As Service Director Legal, Governance and Democratic Services Monitoring Officer you will play a pivotal strategic leadership role at the heart of South Gloucestershire Council and will be central to shaping modern, responsive and proportionate governance arrangements that support innovation, pace and organisational change. Acting as the council's statutory monitoring officer and chief legal adviser, you will help ensure that the authority operates lawfully, ethically and transparently, enabling confident decision-making that delivers real benefit for residents.
Responsibilities
* Provide strategic and operational leadership across the Legal, Governance and Democratic Services Division, ensuring statutory, constitutional and legislative compliance within a politically led organisation.
* Act as the council's monitoring officer, promoting high standards of governance and ethical conduct, and providing authoritative advice on complex, sensitive and high‑risk matters.
* Lead and develop professional teams across legal, democratic, electoral, registration and governance services, embedding a culture of high performance, accountability and continuous improvement.
* Provide trusted, evidence‑led advice to members and senior officers, supporting effective scrutiny, transparent decision-making and sound risk management.
* Oversee and modernise the constitution and governance frameworks, ensuring they are clear, accessible and aligned with the council's operating model and strategic ambitions.
* Attend evening meetings and occasional weekend working to support democratic processes.
* Join the council's Emergency Co‑ordination Officer rota as a strategic lead responder, with full training provided.
Qualifications
* Qualified solicitor or barrister with substantial post‑qualification experience in providing legal, governance and constitutional advice within a complex, politically led organisation.
* Strong track record of strategic leadership, governance redesign and organisational change, with the ability to influence across professional, managerial and political boundaries.
* Excellent communication, interpersonal and influencing skills, confident in giving clear, independent and evidence‑based advice under pressure.
* Substantial experience of risk management, assurance and ethical governance, supporting sound decision‑making and protecting organisational reputation.
* Commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, and leadership on climate and carbon‑neutral ambitions.
* It would be advantageous to have experience at monitoring officer level, involvement in regional or national policy development, and knowledge of emerging areas such as data protection and AI governance.
Benefits
* Generous annual leave, wellbeing support and access to a wide range of staff discounts.
* Opportunities for leadership development and learning.
We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion, welcoming applications from everyone and ensuring people are selected and developed on merit.
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