Legislative and Political Adviser
Job Title: Legislative and Political Adviser
Responsible to: Chief of Staff to the Leader in the Lords
Salary: £32,000 – £35,000 per annum
Tenure: Contract
Hours: Full time 37.5 hours per week
Location: Lords Whips' Office, House of Lords, London
Closing Date: Friday 16th August at 5pm
Job Description
The post holder will support Liberal Democrat peers working on legislation that is passing through the House of Lords. They will work with party spokespeople in the Lords to help identify political priorities in different bills and will work with the Chief of Staff to the Lords Leader, the Parliamentary Adviser Unit and the Head of the Whips’ Office to ensure that all Peers, both frontbench spokespeople and backbench peers, feel supported when working on legislation.
The position will demand a high level of political and organisational skill, an ability to work under pressure and with a high level of discretion. The successful candidate will be adept at juggling competing interests and demands, as well as working pro-actively to support effective team management to get the best out of people in the unusual environment of the House of Lords.
Key tasks
- Acting as the principal source of support to bill teams in the House of Lords
- Liaising with the Chief of Staff to the Lords leader and the Parliamentary Adviser Unit to ensure political and strategy coordination across the legislative agenda
- Manage the legislative process with a strong emphasis on developing external messaging and promoting the Party’s political campaigns.
- To work with Peers to help promote the work of the parliamentary group in the Lords across the country and within the party
- Preparing briefings and notes for bill teams on a variety of policy issues, and to obtain or indicate where further briefing material can be found if required
- Preparing briefings for the wider Liberal Democrat group in the Lords on issues that are likely to be voted on
- Drafting and submitting amendments to legislation, and liaising with the Public Bill Office in the House of Lords
- Liaising with the party press team to ensure that the legislative work of the Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords is given the best chance to be promoted to the outside world
- Facilitate meetings for spokespeople and bill teams with external groups, lobbying organisations, Ministers and other parliamentarians
- Working closely with our teams in the House of Commons to ensure coordination between both Houses and smooth handovers when legislation is moving between the two Houses of Parliament
Person Specification
We are looking for an outstanding candidate with excellent written and verbal communication skills, good political judgment, strong personal organisation, and knowledge of the policies of the Liberal Democrats, with a willingness and capacity to develop their experience of legislation.
Essential
- Excellent organisational skills
- Exceptional interpersonal skill
- A good knowledge of the Westminster Parliament and parliamentary procedure
- Good time management skills, with the ability to prioritise effectively and to work to tight deadlines
- Strong IT skills
- Discretion
- A strong commitment to the aims and values of the Liberal Democrats
Desirable
- An understanding of the legislative process in Westminster
- A good knowledge of how the Liberal Democrats, as a political party, works
- Knowledge of the role of the Scottish Parliament, the Senedd and the Northern Ireland Assembly
APPLICATION PROCEDURE
Please read through the Job Description fully to learn more about the role before applying and take a few minutes to complete our Equality and Diversity Monitoring Form https://digitallibdems.typeform.com/to/uvRCaZ2K Then proceed with your application.
You should include your full, current CV of no more than two pages which includes your telephone number and email address so we can get in touch with you. Please also include a short covering letter (of no more than one side of A4), telling us why you would like to work for us and why your skills and experience will be the perfect fit! This should be sent by email to recruitment@libdems.org.uk - you can also use this email address if you have any questions.
Our policy is to review applications as they come in so you’re encouraged to register your interest as soon as you can. If you require any additional support or you feel reasonable adjustments are needed to be made as part of the recruitment process, please let us know.
Please note: We will not be able to employ you if you are not eligible to work in the UK.
We will not be able to obtain a work permit on your behalf. Due to the volume of applications anticipated, we’re sorry but we will only be able to notify candidates whose CVs have been selected to be taken into the interview stage of the recruitment process.
We will be reviewing applications as they come in and reserve the right to appoint prior to the closing date.
The Party believes it is essential to foster equity, equality, diversion and inclusion within our workforce. We want our employees to thrive in an environment where everyone is welcome and supported in order to achieve their potential. It is important to celebrate what makes us unique and that you feel valued, appreciated and free to be who you are.