About the job

Job summary

We are looking for a Private Secretary to the Clerk of the Parliaments to join our Clerk of the Parliaments’ Office in the House of Lords. This is a varied position where you will advise and support the Clerk of the Parliaments by undertaking a range of duties including undertaking research, producing written and oral briefings, drafting and/or commenting on papers, as well as managing the Private Office and ensuring all functions are working effectively and efficiently.

This is an opportunity to work onsite at Parliament! This is an exciting opportunity for someone who enjoys a fast-paced, dynamic working environment and likes working with a variety of teams and individuals to effectively deliver essential tasks, projects and initiatives.

Job description

You’ll be accountable for –

• Providing private office support to the Clerk of the Parliaments, including drafting correspondence, commissioning work from other colleagues, note-taking at meetings and following up progress where necessary.

 

• Managing the Clerk of the Parliaments’ workload to ensure the efficient and effective use of time and delivery against responsibilities. Acting as the first port of call, whenever possible, for Members, Heads of Office and others.

 

• Leading and managing the Private Office for the Clerk of the Parliaments, ensuring office processes such as diary, inbox and records management are delivered to a high quality.

 

• Working with the Communications team and, with their advice, managing the Clerk of the Parliaments’ communications with Members and colleagues, and liaising with the press team to respond to press enquiries.

 

• Supporting the Clerk of the Parliaments’ relationships and communications with the Lord Speaker, Senior Deputy Speaker, the Usual Channels, members of the Commission and domestic committees, including liaison between offices at an official level

 

If this sounds like something you would like to hear more about, please apply below.

Person specification

What we’re looking for –

• Delivering at Pace - A high degree of initiative and organisational skills, with the ability to deal effectively with conflicting demands, operate under pressure, and deliver results in challenging environments, while always remembering that in managing conflicting demands the postholder is representing the Clerk of the Parliaments to others.
  
  
• Leadership - Ability to lead and motivate a team effectively, and to develop staff in a supportive manner.

 

• Parliamentary Knowledge - Thorough understanding of the House of Lords and its Administration, including governance arrangements.

 

It would be even better if you had …

• Experience of private office working or of providing direct support to a senior stakeholder.

Benefits

What you’ll get in return

• 30 days annual leave (increasing to 35 after one years’ service)
• Generous pension scheme
• Discounts from well-known brands and retailers
• Parliamentary health and wellbeing programme
• The opportunity to witness history in the making!

 

The work we do is vital to House of Lords, and you will be a pivotal member in the team strengthening the work of the House. The House of Lords is the second chamber of the UK parliament. It is independent from and complements the work of the House of Commons to:

• Make laws
• Check and challenge the actions of the government through questions and debates
• Investigate public policy and provide a forum of independent expertise

Things you need to know

Selection process details

Please complete your online application by 23.55 on Friday 17 May 2024.

If you require any reasonable adjustments during the application process, please contact hlrecruitment@parliament.uk or 0207 219 5973.

Job offers are standardly offered at the minimum of the salary range.

 

The House of Lords Administration is committed to increasing diversity and maintaining an inclusive workplace culture. We welcome applications from all candidates regardless of their age, caring responsibilities, disability, gender/sex, gender reassignment/trans status, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation and socio-economic status. The Administration will also consider flexible working arrangements and reasonable adjustments.

We welcome and encourage job applications from people of all backgrounds. For this role we particularly welcome applications from groups which are currently underrepresented within the team, including applications from Black, Asian and ethnic minority candidates and candidates with disabilities.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is counter-terrorist check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

Please note this Post is NOT regulated by the Civil Service Commission. The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.