Deputy Clerk / Governance and Compliance Officer
Job Summary
Working Pattern:
Part time
Advert Start Date:
07/08/2026
Advert End Date:
Closed for applications on 30/08/2026 23:59
Salary:
£41,771 - £47,181 per annum (full-time equivalent), pro rata for 0.6 FTE
Job Category:
Executive / Managerial
Employment Location:
Seaton Delaval - Council Offices, with the ability to work from home on occasion
Further Information
Deputy Clerk / Governance and Compliance Officer
A senior role at the heart of your community council’s governance and resilience.
Key details
Salary: £41,771 to £47,181 per annum (full-time equivalent), pro rata for 0.6 FTE
Salary shown is the full-time equivalent range on the current NJC pay spine, subject to formal job evaluation and pay award.
Grade: Grade 5 (SCP 31 to 36), indicative and subject to formal job evaluation
Hours: 0.6 FTE (approximately 22 hours per week), working pattern to be agreed
Contract: Permanent, part-time
Location: Mainly based at the Council Offices, 20-22 Astley Road, Seaton Delaval, with the ability to work from home on occasion.
- Closing date: Sunday 30 August 2026
- Shortlisting: Week commencing 31 August 2026
- Interview date: Monday 21 September 2026
About the Council
Seaton Valley Community Council serves the five villages of Seaton Delaval, Seaton Sluice, Seghill, New Hartley and Holywell in south-east Northumberland. We are an ambitious community council delivering a wide range of local services and projects, from allotments, play areas and environmental services to community events, youth activities and local partnerships.
Following an organisational review, we are strengthening our officer team and building greater capacity, resilience and leadership across the organisation. We are a small team, so people work closely together, take responsibility and need to be comfortable balancing good governance with practical delivery for our communities.
About the role
This is a senior and influential role, created following the Council’s organisational review to strengthen governance capacity, organisational resilience and leadership. As Deputy Clerk / Governance and Compliance Officer, you will deputise for the Clerk and Responsible Financial Officer when authorised and lead the coordination of the Council’s governance, compliance and internal control activity.
You will hold joint ownership of the Council’s policy framework alongside the Clerk and overall responsibility for coordinating health and safety across the Council. You will also play an important part in the wider leadership of the organisation, working closely with the Clerk, fellow officers and elected Members to turn Council priorities and decisions into effective action.
We are looking for more than someone who can identify rules and procedures. We want someone who can apply them with sound judgement: understanding what good governance requires while finding practical, proportionate and sometimes creative ways of getting things done.
You will need to be comfortable offering professional advice and constructive challenge, while recognising that decisions will not always follow your preferred recommendation. You will be able to adapt, find another workable route and remain focused on achieving the Council’s objectives within an appropriate governance framework.
This is therefore a role for someone who is positive, resilient and solutions-focused; someone who takes responsibility, learns from problems, and remains calm and constructive when priorities compete or circumstances change.
What you will do
This role will suit someone who enjoys making organisations work better. You may already work in the local council sector, but equally you may bring relevant governance, compliance, finance or public-sector experience from elsewhere. What matters is that you can combine attention to detail with perspective: knowing when an issue requires firm procedural control and when a proportionate, practical solution is the better answer.
• Act as a formal deputy to the Clerk within the Council’s scheme of delegation.
• Support the preparation and administration of Council and committee meetings, including during the Clerk’s absence where authorised.
• Support financial governance, internal controls and audit readiness under the direction of the Clerk and RFO.
• Hold joint ownership of the Council’s policy framework and coordinate its review and maintenance.
• Maintain the corporate risk register and a governance action tracker.
• Hold overall responsibility for health and safety across the Council, including policy, risk assessment oversight and monitoring.
• Coordinate information governance, including Freedom of Information, data protection and transparency.
• Where agreed, direct the day-to-day work of the Executive Assistant (Business Support).
What we are looking for
• Experience in a governance, compliance, finance administration or committee administration role in a public sector or similarly regulated environment.
• A strong understanding of governance processes, procedural compliance and internal controls.
• A broad appreciation of procedure and statutory obligations anchored in due diligence, combined with sound professional judgement and the ability to develop practical, proportionate and compliant solutions rather than simply identify problems.
• A positive and solutions-focused approach, with the creativity and confidence to explore alternative ways of achieving an objective where the obvious route is not available.
• Professional resilience and adaptability, including the ability to give clear advice, accept that recommendations may not always be adopted, and remain constructive and focused on delivery.
• The ability to remain calm, organised and pragmatic when working under pressure or dealing with competing priorities.
• A collaborative and accountable approach, taking shared responsibility for resolving problems and learning from them.
• The confidence and interpersonal skills to contribute effectively as part of the Council’s developing officer leadership team and to build constructive working relationships with Members, colleagues and partners.
• Strong written communication skills, including drafting reports, policies and governance notes.
• High integrity, discretion and the ability to handle confidential information appropriately.
• A willingness to undertake relevant professional development, including working towards CiLCA if not already held.
• CiLCA or another relevant governance, public administration or professional qualification is desirable, as is local council sector experience.
What we offer
- Membership of the NEST Pension Scheme with 10% employer contributions.
- Generous annual leave in line with national conditions of service (NJC Green Book)
- A flexi scheme and the ability to work from home on occasion.
- Access to training and development, and a supportive team environment.
How to apply
This post is advertised on the North East Jobs website.
To apply, please complete the application form via North East Jobs.
To be completed once the vacancy is live on North East Jobs.
For an informal discussion about the role, please email contact@seatonvalleycommunitycouncil.gov.uk or call the Council offices on 0191 237 9870
Please note the Clerk is on leave until Monday 24 August 2026, and enquiries may take a little longer to answer during this period.
Additional information
- This post is subject to a Basic DBS disclosure.
- The Council is committed to equality of opportunity and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.
Please note
This job is closed for applications.