Parliamentary Support Officer

This is a unique opportunity for enthusiastic and skilled individuals looking to gain experience working at the heart of Government and Parliament.

The Government Chief Whips Private Office and Government Whips Admin Unit are part of a small team offering high-calibre support to the Government Chief Whip and the team of sixteen Government Whips. Our objective is to assist the Chief Whip and team of Whips, enabling them to fulfil the role of delivering the Governments Legislative Programme and other parliamentary business.

Parliamentary Support Officers in the team provide high-level administrative support to the Chief Whip, Special Advisers, the Private Secretaries and to the team of Government whips. The successful candidates need to be confident, have excellent organisational and communication skills and the ability to manage conflicting priorities in a pressurised and fast moving environment. An understanding of Parliamentary procedures is desirable. Political awareness and an interest in current affairs is also important.

Longer than normal hours are worked when the House of Commons is sitting, for which overtime is payable.

The responsibilities of the roles can flex based on requirements, but the teams main shared duties include:

• Providing high-calibre administrative and organisational support to the Government Whips.
• Assisting with the daily office rota of tasks, including the timely distribution of Order Papers, Hansards, and Business statements office-wide.
• Assisting the Government Whips with membership and attendance at meetings of Public Bill Committees and Delegated Legislation Committees.
• Assisting with the coordination of the All Party Notices, including initial-stage proofreading of draft documents, focusing on ensuring quality control for spelling, grammar, and basic formatting.
• Managing the authorised absence system for Government backbenchers.
• Analysing the results of Parliamentary votes.
• Dealing with general enquiries from MPs, Parliamentary teams across Whitehall, House Authorities and the general public.
• Other general administrative and ad hoc duties as directed by the Head of Office.
• Preparing the Chief Whip's day folder and all briefing notes for the Chief Whip, Deputy Chief Whip and Private Secretaries or to the team of Government whips
• Providing support to the Diary Manager in their day-to-day role and leading on diary tasks in their absence
• Processing ministerial correspondence and managing invitations
• Organising travel and accommodation for the Chief Whip and Private Secretaries and other whips as required
• Effectively managing the Principal Private Secretarys diary
• Providing administrative and diary support to the Special Advisers

There is an expectation that when the House of Commons is sitting, the post holder will work longer than normal hours, for which overtime is payable. Annual leave is usually taken only during Parliamentary recesses.

The ideal candidate for this role is a proactive self-starter, capable of thinking ahead and using their initiative to solve problems before they arise. They would:

• Be proactive and able to spot problems and suggest solutions.
• Be a good team player, who can also work well independently.
• Have strong administrative and organisational skills with an eye for detail.
• Be able to prioritise effectively, meet deadlines and work under pressure where necessary.
• Be able to quickly establish positive relationships, including with senior colleagues.
• Have a keen interest in Parliament and/or current affairs.
• A minimum of SC clearance (this can be obtained by the successful candidate after accepting the position).

Additional information:

Cabinet Office policy is that a minimum 60% of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace. For some roles, due to their nature and the business need, this may be up to 100%. Requirements to attend other locations for official business will also count towards this level of attendance.