Democratic Services Administrator
Suffolk County Council · Ipswich · £29,542 (stated in the posting)
- Suffolk County Council
- Address: Endeavour House, Ipswich, IP1 2BX, On-site working
- Salary: £29,542 per annum pro rata
- Hours: 22.2 hours per week, over three days (Tuesday, Thursday and Friday)
- Contract: Permanent
We’re looking for an Administrator to join our Democratic Services team at Suffolk County Council.
This is a chance to work behind the scenes of local democracy, supporting elected councillors and seeing first-hand how decisions are made and communities are represented. You’ll get involved in a varied mix of work, from supporting councillors and council meetings to administering community funding and responding to members of the public.
If you’re looking for an administration role where you can learn something different, work with a wide range of people and see the purpose behind what you do, this could be a great next step.
Your role and responsibilities
You’ll be part of the day-to-day service that helps councillors carry out their role and keeps our democratic processes running smoothly. Your work will be varied and will include:
- Acting as the first point of contact for councillors, members of the public and staff through the councillor service helpdesk
- Managing multiple inboxes covering a broad range of queries and issues
- Running budget reports using Oracle Fusion and reconciling spend
- Administering Councillor Locality Budget Grants
- Processing Councillor Expense claims
- Maintaining the democracy and governance pages on the Council’s website
- Updating the democratic information on the Council’s Intranet for staff and councillors
- Handling and recording petitions using an established procedure
You will need:
We’re looking for someone who is genuinely motivated by the role, wants to contribute to the team and is keen to learn and develop. We’ll support you to develop your knowledge of the service and learn our systems and processes.
What’s important is that you bring:
- the political awareness and good judgement to work professionally and impartially in a politically sensitive environment
- a basic understanding of the distinct roles of elected councillors and officers
- strong organisational and administrative skills, with good attention to detail
- confidence using Microsoft Office applications and editing webpages (training will be provided)
- strong communication skills and a commitment to providing a high standard of service
- a collaborative and flexible approach to teamwork, comfortable sharing ownership of work, handing tasks over and picking up work from colleagues when needed
- an interest in local democracy and local government would be desirable.
You can view a full list of requirements in the Job and Person Profile (JPP), which you can find in the ‘How to apply’ section towards the bottom of this advert.
If you believe you can succeed in this role, apply. Even if you don't meet all requirements, still apply. We would appreciate the opportunity to consider your application.
The team
You’ll be joining a small, friendly Democratic Services team that supports councillors, officers and members of the public and helps the Council’s democratic processes work effectively.
We’re proud of the service we provide and the standards we set ourselves. The team includes colleagues with many years of experience alongside newer members, and we support one another, share our knowledge and work together when priorities change.
You’ll have a supportive manager who will help you learn the role and develop your knowledge of Democratic Services. We’re not expecting you to arrive knowing everything - we’re looking for someone who wants to learn and become a valued part of the team.
Empowering Everyone
We’re big believers in potential, possibility and the power of different ideas. We’re always searching for ways to encourage, respect and enable everyone to be the best they can be. We want to represent the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from all individuals, especially those from groups that are currently underrepresented in the organisation, as shown in our Workforce Equality Report.
For more information
Please contact Sarah Bradfield (she/her) for a casual conversation. You can reach her by calling 01473 265124 or emailing sarah.bradfield@suffolk.gov.uk.
How to apply
Step 1 - Read the Job and Person Profile (JPP) (Word).
Step 2 - Click ‘Apply Now’ to start your online application.
Step 3 - Upload a supporting statement answering the brief below. You should use the Supporting Statement template.
Please provide a supporting statement of no more than 1,000 words explaining what you would bring to the Democratic Services Administrator role.
Rather than addressing every point in the Job and Person Profile individually, please focus your statement on:
- your motivation and interest in this particular role
- your communication and customer service skills
- your teamwork and collaborative approach
- the administrative skills and experience you would bring to the role.
Please use specific examples from your own experience to demonstrate your skills and contribution, rather than simply describing your general approach or stating that you have a particular skill.
Step 4 - Upload an up-to-date CV (without name and personal details).
Please note: Without a supporting statement and CV, your interest will not be progressed. Any supporting documents must be in either PDF or MS Word format.
For guidance on completing your application, please see our How to Apply page.
Planning to use Artificial Intelligence (AI)? Please ensure your application still reflects your own skills, experience and ideas. If used inappropriately, your application may not be processed. Please read our guidance for using AI to understand what’s acceptable.
Do you need any reasonable adjustments to help you to apply? If you are disabled and/or have additional support needs, you can request reasonable adjustments. You can do this by contacting our Recruitment Team at recruitment@suffolk.gov.uk or 03456 014412. You can find examples of possible adjustments on our Reasonable Adjustment pages.
Closing date: 11.30pm, 10 November 2026.
This role is being advertised as Administrator for advertising purposes. If appointed, you will be employed as Business Support Coordinator.
This authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks or police vetting will be required for relevant posts. #LI-Onsite
As a modern and effective council, we offer a wide variety of careers to suit people with a range of skills, abilities and ambitions. We offer working options that flex to reflect the way people work today and take the time to understand and support your individual needs. We’re driven to make a positive difference to the world around us and encourage everyone with drive and focus to join us and build an influential and impactful career. Reimagine the possibilities.
In return, you’ll enjoy:
- up to 29 days annual leave entitlement (pro rata), plus UK bank holidays and two paid volunteering days
- membership of a competitive Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
- travel, lifestyle, health and wellbeing benefits
- performance-related annual pay progression, in addition to an annual cost-of-living pay increase
- training and encouragement to expand your knowledge
- a variety of career development opportunities across our organisation
- diverse and active staff networks
- flexible working options, with the right to request flexible working from your first day
If you want to know more about our benefits, values and equality commitments please visit our Suffolk County Council careers website (careers.Suffolk.gov.uk).
Suffolk County Council | Ipswich, IP1 2BX | £29,542 per annum pro rata | Part Time | Permanent | Closing date: 10 November 2026