In this new role, you’ll be part of a team helping councils and public bodies strengthen governance, scrutiny and democratic accountability.
About CfGS
CfGS is a small national charity working with one of the most important – and fastest-changing – parts of democracy in England: local government.
The challenges councils face – financial strain, devolution, reorganisation, rising complexity and changing expectations – are all, in different ways, questions about how decisions are made, how power is exercised and how people and institutions are held to account.
At CfGS, our work is all about helping councils and other public bodies navigate those questions. We work to strengthen governance, scrutiny, accountability and democratic practice – working with councillors, officers, public bodies and national partners to improve how democratic institutions work in practice.
We are now looking for a Project Officer to join our team and help us deliver, develop and communicate that work.
About the role
This is a role for someone who is curious about how democracy, local government and public services work – and wants the opportunity to get involved.
You might be early in your career or bringing relevant experience from another setting. Perhaps you have worked in local government, politics, a charity, policy, research or communications – or developed strong project and organisational skills elsewhere.
We are open to different backgrounds and routes into the role.
You will work as part of CfGS project teams on live consultancy, learning and thought leadership work with councils and partners. You will help us plan and deliver workshops, training sessions, events, research, client projects and communications.
This is not a traditional back-office administrative role – although being organised and attentive to detail will matter. You will get close to the real work of democratic institutions: how decisions are made, how elected members are supported, how councils manage risk, how accountability works and how governance can enable – or frustrate – change.
What you’ll bring
We are looking for someone who is curious, organised and motivated to learn.
You will have strong written and communication skills, enjoy working with others and be able to gather information, make sense of evidence and communicate it clearly. You will be comfortable managing different tasks and priorities, have good attention to detail and be confident using digital tools and learning new ways of working.
You do not need to arrive as a governance expert, or to have followed a particular academic or career path. What matters is your curiosity, judgement, organisation and commitment to work that strengthens governance, accountability and democratic practice.
Why join CfGS?
CfGS is a small organisation with a national reach. You will contribute to work with councils and public bodies on important questions about governance, scrutiny and democratic accountability.
The work is varied. One week you might be helping prepare a workshop with councillors, researching an emerging issue or supporting a client project. The next you could be contributing to a publication, organising a learning event or helping communicate our work to a wider audience.
You will join a friendly, supportive and collaborative team. We are a home-based organisation, with regular team contact, project meetings, one-to-ones and plenty of informal collaboration.
Most importantly, this is a role in which you can learn. You will build experience across project delivery, research, communications, consultancy support and public sector governance while contributing to work with a clear public purpose.
How to apply
If you are curious about how democracy and public services work in practice – and want to help make them work better – we would like to hear from you.
Download the job description now
Please send a CV, a brief summary of your skills and experience (reflecting the job description and person specification), and a short note explaining why you want the job and your reason for applying, to info@cfgs.org.uk, marked “Project Officer”, by 9am on Monday 3 August 2026.
Timetable
- Application deadline: 9am, Monday 27 July, 2026
- Shortlisting completed by: 31 July, 2026
- Interviews (online): week commencing 14 August 2026, flexible on exact date/time
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