential for job-sharing, part-time hours and agile working.
- Employee Assistance Programme: 24/7 access to support and counselling
- Payment of professional membership fees (based on role requirements)
- Pick your perks – our benefits include access to a range of retail, leisure, holiday and health benefits. This includes savings, cash back and discounts.
Why Choose Us?
Herefordshire is big hearted, welcoming and friendly. We have strong and independent communities and idyllic countryside, situated in the South West Midlands and bordering Wales. The county sits between Worcestershire and the Malvern Hills to the east, and Bannau Brycheiniog (the Brecon Beacons) in Wales to the west.
Historically Herefordshire has been the gateway to the Marches. We embrace partnership working. We are a member of the Marches Forward Partnership, which is a cross border collaboration between Herefordshire, Monmouthshire, Powys and Shropshire who are collectively working to secure funding to invest in the region.
The council priorities over the next four years are set out in the Council Plan, with four main areas;
People: We will enable residents to realise their potential, to be healthy and to be part of great communities who support each other. We want all children to have the best start in life.
Place: We will protect and enhance our environment and ensure that Herefordshire is a great place to live. We will support the right housing in the right place, we will support access to green spaces and we will do everything we can to recover the health of our rivers.
Growth: We will create the conditions to deliver sustainable growth across the county; attracting inward investment, building business confidence, creating jobs, enabling housing development along with providing the right infrastructure.
Transformation: We will be an efficient council that embraces best practice, delivers innovation through technology and demonstrates value for money.
Don’t meet all parts of the job description?
Herefordshire Council is committed to strengthening a diverse and inclusive work environment which reflects the communities of Herefordshire. If you are looking at the next stage of your career and have a broad base of fieldwork experience, we can provide supportive and welcoming opportunities to help you develop your professional, management & supervisory skills.
Reasonable Adjustments
Our recruitment process runs in partnership with Hoople Resourcing. If you require any reasonable adjustments or alternative methods for the online application process, please contact the resourcing team by email: [email protected].
Creating an inclusive workplace
We encourage our employees to feel empowered and to use their voices to help embrace diversity, promote inclusivity and shape our organisation. We have eight employee network groups, collectives of colleagues who often share identities, life experiences or cultures and offer support and community. They also play an important role in strengthening the voices of employees at Herefordshire Council. Embedded in the Council's values is a commitment to listen to people's views and needs.
For more information on our Employee Network Groups please view our dedicated recruitment website: www.spiritofherefordshire.com.
Commitments, Covenants and Statutory Obligations
The following candidates will be interviewed if they meet the essential criteria for the post they are applying for:
- Those who indicate that they have a disability. This is part of our commitment to the “Disability Confident” scheme.
- Those who indicate in their application that they are an Armed Forces Veteran or Reservist. This is part of our pledge to support the Armed Forces Covenant.
- Those who indicate in their application that they are a Herefordshire care leaver. This is part of our commitment to supporting young people leaving our care.
We take our commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults seriously and expect all of our staff, visitors and volunteers to share in this commitment.
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children & young people and vulnerable adults. If you are offered this position, it may be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service check.
How to apply
To apply for a position, please upload an up-to-date CV and complete the application form demonstrating your experience, skills and abilities for the role.
For more information or to arrange an informal discussion about the role, please contact:
If you are interested in this post and would like to discuss this further please contact John Coleman on 01432 260382.
Be sure to include reference to the job description and person specification or role profile! If you are successfully shortlisted, Hoople Resourcing will contact you via email to arrange your interview and/or assessment. They will confirm the date, time and location of your interview, so please keep an eye on your email inbox - check your spam/ junk folder too. Good luck, we’re looking forward to meeting you!
The Council plan sets out how we will make our contribution to achieving a better and more successful Herefordshire, please see the link below to find out more:
Herefordshire Council Plan 2024-28
