Governance Service Delivery Officer

Closing date: 29 June 2026

Salary: Grade 13, ranging from £20,291 - £22,513 per annum for 29.6 hours per week.

Role summary:

As a Governance Service Delivery Officer, you will provide expert governance, compliance and advisory support to schools, academies and governing boards, helping them meet statutory and regulatory requirements. You will offer procedural advice and guidance, support compliance activities, and enable governing boards to operate effectively to improve educational outcomes.

You will also contribute to the strategic delivery of the governance service, developing training, resources and communications, overseeing programmes, and managing key stakeholder relationships. This includes promoting strong governance, safeguarding and equality standards, while supporting service development, income generation and continuous improvement.

What you’ll do - key responsibilities:

Join a dynamic and supportive team at which is central to supporting effective school governance, where you’ll play a vital role in ensuring strong, effective leadership across our schools. Working closely with the Service Manager and Governance Lead, you’ll provide expert advice and guidance to schools and governing boards, helping them meet their statutory responsibilities with confidence. From delivering key Local Authority functions, including Instruments of Government, to carrying out compliance checks and developing practical guidance, you’ll make a real difference in maintaining high standards and supporting best practice across the sector.

This is a varied and engaging role where customer service skills are key to relationship building. You’ll work collaboratively with schools, clerk, governance professionals, governors and trustees, while also having oversight of the annual training programme, developing resources, and supporting the arrangement of governance board reviews. Alongside supporting the service’s digital and communications activity, you’ll promote its offer and ensure safeguarding, equality, diversity and wellbeing remain central to everything we do. With line management responsibility and opportunities to shape service delivery and training, this is a fantastic opportunity to strengthen governance across our education community.

What we’re looking for – knowledge, experience & skills:

Essential

• Understanding of school and academy governance structures, roles and statutory responsibilities; Knowledge of relevant legislation, regulatory frameworks and compliance requirements relating to governance and safeguarding.
• Experience of providing advice, guidance or support to stakeholders in a governance, education or public sector setting; Experience of undertaking compliance or quality assurance activities, such as reviewing documentation or processes against statutory requirements.
• Educated to A-level standard or equivalent experience.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to provide clear, accurate and consistent advice both verbally and in writing; Ability to interpret legislation, policies and guidance and apply these in practical situations.
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities including training programmes, compliance activity and stakeholder support; Ability to build effective professional relationships with a wide range of stakeholders.

Desirable

• Knowledge of local authority governance services and traded service models; Awareness of current national developments and best practice in school governance and education policy.
• Experience of developing and delivering training, resources or guidance materials; Experience of working with governing boards, committees or senior stakeholders across education or public services.
• Relevant professional qualification in governance, education, legal studies or public administration; Evidence of continuous professional development in governance, compliance or training delivery.
• Ability to design and deliver training sessions or learning materials; Digital skills to manage websites, online resources and communications (e.g. newsletters, social media).

Additional Information: 

• Permanent. 29.6 hours over 4 days per week, 8.30am-4.30pm or 9am-5pm (flexi time scheme), very occasionally the post holder may be required to work during the early evening to cover admin support for training sessions which usually run 5.30-7.30pm.
• This role can be fully office based or hybrid (approximately 1-2 days per week in the office)
• 25 day’s annual leave (additional to bank holidays) - pro rata for part time
• This role involves the direct line management of the Senior Training Delivery Assistant and involves direct communication with colleagues/service users via telephone and email and includes cover of the responsive telephone helpline/ email inbox.
• This role does not have direct budget responsibility but does support and advise approx. 3000 individuals serving on governance boards who have responsibility for budgets ranging from several hundred thousand pounds to several million pounds. However, the delivery officer will have some responsibility regarding resources around income received for traded work, including training.
• Regretfully, we are unable to offer sponsorship for this role. We are only able to proceed with candidates who already have the right to work in the UK without the need for visa sponsorship

For an informal chat about the role, please contact Sarah Carter, Governance Lead, sarah.carter@somerset.gov.uk or 01823 358048.

Interviews to be held 14th July 2026

A full job description will be provided to shortlisted candidates or on request via recruitment@somerset.gov.uk, quoting reference 956/AB