Senior Governance Officer

The Consortium is seeking an experienced individual to assist in the management and governance of a unique public body that seeks to improve the environment in lowland Somerset against the challenge of adverse weather conditions as a result of climate change. As a smaller organisation your work will be involved in all aspects of the business and your working day should have lots of variety. The office is based in in a small town in the middle of the operational area which encompasses the Somerset and North Somerset Levels and Moors with its many Sites of Special Scientific Interest and Nature Reserves. The Somerset Drainage Boards Consortium is the organisation that manages the operations and affairs of three Internal Drainage Boards (IDBs) in Somerset (the Axe Brue, Parrett and North Somerset Levels IDBs). IDBs are statutory independent public bodies supervised by a board of elected and appointed members. The Consortium provides the Boards with finance, engineering, legal, environmental and administration services via a team of in-house staff and consultants. The main activity of the Boards is to manage water levels and flood risk within their respective districts for the protection of people, property and the environment. Job Purpose The post holder will assist the Clerk/Chief Executive in the administration and governance arrangements of the Consortium and the Axe Brue, Parrett and North Somerset Levels Internal Drainage Boards. The Line Manager for the post is the Chief Executive of the Consortium and Clerk to the Consortium Boards. Key Responsibilities; 1. To prepare and manage the meetings calendar of the Boards and the Clerk/Chief Executive. 2. To ensure that all statutory, audit and reporting dates are achieved. 3. To arrange public facing and internal meetings, prepare the agenda and ensure that minutes are made. 4. To act as a Deputy Returning Officer when Board Elections are held. SKILLS & KNOWLEDGE PROFILE Core Competences required background experience and attributes: Essential: 5 GCSE at grade 4 or higher including maths and English. Desirable: Diploma or qualification (or over 15 years experience) in Business Studies or Business Administration Learning & Development: Pre-Joining Essential: 1. Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications (WORD, OUTLOOK, POWERPOINT and EXCEL). 2. Excellent command of English, both written and verbal as well as précis skills 3. Administration within an organisation 4. Experience in the organisation of formal meetings, record keeping and preparing meeting minutes. 5. To have an understanding of the functions and legal framework of statutory public bodies. Pre-Joining Desirable: 1. Experience in the administration of Human Resources management 2. Experience in managing electronic and paper based filing systems. 3. A knowledge of rural activities, agriculture and flooding issues. Post-Joining: 1. IDB election procedures 2. IDB legislation and regulation 3. Lone working procedures Additional Requirements Post holder must be fully acquainted with the Board s Health & Safety Policy and procedures and complete all mandatory H&S training Post holder must adhere to the Boards Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Policy and complete all mandatory training Post holder is responsible for ensuring that his/her training needs are identified and agreed with his/her Line Manager and reviewed annually The post holder must complete all mandatory security training, comply with the Board s security policies and procedures and promptly report any suspected or actual security incident and/or breach To hold a valid in-date Full Driving Licence at all times. To be available to attend evening meetings For all full description of the duties for this post please see the Staff Terms of Reference which can be downloaded from the SDBC website or by contacting the office on . Anyone wishing to apply for the post will need to complete an application form which is available when you click apply or by contacting the office. CVs will not be accepted. If you would like to have further information about the post or the organisation then please contact the Clerk on . Closing date for applications is 31 October 2024. Administration