Job Profile for Electoral Services Officer

Job Details

Job title: Electoral Services Officer

Salary/Grade: Grade 3

Service: Governance

Reports to: Elections Manager

Job purpose

• To work with the Elections Manager to provide a comprehensive electoral service including the efficient and timely preparation and updating of the Electoral Register in accordance with statutory deadlines using an electoral software system.
• To work with the Elections Manager to organise the elections and referenda held in the district in accordance with legislative and local requirements.

Principal Accountabilities

• To Prepare the Register of Electors for monthly Publication and Distribution within the statutory framework to all authorised and legislative bodies.
• To assess applications for inclusion on the Electoral Register – including special category electors such as Service and Overseas electors.
• To maintain a system of overseas renewals including proactive contact and response escalation.
• To be responsible for the maintenance of all Absent Voting records and Annual signature refresh processes.
• To supervise and co-ordinate the activities of all temporary staff employed in the delivery of scheduled and by-elections.
• To assist with the maintenance of the elections content on the Council website.
• Liaise with and maintain support with Town and Parish clerks for all Casual and Scheduled vacancies.
• Be responsible for the ongoing maintenance and updating of the Property database and Electoral Register.
• To ensure that all new developments are correctly identified within the appropriate Polling District on the Electoral Register

Corporate Accountabilities

• To take responsibility for maintaining own health and attendance. 
• To support, contribute and comply with quality and governance procedures as directed by management.
• To apply and actively promote the principles of the Council’s Equal Opportunities Policy in all areas of employment and service delivery.
• Any other associated duties detailed by Head of Service or his representative.
• To advise Line manager if, at any time, the above duties and responsibilities cannot be performed.
• Any other duties as required to support the business, including maintaining business
  continuity and during civil emergencies.
• To apply and actively promote the principles of the Council’s Safeguarding Procedure in all areas of employment and service delivery.

Skills, Knowledge and Experience

(Tested at application and interview stage)

Experience and Qualifications

• Experience of working within a legal or governance environment
• Significant previous administrative experience
• Experience of working in customer facing roles
• Experience/knowledge of Electoral Registration
• Experience/knowledge of Electoral Processes
• Association of Electoral Administrators Certificate (AEA) or willingness to undertake the relevant studies
• A track record of developing effective relationships

Skills and Knowledge

• Ability to be able to work flexibly outside normal office hours (during the Election delivery period)
• Excellent organisational and time management skills
• High levels of accuracy and attention to detail
• Ability to work well under pressure, prioritising effectively and meeting deadlines
• Strong IT skills (Word, Excel and Powerpoint)
• Excellent communication and interpersonal (written & verbal) skills
• Ability to work well within a team with the ability to work unsupervised with a pro-active approach
• Ability to manage various tasks and see them through to completion.

Competencies

We test this at interview stage

Communicating Effectively 

Demonstrate the effective use of the range of communication methods available: written, spoken, electronic, and use these methods in appropriate ways suitable to the context and situation

• Present spoken communication in a polite, friendly and respectful manner seeking to ensure mutual understanding
• Listen well and seek clarification and understanding, avoiding jumping to conclusions or making assumptions
• Present information and ideas in a clear and understandable way which avoids jargon
• Seek to understand the communication needs of colleagues and customers, being mindful of equality issues and the diverse needs of the range of people we work with
• Choose the most appropriate method of communication for the situation, seeking to avoid using one fixed style or approach

Performing efficiently and effectively 

Promote good performance, developing clear, structured and efficient ways of managing workload and delivering results.  Staff should challenge themselves and others to perform well, and to adhere to the Council’s performance management systems

• Ensure that all work carried out by you is in line with business and service plans and supports the overall aims and ambition of the Council
• Plan your workload effectively, reporting achievements and problems to appropriate managers and project leaders
• See tasks and objectives through to completion
• Approach challenges with drive and enthusiasm
• Strive for continuous improvement in your work and manage your learning and development to enable you to perform to the best of your ability
• Create novel solutions to improve services and ways of working and challenge conventional practices
• Seek out income generating opportunities and efficiencies and aim to provide more for less to achieve the best possible value and high standards of service delivery
• Be enthusiastic about the Council’s services and look for opportunities to promote and sell them
• Treat the Council’s money as if it were your own

Using and managing resources efficiently and effectively 

Demonstrate the effective and efficient use of the full range of resources used in and by the Council including time, finances, staffing, equipment, information, materials, buildings, etc.

• Take responsibility for managing your time, seeking efficient ways to carry out your work, maximising your output and minimising wastage
• Use and acquire materials effectively and efficiently minimising wastage, recycling where possible, and striving for cost effectiveness
• Seek out ways to improve the use of resources

Engaging with the customer

Understand the needs and requirements of their customers, to provide excellent customer service, and to involve customers in the improvement of services

• Provide a helpful and friendly service to customers, both internally and externally
• Take responsibility for following up on enquiries and solving customer issues
• Make efforts to fully understand the customer’s needs and avoid assuming that “we know best”
• Ensure that you have a full understanding of the needs and requirements of the customer
• Seek feedback from internal and external customers on the effectiveness and efficiency of the service you provide

Working well together

Actively foster good working relationships with colleagues and customers in order to collectively achieve the Council’s direction and ambition

• Co-operate and work well with colleagues at all levels of the organisation, seeking collective responsibility for the achievement of goals
• Demonstrate consideration and respect for other’s feelings and opinions and avoid judging and making assumptions
• Maintain positive working relationships with external contacts in order to maintain the reputation of the Council
• Seek to actively solve problems and avoid passing the issue on to others or leaving the problem unresolved
• Demonstrate self-awareness of your style of working and develop flexibility and adaptability in order to work well with others

Other conditions

• This post doesn't require a DBS check 
• This post is politically restricted
• This post doesn't entitle you to a lease car
• This post does entitle you to a casual car allowance

Values and Behaviours

We have corporate values and behaviours that set the standard for the organisation and all our staff. These are integrated in all we do including recruitment, induction, performance review, apprenticeships and all our learning and development programmes.

• P - Perform well and get things done
• R - Respect and value customers and staff
• I - Improve and learn
• D - Deliver that bit extra
• E - Efficient and effective

Following a number of workshops, which were attended by more than 100 members of staff from across all levels of the organisation, we have now developed a series of behaviours to support our PRIDE values.

Moving forward these will be implemented across the Council and will be used as part of performance reviews, induction procedures, the apprenticeship programme, and all training interventions.

P, Perform well and get things done

R, Respect and value customers and staff

I, Improve and learn

D, Deliver that bit extra

E, Efficient and effective