Opportunities

Are you an experienced clerk to a local council with a real interest in promoting town, parish and community councils and your profession? Or, have a good understanding of how this tier of local government ticks? Could you confidently raise issues affecting those working in the sector with key players in local and national government? Are you happy collaborating and communicating with a variety of sector partners then working together to get things done? Ministers, MPs, civil servants, local government officers, councillors, journalists – you can work with them all. Do you have your finger on the pulse of what’s happening on a national level and are you confident in untangling and deciphering policy relevant to local councils? Could you help get our members’ voices heard at the highest level? If so, the Society of Local Council Clerks would like you to apply to be its Head of Policy and External Communications.

About the SLCC

Founded in 1972, SLCC is the professional membership organisation for approximately 4,000 local council clerks and senior council employees working for over 5,000 town, parish and community councils in England and Wales. As their professional body, we ensure that our members are equipped with the necessary knowledge, training, and skills to thrive in their role and, in turn, to best support their councils and communities.

Following the retirement of our External Affairs Manager, we have created the new position of Head of Policy and External Communications to further strengthen SLCC’s capacity and capability in this area of critical importance to our members.

About the job

You will be responsible for building further on the significant progress made in positioning SLCC as an organisation of influence with both Central and Local government. In turn, that influence will inform our strategic priorities and business plan.

Regularly presenting to our Board of Directors and National Forum, you will work closely with the Board’s External Affairs Working Group to develop and define SLCC’s policy and priorities. You will also work closely with the senior management team to ensure that all of SLCC’s services are aligned and supportive of developing policy. You will also take ownership of SLCC’s Advisory Service so as to be positioned for turning data into information and in turn into intelligence that will then be translated into our policy development and advocacy.

You will be a confident, credible, and informed communicator with excellent presentation and engagement skills. You will have significant experience or understanding of the role of the clerk and the local council sector, as well as a solid understanding of local government, the wider political environment and, ideally, the workings of government agencies and bodies.

You will build a network of media contacts and, working with the Head of Marketing, Membership and Digital, create content for press releases, campaign material, podcasts and events. These will reflect the messaging of SLCC, influence others and protect and enhance the reputation of the organisation externally.

As a key member of the senior management team you will work closely with our Heads of Marketing, Membership and Digital; Conferences, Training & Education; and Consultancy and be responsible for ‘the voice’ of our members, ensuring that everything SLCC delivers is in line with our members’ ever-increasing expectations.

You will report to the Chief Executive, and be offered an attractive remuneration package, including a salary of circa £50k, plus other benefits including a generous pension scheme.

To apply, please submit your current CV together with a letter in support of your application outlining your suitability for the role to [email protected].

The closing date for application acceptance is 17 May 2024.

After shortlisting, an in-person assessment day is planned for the week commencing 17 June.

Click here to download a Job Description and Person Specification

You are most welcome to find out more about the position from Rob Smith, CEO, or Shelley Parker, External Affairs Manager, both of whom can be contacted in the first instance via [email protected]