About the Borough This special place in South West London between the capital and the country has been a Royal borough longer than anywhere else - it is where the first kings of England were crowned. Today it is a vibrant and diverse borough, with a long history and strong cultural and community heritage. Kingston's riverside location, fantastic retail offer, historic market place and church, parks and gardens all make Kingston town centre the vibrant space it is, and each of our district town centres (Surbiton, New Malden, Tolworth and Chessington) have something unique to offer. Situated in Zone 6, Kingston is among the best-connected town centres in London – with direct train links from Kingston and Surbiton stations to Clapham Junction and London Waterloo, as well as Wimbledon for an interchange with the London Underground and Tramlink. Kingston’s people are innovative and entrepreneurial, and have a strong sense of community pride. The borough has been home to great industry and creativity for many years, reflected in assets such as the Rose Theatre, the International Youth Arts Festival and Kingston University, which boasts more new graduate business start-ups than any other. We have seen tremendous generosity and compassion within our communities, particularly in response to COVID-19, which is a demonstration of Kingston’s key strength. The council offers a strong level of support to vulnerable groups and those who need additional support, which has also increased significantly as a result of the pandemic. Like most places, the average age of our population is rising as more people are living longer, so we are working closely with residents to help them maintain their independence and further improve the cost effectiveness of our service to meet the ongoing rise in demand. Kingston is home to people from diverse and interesting cultures and backgrounds, which helps to create the rich sense of community shared across the borough. In particular, Kingston has a large Sri Lankan Tamil community and is home to more people from Korea than any other part of the UK. About the Role Take lead responsibility for the decision making arrangements of the Council and its Committee processes, the delivery of elections and electoral registration functions and the Mayor’s Office, as well as assisting the Monitoring Officer in the promotion of robust governance and the maintenance of ethical standards. Oversight and strategic direction of the Democratic Services, Electoral Services and Mayors Office teams with line manager responsibilities for each of the respective operational managers. Manage the formal decision making process including meetings of Council and Committees Undertake a wide range of Member support functions Manage all aspects of electoral registration and the delivery of elections Provide day to day administrative support to the Mayor and organise a wide range range of civic and ceremonial events and activities, many of which designed to support the Mayors Charity. About Us This post will lead three high performing and engaged teams. Democratic Services, Elections and the Mayor's Office. Each team is well respected and provides an excellent service to the Council, to the Councillors, and to RBK's residents. The teams sit at the heart of democracy and take that role very seriously. They are populated by committed and enthusiastic officers who bring much to the organisation. About You The postholder is the principal senior source of guidance and advice to Members and Officers on the Council’s decision making processes and Members ethical standards and leads on the briefing and education of both Members and Officers in respect of those arrangements. The successful candidate will also maintain the Council’s Constitution, lead on the development of the Member induction and training programme, provide procedural advice to the Mayor and meetings of Council, and act as Secretary to the Trustees of the Mayors Charity. They will play a direct hands on role in the planning and delivery of elections and, on occasions, represent the Council at civic events and ceremonies. The successful candidate must have a proven track record of achievement in leading and managing the democratic functions of a local authority, possess expert knowledge of the law and practice in respect of the Committee and decision making process, be politically astute and discrete and able to build high levels of credibility and trust with elected Members and Officers at all levels of the organisation. Experience of working within a Committee system of governance is desirable but not essential. An understanding of electoral administration arrangements would be advantageous. The postholder will preferably possess a relevant professional qualification and is likely to be a member of ADSO and/or the AEA.