[ref. q59574801] Democratic Services & Engagement Lead

Manchester city centre - hybrid working with 2 days a week in the office and some evening and weekend work

At Co-op we do things differently. We're owned by our 5.8m members and exist to create value for them. Our members and their voice are at the heart of the decisions we make. Member-owners shape and influence Co-op directly and by voting for other member-owners to represent their interests on our Board and Council.

Our Council and Democracy team work for member-owners by making sure their voice is heard, enabling them to choose and connect with their elected representatives locally and nationally and supporting Council to represent their interests in the decisions our Co-op makes.

You'll connect directly with our 5.8 million member-owners and work closely with our National Members' Council, Board, and senior leaders, providing a fantastic opportunity to make a positive impact on everything Co-op stands for.

• Lead a team to design and deliver member-centric formal and informal democratic processes so our member-owners can elect and engage with the Board directors and Council members who represent them
• Come up with innovative solutions to drive member engagement and participation with our democracy so that member-owners feel empowered to exercise their ownership rights
• Manage our key democratic events making sure that they're engaging and all elections and motions are carried out to high standards of administration in line with our democratic principles and objectives
• Make sure that member-owners have timely and relevant access to information about how their Co-op is run, how decisions are made and how they're at the heart of decision making
• Oversee the development of candidates who are representatives of our Council and Board, making sure they have the right skills and knowledge to support them in moving into an elected position
• Work closely with the Board, Council and business leaders to establish priorities for member democratic support to drive business performance

• Significant experience of leading large scale democratic processes and working with elected members
• Knowledge of electoral and democratic processes and innovation in large complex organisations
• Strong commercial acumen with the ability to bring fresh ideas and new ways of working
• Experience of working with external suppliers
• Previous line management experience and experience of working within a matrix organisation
• Excellent relationship building and influencing skills up to executive and Board level

Why Co-op?

Here you'll do work that matters. We're a commercial organisation with a purpose beyond profit, you'll have an opportunity to help us build a stronger Co-op and stronger communities. You'll also get a package that includes:

• competitive salary
• private healthcare
• company car or car allowance
• coaching, training, and support to help you develop
• pension with up to 10% employer contributions
• annual incentive scheme
• 28 days holiday plus bank holidays (rising to 32 in line with service)
• discounts on Co-op products and services

Building an inclusive work environment

We're actively building diverse teams and we welcome applications from everyone. We want to build inclusive work environments, where our colleagues have equal opportunities to reach their full potential. We celebrate our differences, and recognise the importance of our teams reflecting the communities they serve.

If you have a disability, we can make reasonable adjustments to our recruitment process according to your needs. We're also part of the Disability Confident scheme, meaning we'll always offer an interview to disabled candidates who apply through the scheme if they meet the minimum criteria for a job.

We'll ask whether you'd like to be considered under the Disability Confident scheme when you apply.

If we invite you to take part in the recruitment process for any of our jobs, we'll ask you if you need any reasonable adjustments to enable you to participate.

You can find out more about our recruitment process at jobs.coop.co.uk/apply-process.

You can find out more about the Disability Confident scheme and all our commitments to diversity and inclusion at colleagues.coop.co.uk/diversity-inclusion-and-wellbeing.

As part of your application, you'll need to complete an online assessment. This assessment typically takes between 45-60 minutes. If you're a current Co-op colleague, this does not need to be completed.