A Combined Authority in the North West is seeking an experienced Interim Electoral Services Manager to lead the planning and delivery of upcoming Mayoral and Combined Authority elections.
This is a unique opportunity for an experienced elections professional to take ownership of a high-profile electoral programme, working closely with senior leadership and constituent authorities to ensure full operational readiness ahead of a major election cycle.
The assignment will begin very flexibly with remote and ad hoc hours being considered up until a few months before the elections in May
Key Responsibilities
- Lead the end-to-end planning and delivery of Combined Authority and Mayoral elections
- Act as the lead advisor to senior leadership on electoral law, compliance, operational planning and risk management
- Develop election delivery plans, timetables and assurance frameworks to ensure statutory deadlines are met
- Coordinate nominations, polling arrangements, verification, count processes and final declarations
- Work closely with constituent local authority elections teams to ensure consistent delivery standards across the wider region
- Manage relationships with external stakeholders including the Electoral Commission, police, contractors and venue providers
- Oversee election staffing, training, mobilisation and operational readiness across all delivery teams
- Ensure compliance with all electoral legislation, guidance and governance requirements throughout the process
- Manage budgets, procurement activity and supplier relationships linked to election delivery
- Lead post-election reviews and continuous improvement planning following completion of the election cycle
Candidate Profile
We are looking to speak with experienced elections professionals who have:
- Significant experience managing local authority or large-scale electoral operations
- Strong working knowledge of UK electoral legislation and Electoral Commission requirements
- Experience coordinating multi-stakeholder election delivery programmes
- The ability to work strategically during planning stages while remaining hands-on operationally closer to live election delivery
- Previous experience working within local government, combined authorities or complex public sector environments
This is an excellent opportunity to secure a long-term interim assignment with flexibility upfront, before moving into a key leadership role delivering a major electoral programme ahead of the May elections.