Business Officer

Company Description

Gwynedd Council offers an attractive employment package, for more information please click on this Information Pack
Gwynedd Council operates internally through the medium of Welsh, and offers all its services bilingually. The applicant will be required to reach the linguistic level noted as one of the essential skills in the Person Specification.
We encourage everyone who applies for a job with Gwynedd Council to submit job applications in Welsh or bilingually.
(Applications submitted in English only or Welsh only will always be treated equally, but we ask applicants to consider carefully what the linguistic requirements of the job in question is and if it would be more appropriate to submit an application in Welsh.)
For further information about this post please contact Elen Foulkes ar 01248 352 436
Interview date to be confirmed.
Application forms and further details available from Support Service, Gwynedd Council, Council Offices, Caernarfon, LL55 1SH
Tel: 01286 679076
E-Mail: [email protected]
CLOSING DATE: 26/06/2025
The Council will request a Disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service for the successful candidate.
If you are successful to be short listed for an interview you will be contacted by E-MAIL using the address provided on your application form. You need to ensure that you check your email regularly.

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES

Essential

• Able to work and mix easily with people.

• Able to deal with people confidently, calmly, and courteously.

• Able to work under pressure and as part of a team.

• Flexible attitude with the ability to work alone.

• A neat and orderly person who can prioritise work as needed and shows initiative.

• Able to present accurate and tidy work regularly.

Desirable

• (No entries listed)

QUALIFICATIONS AND RELEVANT TRAINING

Essential

• A degree in a relevant qualification

• Three GCSEs (grade A–C), including Welsh and English

• ECDL qualification or corresponding qualification in the use of computers and analysis

Desirable

• Data Protection

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE

Essential

• Experience of establishing systems for performance management

• Experience of processing invoices, financial forms, and monitoring expenditure

• Experience of communicating with individuals and groups on a broad level

• Experience of working to a tight schedule

• Experience of implementing and monitoring schemes, including grants from different funding sources

• Experience of analysing performance indicators for monitoring reports

Desirable

• A background of working as a member of a team, and also as an unsupervised individual

• Experience of presenting information to meetings

• Experience of working in an office

• Experience of minute-taking in meetings

SKILLS AND SPECIALIST KNOWLEDGE

Essential

• Good and firm communication skills and the ability to communicate effectively with people, respecting the need for confidentiality

• Good computer skills – use of Windows programs (Word, Excel, Access, Outlook)

• Introduction and training skills

• Excellent customer care skills

• Skills for arranging and prioritising

• Use of a car and a full current driving licence

Desirable

• Use of Power BI

• Understanding of the Early Years sector

LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS

Essential

Listening and Speaking – Higher Level

• Able to follow a conversation or discussion through the medium of Welsh and English on a professional level and discuss general day-to-day topics in the field

• Able to present information and express opinions

• Able to give a pre-prepared presentation and respond to any comments and questions in Welsh or English

Reading and Understanding – Higher Level

• Able to understand standard written Welsh and English, both formal and informal

• Able to gather information from various sources such as letters, reports, and articles in Welsh and English to fulfil the post

Writing – Higher Level

• Able to present written information confidently by letter, more detailed and technical report formats

• Able to respond to written requests conveying information, ideas, and opinions in Welsh and English

• (Help is available to check the work)

Purpose of Post

• Ensure that the people of Gwynedd are at the centre of everything we do.

• Procure, monitor, collate data, evaluate information and funding for all programmes in the Early Years Unit.

• Create and maintain databases and spreadsheets for monitoring purposes.

Responsibility for Resources (e.g. staff, budgets, equipment)

• Laptop

Main Duties

• Support the development of the Unit’s data and monitoring systems. Ensure a good understanding of the systems and be prepared to provide support and training to others.

• Support the co-ordination of the systems in relation to the Quality Management scheme within the Unit and provide performance reports as required.

• Ensure an understanding and the accuracy of data on the Unit’s Data Dashboard – Power BI.

• Support the development and production of Service Level Agreements with partner organisations, coordinating monitoring and evaluation arrangements, maintenance records, compliance with key policies and procedures and providing statistical and outcomes data.

• Assist the Senior Officer in ensuring that the Unit’s revenue and capital grants register is up to date and that actions are completed within the time limits.

• Work with the Council’s Procurement Officers to implement the commissioning and contracting procedure within the Unit.

• Follow the Unit’s monitoring and funding work programme and ensure that the monitoring reports submitted are correct and consistent.

• Assist service providers to satisfy their monitoring, assessment and recording requirements and provide training on such aspects when required.

• Conduct annual or termly monitoring visits with providers to assess compliance with the terms of contracts.

• Work alongside Unit officers to draft performance and financial reports for the Unit.

• Contribute to any national evaluation of services relating to the Children and Communities Grant and other grants and ensure consistency and coordination with local Performance Measures for all the grant’s projects.

• Assist the Senior Business Officer with the financial systems of the Early Years Unit and support with drafting financial plans and monitoring reports.

• Assist the Senior Business Officer to regularly monitor and re-profile the budget.

• Support the work of submitting financial claims and performance reports according to the Welsh Government’s timetable.

• Discuss and meet with a Senior Accountant from the Finance Unit prior to submitting claims as required.

• Monitor, verify and process the Unit’s payments, such as the additional childcare interventions, nursery childcare payments, and report as required.

• Collaborate with the administrative team to reconcile accounts with the Unit’s orders.

• Maintain the Early Years database and ensure that accurate information is available as required by Officers and the Welsh Government to support the grant conditions and audit requirements.

• Work closely with internal IT officers to maintain, develop and adapt the system as required.

• Assist the Senior Officer in maintaining close collaboration with Health Managers and Administrators of Flying Start and Families First, particularly regarding data transfer from Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board and childcare settings.

• Ensure accuracy of data requirements relating to child assessments and Children and Communities Grant registration forms by monitoring data quality and producing reports as required.

• Support the administrative team with complex childcare applications and liaise with the Team Leader.

• Conduct research into suitable methods of delivering the Children and Communities Grant programme to the target audience.

• Provide training on the data systems for Unit officers.

• Be a point of contact for the Government in respect of data-sharing projects such as SAIL and implement requirements according to grant terms.

• Train and mentor external providers on new requirements for gathering and presenting data.

• Follow the Senior Officer’s instructions for delegating work tasks to other officers as required.

• Provide performance and financial reports to the Flying Start Management Board and the Children and Supporting Families Department.

• Provide data on progress toward Flying Start and Early Years outcomes.

• Assist the Senior Officer in ensuring that children and families are part of the planning and delivery of the Children and Communities Grant by analysing questionnaires and feedback to inform monitoring reports.

• Maintain confidentiality and promote anti-discriminatory practice in all departmental work.

• Attend North Wales and All Wales task groups as appropriate and provide the latest information to the Unit regarding Welsh Government directives and guidelines.

• Assist in developing WASPI procedures for ongoing data exchange with all Early Years stakeholders.

• Responsible for self-development.

• Ensure compliance with Health and Safety rules in the workplace in line with the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Council’s Health and Safety Policy.

• Operate within the Council’s policies on equal opportunities and equality.

• Manage information according to the Council’s information management standards and ensure personal data is treated in accordance with Data Protection legislation.

• Commit to reducing the Council’s carbon emissions as per the Carbon Management Plan and encourage others to act positively toward this goal.

• Undertake any other reasonable duties in line with the job’s salary and responsibility level.

• Report any concern or suspicion that a child or vulnerable adult is being abused.

Special Circumstances

Employment:

• Working Hours: 37 hours per week

• There will be a need to work unsociable hours occasionally