Town Clerk / Chief Officer

About the job

Key information

Applications must be returned by 10 April 2026

Location: Shaftesbury Town Hall, The High St, Shaftesbury SP7 8LY

Salary: SCP 37-41: £48,226 – £52,413

Full-time, 37 hours per week Monday to Friday – including some evenings, weekends and Bank Holidays as required

Do you want to live and work in a beautiful part of the country with a high quality of life and lead a vibrant and committed Town Council that is ambitious to make life even better for its community?

What will I be doing?

As Chief Officer and Town Clerk, you’ll join a collaborative, forward-thinking team of councillors and staff, and have a clear mandate to make Shaftesbury an even better place to live and work. You’ll be an excellent leader and manager, and experienced and successful in steering through organisational change.

All Town Clerks need to have strong diplomatic skills, be comfortable in presenting and persuading others in a variety of situations and know that good governance is at the heart of running competent councils. You will be no exception.

What kind of experience or qualifications do I need?

We’re looking for a confident, highly competent leader who brings sound judgement, political awareness and the ability to navigate complexity with calmness and emotional intelligence.

You’re likely to have experience of working successfully at a senior level in local government in either the parish sector or in principal authorities. Professional qualifications are welcome but most of all you need to be a strong leader with a proven commitment to improving the lives of communities.

What is in it for me?

• Membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme
• Flexible working arrangements and a strong focus on well-being with access to independent counselling, coaching and mentoring services
• A relocation package
• An expectation of continued professional development, sector engagement and, if necessary, an expectation to achieve the CiLCA qualification

Supporting documents and information

If you are ready for the next challenge in a beautiful part of the country we look forward to hearing from you.

For the full candidate pack contact our Local Council Consultancy Associate pauldavidwynne@gmail.com.

Closing date for applications: 10 April 2026 (by 11.59pm)
Interviews in person: 27 April 2026

Apply now