Elections Manager - Elections

What will you be doing?

• Working alongside the Elections Manager – Registration and Engagement, you will be responsible for planning, leading and delivering elections, polls and referenda across West Northamptonshire. You will have specific responsibility for staff recruitment and training, polling stations, and postal votes.
• You will play a leading role in supporting the Returning Officer.
• You will have an opportunity to get involved in the delivery of electoral projects such as Boundary Reviews, Community Governance Reviews and Polling Place Reviews, applying creative thinking to find innovative solutions to challenges.
• You will have joint responsibility for the elections budget, ensuring correct reporting to Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. You have an opportunity to act as a Deputy Returning Officer or equivalent at elections.

About you

• You will be an experienced elections professional with experience of delivering elections, managing election budgets and producing risk and project plans.
• You will have expert knowledge of legislation covering elections, community governance reviews and polling place reviews.
• You will hold, or be working towards, the AEA certificate or Diploma in Electoral Administration, or have equivalent experience.
• You will have excellent working knowledge of MS Office applications and electoral software (experience of Xpress desirable).
• You will possess excellent interpersonal skills and be adept at getting the best out of your team.
• You will be articulate, confident and diplomatic in providing advice to colleagues, candidates and politicians when advising about electoral processes.
• You will have a responsive and adaptable attitude and highly organised approach to your work.

Please note this role will require you to have the ability to travel between locations and work longer hours and overtime during Election periods. This post designated as politically restricted in accordance with the Local Government and Housing Act 1989. Politically restricted post holders are restricted from canvassing on behalf of a political party or for a person who is, or seeks to be, a candidate for election to a local authority, the House of Commons, or the European Parliament

Within your application, please use the Supporting Statement section to explain how you fulfil the essential criteria from the Job Description attached on this page.

Our benefits

We offer a wide range of benefits to our employees, these include:

• Generous annual leave entitlement starting at 28 days annual leave per year, 29 days for senior managers (pro rata, depending on how many hours per week you work), plus bank holidays. An additional 5 days, linked to continuous service, and ability to purchase up to 6 weeks additional leave per year.
• Cycle to Work scheme. 
• Local Government Pension Scheme plus immediate life cover (3 times your annual salary from day one) and ill-health protection.
• Employee discounts with local and national retailers, days out, finance, health and beauty, travel and eating out plus lots more.
• Car Lease scheme
• Payment of professional subscription / membership - If your job description requires that you are registered with or are a member of a professional body, WNC will pay for your professional subscription or membership fees.
• Employee Assistance Programme - We have an employee support programme run by Health Assured, an independent, external organisation. Health Assured is available for you and your immediate family members, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year and includes telephone counselling, legal advice, bereavement support and medical information.
• Ongoing training and development opportunities.
• A variety of flexible working options to support your work/life balance, including full or part time, term time, 9-day fortnight, etc. (subject to business needs).
• Our West Ways of Working – We want our workforce to thrive, and we equip our employees with the right technology to support hybrid and collaborative working, on or off site, depending on the role.
• Making a difference - If you want to use your skills and experience with an organisation that are genuinely invested in making a difference, are committed to improving people's lives, and whose success has a direct impact on the wellbeing of your family, friends and people in your local area, then West Northamptonshire Council is the place for you.

About us

We’re a new council, following one of the largest shake-ups in local government reform in recent history. As a new authority, we’re embarking on an exciting journey to deliver exceptional services for our residents, customers and communities.  

Our vision at West Northamptonshire Council is ‘to make West Northants a great place to live, work, visit and thrive’. We truly stand by this and work hard every day to make this a reality. Our corporate values, THRIVE, stand for: Trust, High Performance, Respect, Innovate and Empower, they underpin everything we do and how we deliver services. 

Hear more from our Chief Executive, Anna Earnshaw, about what it's like to work at West Northants Council https://youtu.be/lV0EfeUF4aU 

At West Northants Council, it’s about our people. People who thrive with ambition, bubble with new ideas, demand better ways of working, caring about every detail, and who never shy away from a challenge. Our culture is a gateway for new experiences. A place to forge new opportunities. To empower you in your career and unite you with like-minded people.

When potential is unlocked, talent thrives.

Choose a career that offers you a true sense of achievement, fills you with pride and challenges you in a positive way, every day.

West Northants Council, where careers thrive.