Corporate Services job family

Roles at this level carry out a number of straightforward support tasks within established routines in specific area of corporate services.

Focus is following established processes, with some experience required in relevant corporate services, or will learn procedures on the job.

 

Scope of Work

Role holders will carry out basic support services related to the specific corporate business unit. Role holders perform a range of simple, routine tasks within basic procedures and under regular supervision. Thinking involves reacting and responding to routine queries, issues or circumstances within a specific corporate service, but any unusual or non-routine queries are referred to others. Little latitude to plan outside of daily priorities, with an expectation to deliver within specific timescales. Communication skills involved in the relay and exchange of information.

 

Accountabilities/Responsibilities

• Inputs information onto specific systems, meeting deadlines and objectives set by others, focusing on accuracy and timescales to ensure that activities are undertaken in line with service objectives.
• Organises information according to existing procedures, checking/matching data to ensure accurate records are maintained.
• Runs straightforward or routine reports to support basic department procedures.
• Receives and responds to everyday enquiries referring anything outside their knowledge base to the appropriate person to resolve incoming queries effectively.

 

Skills, knowledge and experience

• Good literacy and numeracy, ability to use standard process or IT.
• Knowledge of relevant standards and processes governing area of work.
• Ability to prioritise own work to meet deadlines.
• Ability to deal with others, primarily on the basis of courteous exchange of information.
• Ability to use initiative and prioritise tasks within a broad routine.

Roles at this level provide a range of basic support services within a specific corporate field that requires a level of initiative and some knowledge of the systems and procedures in the work area. Focus is on accuracy and completeness.

 

Scope of Work

Role holders provide basic corporate services support by interpreting instructions and making a choice from an established set of methods or tools appropriate for the job. This is in order to deliver a specific service to a defined standard, clear specification or brief, to an agreed format and with specific (daily) deadlines. Role holders will be working within clearly established policies and procedures and will need to apply a degree of interpretation and identification of alternative solutions. Communication skills required for the relay and exchange of information, using tact and courtesy with all stakeholders.

 

Accountabilities/Responsibilities

• Works to established corporate services processes and procedures to deliver clear outcomes.
• Plans and prioritises own defined work activities to fit specified timescales, undertaking a number of activities within this specialised corporate field, balancing the needs of the team and stakeholders across the organisation.
• Use relevant corporate service systems and processes to take responsibility for a specific area of work from start to finish, working without close supervision.

 

Skills, knowledge and experience

• GCSE or Vocational equivalent, strong numeracy and literacy, proficient use of processes or IT.
• Knowledge of relevant systems, procedures and standards, gained through broad training and/or experience in a similar service environment.
• Experience working within a customer facing or support/administrative role.
• Ability to use IT systems and service specific software packages.
• Ability to use initiative to rearrange work activities to meet changing priorities or deadlines.
• Ability to deal with others and exchange varied information with a range of audiences.

Roles at this level add value to information and data by producing a range of reports and analysis within their specific corporate service, using standard templates and processes.

 

Scope of Work

Role holders provide basic corporate services support that concentrates on the exercise of specialist skills to support. functions/directorates/teams across the council using knowledge within the specific field of expertise. Although most work follows established patterns, initiative is needed to handle equipment or software and follow process to resolve problems and queries.

There will be an expectation to maintain an awareness of the activities happening across the team, or relevant corporate services area, reacting to changing priorities based on experience and judgement and without the need to refer to others. Communication skills will be involved in the relay and exchange of information, using tact and courtesy when liaising with others.

 

Accountabilities/Responsibilities

• Applies understanding of specific/specialist corporate services processes – used to undertake specific tasks and activities in related field to support corporate operations.
• Responds to and resolves enquiries and problems judging when to pass complex queries on or to involve others to aid the swift and effective resolution of issues. This may involve building awareness of processes within other services/directorates to understand requests and requirements which enables smooth running cross functional working.
• Delivers a range of corporate services processes to an agreed quality standard or specification for the council.
• May act as the local expert on a particular system, process or procedure ensuring that it runs smoothly to meet required targets for time, cost and/or quality.
• Delivers specialised corporate support services at a basic level, delivering to meet set objectives.

 

Skills, knowledge and experience

• GCSE or Vocational equivalent, strong numeracy and literacy, proficient use of processes or IT.
• Understanding of specialised processes and methods gained through relevant training and experience.
• Proficient in the use of standard IT software packages e.g. Word and Excel.
• Able to plan own work over short timescales for routine or familiar tasks and processes.
• Ability to deal with others and exchange varied information with a range of audiences.

Roles at this level provide standard corporate services support, using basic relevant techniques and processes to provide analysis, hold others to account and to deliver routine corporate services to the organisation.

 

Scope of Work

Role holders at this level will carry out routine corporate services support in a specific area of specialism. Role holders will work under supervision of more senior members of the team and will operate with limited guidance and instructions so that initiative and judgement are required to determine how to address and resolve daily problems. There is discretion to determine short-term priorities for self (and maybe others). The role holder will be expected to use relevant understanding of technical area to work independently and provide specialist support to the organisation linked to area of expertise. Ensuring that they keep on top of all related activities across the council. Communication skills will be involved in giving technical advice or guidance within specialised area, and liaising with a number of stakeholders, in some cases, holding others to account on timelines and outcomes.

 

Accountabilities/Responsibilities

• Provides corporate services support on the basis of previous experience and knowledge of relevant methods, processes, systems and facts to deliver specialised support to a particular area of the council with defined outcomes.
• Performs straightforward analysis, manipulation and interpretation of data, using specialist software and knowledge to support corporate operations.
• Provides corporate services support to more senior colleagues, both within the same area of specialism, or straightforward support or advice to those externally to the team.
• Plans and prioritises own defined daily work activities related to the project in hand.
• May monitor and process financial information and review financial data.

 

Skills, knowledge and experience

• Good level of education: GCSE, A-level or Vocational equivalent. Relevant vocational qualification or technical training. May be working towards a professional qualification.
• Clear understanding of the relevant work practices, processes and procedures relevant to the area.
• Experience of specialist software, related to a specific corporate service, such as accounting software or procurement portals.
• Understanding of the service objectives and outcomes.
• Able to plan own work over short timescales for routine or familiar tasks and processes.
• Ability to communicate and help others to understand corporate processes and how they relate to different service areas in the council.

Roles at this level diagnose complex problems and provides specialist advice, including possible courses of action. Takes on the more complex problems and guides less experienced colleagues.

 

Scope of Work

An entrant level in a professional discipline, role holders will have a workload requiring the application of both applied and some theoretical knowledge within a specific discipline – support the delivery of sound corporate advice across the council. Reasoned application of methods, systems and procedures based on a thorough understanding gained through significant experience will be the hallmark to the support given to colleagues.

Time horizons are focused on hours to days and will focus on specific queries. Role holders will provide analysis, interpretation and reasoned advice based on a level of theoretical understanding of methods, systems and procedures. It does not, however, require a level of understanding to design or fundamentally change the process.

Good communication skills will be required in order to liaise with others, providing technical advice or guidance within particular field.

 

Accountabilities/Responsibilities

• Uses understanding of relevant processes and systems within specialist area to prepare reports and other materials using standard and non-standard formats and software.
• Analyses and presents information, drawing conclusions and identifying trends, with an expectation to have a view on external best practice within particular area of corporate services and how that links to council’s services.
• Provide information and practical, routine advice to the team and other areas of the council by interpreting established procedures and applying best practice within their specific field.
• Provide specialist or procedural guidance and resolve non-standard issues for more junior non-technical staff to ensure corporate support issues are effectively resolved.
• Responds to and resolves enquiries and problems, judging when to pass complex queries on to or involve others to deliver a comprehensive and professional service to internal stakeholders.
• Keep up-to-date with changes in policy/legislation/contractual requirements to ensure that the corporate service complies with changes and also continues to support the wider organisation. 

 

Supervisory

• Sets short-term work priorities for other staff (if applicable) and act as an escalation point.
• May monitor and control financial information and review financial data to contribute to management of budgets.

 

Individual

• Applies detailed understanding of methods, systems and procedures to analyse and interpret information and provide reasoned advice rather than conveying simple facts.

 

Skills, knowledge and experience

• Recognised vocational qualification plus broad experience in area of expertise or degree qualified. May be working towards a professional qualification or be of graduate entry level with sound practical experience.
• Detailed knowledge of the practical application of specialised processes/procedures relevant to the role, typically gained through extensive practical experience.
• In depth understanding of the relevant legislation and regulations which apply to the service area.
• Understanding of the organisation’s political environment.
• Able to organise own work, or plan ahead for others, taking account of priorities and the impact on other people.
• Ability to work independently within a framework of systems/procedures.
• Ability to review available data and identify cause and effect and choose the best solution from a range of known alternatives.
• Ability to communicate and cause understanding in others.

Roles at this level provide specialist advice and/or professional delivery within a specific organisational unit by producing analysis, research, outputs, facilitation or information in line with existing policies and procedures.

Roles at this level tend to be the highest level of practical skill or ‘junior-professional’ level within a career track. This level may represent the final step before deeper conceptual knowledge is needed to create methods or processes from first principles.

 

Scope of Work

Role holders at this level will be qualified professionals providing specialist professional services and advice internally and externally within own specialist area.

Role holders work within established frameworks and procedures but have freedom to interpret them to solve problems. Thinking is about selecting the correct level/source of advice from established procedure/practices – rather than developing new ones, and they may be working within a specific sub-set of their professional discipline.

The focus is on owning the advice and ensuring that the council gets the correct and most relevant support on key corporate issues. Support is available and proposed solutions can be readily checked. Focus is over days to weeks ahead, with activities undertaken broadly similar in nature. Good communication skills are required to provide technical advice in specialist area of corporate services to a number of stakeholders, and potentially to supervise more junior members of staff.

 

Accountabilities/Responsibilities

• Selects and applies the most appropriate level of advice and/or analysis for solutions, interpreting data and/or producing required outputs such as reports.
• Collate and analyse service / area information under set parameters to support decision making at more senior levels within a specific area of the business.
• Provides technical information and interpretation of existing policies and procedures to others, so that they can understand how best to work within the defined ways of working.
• Reviews and analyses information within own area or discipline to identify potential risk or areas for improvement.
• Provide training, mentoring and guidance to less experienced colleagues or other parts of the organisation so that they understand the service area processes or so that they are able to develop the necessary skills to deliver in their role.

 

Managerial

• Provides technical guidance to colleagues, and this may involve supervising a small team of more junior roles.• Support and guide others in the use of specialist processes, systems and work methods in order to support the development and delivery of the corporate service. • May monitor and control financial information and review financial data to contribute to financial planning.

 

Professional

• Role holders will undertake specified technical/professional support tasks of varying complexity to support senior colleagues in the solution to business issues, supporting key corporate and projects.

 

Skills, knowledge and experience

• Recognised vocational or professional qualification plus broad experience in area of expertise, and/or degree qualified. May be working towards a professional qualification or be of graduate entry level with sound practical experience.
• Detailed knowledge of own service area and relevant working systems, equipment and/or IT software, plus an awareness of council policies and services related to the role.
• Understanding of the organisation’s political environment.
• Broad relevant experience acquired through a combination of job specific training and considerable on-the-job experience.
• Able to seek out and examine a range of information to identify patterns, trends and options, to solve more multifaceted problems.
• Ability to provide advice, communicate, and cause understanding at different levels across the organisation.
• Ability to informally train and mentor less experienced colleagues.

Roles at this level provide specialist professional or technical analysis and support or lead a team providing routine procedural support within a specific part of the organisation.

Focuses on understanding a wide range of procedures and policies and navigates a path through them to advise on appropriate solutions.

 

Scope of Work

Role holder is a qualified professional providing advice internally and externally within a broad, specialist, corporate area. Typically, accountable for the quality and professionalism of others, and they be managing a small, junior-professional staff team or they are an individual professional delivering a workload, for which they have a standalone responsibility.

Role holders advise council directorates about specific areas of expertise (e.g. legal, human resources, finance) on ‘what’ and ‘how’ needs to be done (which will have a significant degree of complexity). The emphasis is on immediate solutions and there is a need to know the way around a wide range of procedures within their function and discipline. Although procedures exist, they will need to manage changing priorities and use professional judgment to respond to differing situations, whilst providing feedback on how processes work and what doesn’t.

Communication skills are required to relay technical or specialist advice relating to area of specialism, or to line manage a small team of para-professionals, undertaking activities which are similar in nature.

 

Accountabilities/Responsibilities

• Undertakes specific assignments or tasks within their professional specialism, under guidance or within the framework of defined business processes or procedures to deliver high quality corporate services to the internal customer.
• Identifies opportunities for procedural improvements and determines the most appropriate course of action in specific situations to ensure that the council remains forward thinking and innovative.
• Provides expert professional advice within particular area of specialism, to a number of stakeholders to support the council’s smooth running.
• Build relationships across the council and also with external organisations, to enable the sharing of information and best practice, and collaborative working arrangements.

 

Managerial

• Provides line management to a small team who are generally undertaking similar duties. This will include translating wider objectives into detailed activities for their team, and monitoring performance against this.
• May support the control of budgets to deliver service priorities and to ensure appropriate resources are available.

 

Professional

• Role provides specialist and professional advice within technical area to internal customers, to help them understand appropriate courses of action in their own department.

 

Skills, knowledge and experience

• Typically degree qualified (or equivalent) in relevant subject plus number of years’ experience in a similar role or significant vocational experience, demonstrating development through involvement in a series of progressively more demanding relevant roles. Formal professional qualification (where relevant).
• Up to date and thorough knowledge and understanding of the work practices, systems, processes and procedures relevant to the role, and a good understanding of the council policies and services related to the role.
• Understanding of the organisation’s political environment and able to explain the formal political structures and decision making processes in the council.
• Significant experience in a similar role, demonstrating professional development through involvement in a series of progressively demanding roles.
• Able to seek out and examine a range of information to identify patterns, trends and options, to solve multifaceted and complex problems.
• Able to organise their own work, and/or plan ahead for others, taking account of priorities and the impact on other people.
• Ability to communicate and cause understanding at different levels across the organisation. They will also require the ability to direct and motivate staff to achieve objectives and support the function and wider council teams.

Roles at this level manage elements of high complexity corporate services to deliver complete solutions and expert advice in area of specialism to contribute to the delivery of corporate plans and wider organisational benefits.

 

Scope of Work

Role holders will be expected to work on complex, yet defined corporate issues, with expectation to oversee the work of more junior professionals within corporate services, linked to a similar area of expertise. Role holders will need to know the way around a wide range of procedures and use these to fit each local situation as they arise.

Although corporate frameworks, procedures and processes exist, roles are required to challenge how the service is delivered and make proposals for service planning. 

Communication skills will be required to provide advice and technical guidance within specific area of specialism, managing streams of activities, to use expertise in corporate services to deliver outputs, liaising with a number of stakeholders to deliver required outputs.

 

Accountabilities/Responsibilities

• Provide professional advisory support and counsel to customers by being the focal point of contact within a team, adapting advice as required to the specific context, to ensure that there is alignment between policy and practice.
• Work with a number of stakeholders to deliver complex and broad corporate services to a number of stakeholders at differing levels across the organisation to support smooth operations.
• Apply agreed standards to corporate services, identifying improvements and developments locally, and making policy recommendations which are influenced by best in class externally.
• Build relationships with internal and external stakeholders/customers to proactively collaborate to optimise an efficient, expert and effective service delivery that supports wider business objectives.

 

Managerial

• Supervises or manages a medium sized team to provide specialist corporate services to the organisation.
• Motivate and coach lower level colleagues, identifying their development needs and supporting their progression through career steps.
• Manage allocated budgets and other resources (such as equipment or buildings) to deliver the agreed results.

 

Professional

• Provides specialist corporate services to particular area of the council, often ensuring that they bring an external perspective to internal issues.
• Contribute to policy development and planning processes, compiling analyses and forecasts as required to support the decision-making process and contribute to keeping the organisation within legislation, regulations and effective practice.

 

Skills, knowledge and experience

• Typically professionally qualified and/or relevant degree (or equivalent), plus substantial experience or substantial vocational experience demonstrating development through involvement in a series of progressively demanding roles. Formal professional qualification (where relevant).
• Up to date and authoritative knowledge of the work practices, systems, processes and procedures relevant to the role, and able to apply this knowledge in new and varied circumstances.
• Broader understanding of the public sector and the issues that it faces.
• Organisation and political awareness, and the ability to understand the political implications for certain decisions and provide advice and guidance for political representatives.
• Able to seek out and examine a range of information to identify patterns, trends and options, to solve multifaceted and complex problems.
• Able to organise their own work, and/or plan ahead for others, taking account of priorities and the impact on other people.
• Ability to influence and provide specialist guidance and advice to others, including the ability to motivate.

Roles at this level are highly competent professionals providing expert professional services and advice to customers within a broad specialist area. They may also be accountable for the quality and professionalism of others, such as a team of professionals.

Roles apply their professional discipline to the analysis and resolution of problems. Focus is on the interpretation and tactical application of policy to suit local needs.

 

Scope of Work

Role holders will be concerned with the provision of professional services across parts of the council, using expertise and experience to interpret and tactically apply core professional policy to support departmental needs, and to ensure that policies are satisfactorily applied to a particular area or group of clients/customers. Thinking is often focused on providing expert support to specific parts of the organisation, and in order to contribute to wider policy decisions, role holders will appreciate how policies impact locally.

Recommendations for development of the service will be required and focussed on identifying emerging trends so that improvements can be made. Thinking at this level takes place within an existing professional/policy framework but these are guidelines rather than rules and leave scope for discriminating application. 

Excellent communication skills are needed to work as a partner to areas of the organisation, to understand local requirements and to translate these into reality. This will involve persuasion, influence and motivating others to behave in new ways and enact change.

 

Accountabilities/Responsibilities

• Act as technical/professional lead, monitoring and providing guidance on the most complex areas of the service within their focused area, and partnering with critical parts of the organisation.
• Reviews and analyses specified issues, offering support to identify the best technical/professional solution to issues. recommendations to improve the delivery of the professional service.
• Undertake high level, complex analysis to interpret trends and develop recommendations for improvements to ways of working that will enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of the discipline.
• Represents the council as a subject matter expert with suppliers, customers and external agencies.
• Where appropriate, deliver specific projects under appropriate direction to help ensure the continued development of their respective professional service and the wider organisation.

 

Managerial

• Determines work plans for a team of professionals and coordinates input from others within a professional support service to meet specific objectives.
• Develop, manage and motivate a team of corporate service professionals so that they can deliver high standards of partnering and services to other areas of the council, monitoring performance and employing coaching and training.
• Manage the control of budgets to deliver service priorities.

 

Professional

• Makes technical/professional recommendations which have noticeable impact on local organisational performance.
• Provide expert level advice dealing with counterparts and senior colleagues to support effective operational delivery and ensure due consideration is given to service implications.

 

Skills, knowledge and experience

• Typically professionally qualified/relevant degree (or equivalent), plus substantial experience. Management qualification (if required).
• Up to date and authoritative knowledge of the work practices, systems, processes and procedures relevant to the role, and able to apply this knowledge in new and varied circumstances.
• An awareness of broader developments and emerging trends in their field and the wider public sector.
• Organisational and political acumen and the ability to understand the political implications for certain decisions and provide advice and guidance for political representatives.
• Experience of leading others, with the ability to coach and direct manage a team.
• Financial and budgetary planning and management skills.
• Ability to organise own work and plan ahead for others, taking account of priorities and the impact on other people.
• Strong analysis skills and the ability seek out and examine a range of information to identify patterns, trends and options, to solve multifaceted and complex problems.
• Ability to build and maintain effective networks and relationships and influence others. 

Roles at this level provide authoritative advice to provide expertise to a wider directorate. Focus is on providing broad expertise, being a lead advisor or specialist within a discipline. They input into wider strategy but mainly expected to define new processes or procedures, covered by strategic direction.

 

Scope of Work

Role holders will be senior level professionals within the council, required to lead corporate support service teams across the Directorate within their field of expertise.

Role holders will use the professional insight to contribute to corporate policies, providing specialist advice on development and implementation. The majority of the role will be concerned with the current business planning cycle (one year), but roles will provide broader advice on longer term developments.

Solutions to problems will be designed to meet set objectives in line with existing internal or external practices and advice needs to fit with existing internal/external objectives. Work will typically be bound by existing frameworks however; role holders would be expected to use their insight to provide specific improvement advice to current services.

Excellent communication skills to influence and negotiate at a high level across the council.

 

Accountabilities/Responsibilities

• As the lead expert in this area, draw on significant professional and technical expertise to provide advice and guidance to council department managers on a range of complex issues that fall within the professional corporate services remit. Issues may fall outside of established policies or procedures and require the ability to propose new policies/procedures which respond to best practice and new risks and opportunities.
• Provide expert level advice, making recommendations and dealing with counterparts and senior colleagues to support effective operational delivery and ensure due consideration is given to business implications.
• Monitor developments and identify new approaches and/or techniques to enhance efficiency and the business impact of the function.
• Play a key role in encouraging the ongoing professional development of others to ensure the availability of appropriate expertise and enable the full delivery of the team objectives.
• Support business units and departments in shaping how they can deliver their own priorities, through the provision of a county, community, and colleague focused corporate partnering service. 

 

Managerial

• Oversight and management of a team of professionals with a degree of diversity of activity, and an expectation to integrate across these activities.
• Develop, manage and motivate a team of corporate service professionals to deliver excellence in business partnering, through ongoing coaching and management of performance.
• Lead on annual planning for the corporate service area, translating council and directorate objectives into clear plans for service performance.
• Manage the control of budgets to deliver service priorities.

 

Professional

• Role provides high level, professional level expertise to stakeholders both internally and externally, inputting into policy and strategy.
• Lead on the scoping and provision of design of medium to large change initiatives which seek to achieve service improvements or support the organisational improvement. 

 

Skills, knowledge and experience

• Typically professionally qualified/relevant degree (or equivalent), plus substantial experience. Management qualification (if required).
• Highly developed knowledge of the principles, theory and practice of specialist area.
• Deep and broad understanding of the public sector and the challenges that it faces, with an understanding of best in class in this field.
• Strong organisational and political acumen, combined with understanding of context and the politics present within the council, and with partners and providers.
• Experience of leading diverse professional staff/project teams with the ability to coach and mentor.
• Ability to scan horizon and understand implications of broader local government trends for the service, to solve multifaceted and complex problems.
• Able to develop and lead on the delivery of joined up solutions across a range of stakeholders/customers/partners to deliver benefits to customers and efficiencies in public sector service delivery.
• Ability to develop and review the implementation of annual plans for a work group or function, taking account of business and customer requirements and reconciling competing demands.
• Ability to develop long term relationships and networks external to the council, to influence and change behaviour.