LGR Governance and Research Lead

Future Suffolk / Suffolk County Council Address:
Endeavour House, Ipswich, Suffolk IP1 2BX
, Hybrid working

Salary:48,163 - 58,850 per annum

Hours:

37 hours per week, Flexible working options available

Contract:

Fixed Term or Secondment until 31 March 2028

Suffolk's councils are working together on one of the most ambitious change programmes the county has ever seen. Through Local Government Reorganisation (LGR), we're creating three new unitary councils and building the foundations for the future of local services across Suffolk. We're looking for talented people to join our programme team and play a key role in making that happen.

As our Governance and Research Lead, you’ll be at the centre of how the LGR Programme is governed and how key decisions are informed. You’ll ensure the governance framework works effectively across Suffolk’s councils, while providing the research, evidence and practical recommendations needed to support programme boards and senior leaders.

Your role and responsibilities

You'll act as the link between governance, evidence and decision-making across the programme. Alongside maintaining effective governance arrangements, you'll undertake research, analyse options and translate findings into practical recommendations that help programme leaders understand what information means, what the implications are and what actions may be required.

You will:

Own and maintain the programme governance framework, forward plan and board cycles.

Coordinate board papers, agendas, actions and decision records, ensuring activity is followed through.

Own the programme risk register, working with boards and work streams to identify, review and escalate risks.

Build trusted relationships across councils and with colleagues in legal, finance, internal audit and other corporate functions.

Undertake research and analysis to answer questions raised by programme boards and senior leaders.

Turn evidence and insight into clear briefings, practical recommendations and implementation considerations.

Identify gaps, implications and emerging issues that need further action or senior attention.

You will need

We’re looking for someone who combines a strong grasp of governance with excellent research and analytical skills. You’ll be process-minded and highly organised, but equally able to build relationships and make governance work for people across a complex partnership.

We hope you’ll bring:

Experience in managing governance arrangements for boards, committees, partnerships or complex programmes.

A strong understanding of governance, risk management and decision-making in local government or the wider public sector.

Experience working across organisational boundaries and building credibility with senior stakeholders.

Strong research and analytical skills, with the ability to draw together evidence from multiple sources.

Excellent report-writing skills and the ability to turn findings into clear, practical recommendations.

A proactive and solutions-focused approach, with the confidence to follow up actions and challenge where needed.

The ability to work independently, maintain attention to detail and keep pace in a fast-moving environment.

A commitment to using evidence and insight to support better decisions and outcomes for Suffolk’s communities.

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 Although hosted by Suffolk County Council, this is a genuinely system-wide role working across the full LGR system, bringing together multiple councils, disciplines and partners behind a single shared objective. The team act on behalf of all Suffolk councils and are accountable to the Future Suffolk Implementation Board.

You’ll join a newly established programme team, united by a shared commitment to delivering change that protects services for residents and creates strong, sustainable new councils.

For more information on LGR in Suffolk, please…