Statutory Scrutiny Officer & Deputy Head of Governance & Scrutiny
Contract: Fixed-Term Until February 2028
Are you an experienced governance or scrutiny professional looking for a role with real influence and visibility? If you have a strong political awareness and are keen to work within a high‑profile, politically aware environment, this is for you.
This role offers an exceptional development opportunity for someone looking to deepen expertise, raise profile and build valuable relationships across Greater Manchester before bringing insights back to their substantive role.
Why this role?
Greater Manchester has some of the most comprehensive scrutiny arrangements of any combined authority. Working in this role places you at the forefront of modern public governance in a fast‑moving, high‑profile environment.
Responsibilities
- Lead and shape the GMCA’s scrutiny function.
- Work directly with the Mayor, scrutiny members and senior leadership teams.
- Influence how major decisions are reviewed, challenged and improved.
- Support democratic accountability across a complex and ambitious organisation.
- Help develop new approaches to scrutiny in response to devolution and national policy change.
- Provide confident, impartial advice to scrutiny chairs, elected members, the Mayor and senior officers.
- Shape a balanced, strategic and deliverable scrutiny work programme.
- Support pre‑decision scrutiny and ensure governance processes are transparent, robust and legally compliant.
- Oversee the Forward Plan of Key Decisions and contribute to strong organisational decision‑making.
- Build effective working relationships with local authority leaders, government officials, partners and stakeholders across Greater Manchester.
- Deputise for the Head of Governance & Scrutiny, supporting wider service leadership and management.
- Develop scrutiny in response to the changing devolution landscape, including implementation of the Trailblazer Scrutiny Protocol and related governance developments.
Qualifications
- Experience in governance, scrutiny, democratic services, policy, committee management or a related field.
- Strong political awareness and confidence to work with senior elected members and senior officers.
- Excellent drafting, briefing and presentation skills.
- Ability to build credibility quickly and work effectively across organisational boundaries.
- Sound judgement, resilience and confidence to provide clear, independent advice in a politically sensitive environment.
- A genuine interest in strengthening democratic accountability and public decision‑making.
Benefits and Development
This secondment offers focused professional development within a defined period, allowing you to build new skills, confidence, networks and experience that can be carried forward in your long‑term career. You will gain exposure to major strategic issues, work closely with senior leaders and elected members, and help shape how good governance and effective scrutiny support better outcomes for Greater Manchester.
We value the diversity of our employees and aim to recruit a workforce which reflects the diverse communities across Greater Manchester. All suitably qualified individuals are encouraged to apply, irrespective of age, disability, trans status, non‑binary identity, marital status, pregnancy, race, religion, sex or sexual orientation, or sexual orientation. Reasonable adjustments will be considered where required.
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