Job Description Details of a current vacancy in the . To apply for this post, please ensure you complete all sections of our online application form found at http://www.parliament.uk/about/working/jobs/

Job Description Job title Reference number Clerk Assistant 1124

Office Grade ’ Office SB3

Starting Salary £120,000

Term This post is permanent.

Scope of the job Background Reporting to the Clerk of the Parliaments, the Clerk Assistant supports the Clerk of the Parliaments and currently deputises for the role as required. The Clerk Assistant is a member of the management board and has overall responsibility for the delivery of Parliamentary Services.

Key internal and external relationships • Lord , Leader of the House, and other members of the front benches • Senior Deputy Speaker • Members of the House of Lords Commission • Deputy Speakers • Members of the Management Board • Senior staff in the House of Commons and Parliamentary Digital Service • Heads of Office and staff in Parliamentary Services • Staff of the House of Lords

Main responsibilities Line management and budgetary responsibilities The postholder presently line manages the Heads of Office in Parliamentary Services as well as the Private Secretary to the Senior Deputy Speaker. The Clerk of the Parliaments may vary the line

management responsibilities of the post, in particular as part of the implementation of the External Management Review (EMR).

Responsibilities of the post The primary responsibilities of the post are currently:

• Ensuring the effective delivery of the work of the Chamber, Grand Committee and Select Committees through leadership and oversight of the work of the Parliamentary Services Offices.

• Managing the Heads of Office in Parliamentary Services: the Clerk of Committees, the Clerk of Legislation, the Clerk of the Journals, , the Director of Library Services, the ICGS Director, and the Editor of Debates; ensuring resources are deployed across offices where they are needed.

• Membership of the Management Board with responsibility for Parliamentary Services, ensuring Board level visibility of the work of Parliamentary Services, contributing to corporate decision-making, and promoting communication of the work of the Board.

• Supporting the Clerk of the Parliaments in their role as the Chief Procedural Adviser to the House on matters of parliamentary practice, procedure, and privilege, regularly deputising for the Clerk of the Parliaments in providing advice to the Lord Speaker, the Senior Deputy Speaker and the other Deputies, members of the front benches, and individual members of the House, and attending domestic committees as required by the Clerk of the Parliaments.

• Within the framework of the EMR’s proposals to build senior management skills in the House of Lords Administration, overseeing the development of procedural skills and knowledge within the House of Lords and ensuring their effective deployment in support of the work of the House.

• Sitting regularly at the Table in the Chamber of the House and overseeing the production of the core procedural documents for the Chamber and Grand Committee, including the Order Paper, House of Lords Business, Minutes of Proceedings and the Lord Speaker’s brief, as well as ensuring effective support for the Lord Speaker and the Deputies in their work in the Chamber and Grand Committee.

• Co-owning, with the Commons Clerk Assistant, the bicameral ICGS scheme.

• Working with the Chief Operating Officer, once appointed, to ensure that management and service provision align with House, Committee and business needs.

• Performing corporate functions as required by the Clerk of the Parliaments from time to time, including procedures as set out in the

Staff Handbook, and acting as Deputy to the Clerk of the Parliaments as required.

• The Clerk of the Parliaments may vary the role and responsibilities of the Clerk Assistant to balance the workloads between the post and other senior posts or to achieve some other particular outcome. In particular, the duties of the postholder as deputy to the Clerk will change in the light of the External Management Review and the establishment of a post of Chief Operating Officer.

Person specification The qualifications required for the post are: Degree level or equivalent experience.

The knowledge, skills and experience required for the post are outlined below. Each element will be assessed in the examples you provide in your application form. Should you be shortlisted these areas will be assessed in more depth at interview and, if appropriate, in a test.

Competencies: Essential • Excellent knowledge and experience of the procedure and practice of the House of Lords, and excellent knowledge of the procedure and practice of Parliament; and the ability to deliver advice in a political environment; • Proven exceptional management and leadership skills, to provide leadership to all Offices for which they are responsible and to work effectively with senior leaders from other professional disciplines; • Ability to lead and deliver change in a complex multi-stakeholder environment; • Senior management level experience of effective business and financial planning and proven administrative experience commensurate with the responsibilities of the post; • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, the ability to offer objective advice to committees and members alike, and the ability to interact effectively with members and staff with different skills and specialisms; • Strong intellectual skills and the ability to adapt to changing demands; • Experience in policy decision-making at high levels; • A strong commitment to the Administration's values of inclusivity, professionalism, respect, and responsibility. • Knowledge of the work of the House of Lords Administration and the relationship between the House of Lords, House of Commons, Parliamentary Digital Service and the government.

Terms and conditions

Salary and allowances The post is paid in accordance with House of Lords grade SB3 (£120,00 per annum). Pay increases usually depend on performance as assessed in annual performance reviews, up to the current band maximum of £158,805.

Salary is paid monthly by bank transfer.

Term and hours The post is permanent and is for 41 hours per week (including break-time). Applications from those wishes to perform the role on a job share are welcome.

Candidates expressing a wish to perform the role on a part time or flexible working arrangement should discuss this in the first instance with [email protected]

Benefits As an employee of the House, you will be entitled to our benefits such as a season ticket loan, a Parliamentary Health and Wellbeing Service, including access to a dedicated Employee Assistance Programme and many more. Full details can be found on our Employee Benefits page.

Pension The House of Lords participates in the Civil Service Pension Schemes. As an employee of the House, you will be entitled to join one of these highly competitive pension scheme arrangements.

Annual leave Annual leave entitlement is 30 days (increasing to 35 days after one year's service) plus public and bank holidays. In most offices annual leave may be taken only during periods when the House is in recess and must always be agreed in advance with the line manager and Head of Office.

Inclusion and Diversity 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 particularly welcome applications from groups which are currently underrepresented within the team, including applicants who identify as Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME), disabled candidates and candidates who identify as women.

Pre-appointment checks For external candidates, appointment depends on satisfactory references, health and security checks and where necessary proof of qualifications.

Successful candidates’ publicly open social media profiles will also be checked under this stage of the process and information obtained may be used to review suitability for the job role. Baseline Security Standard The House of Lords (along with all government departments) has to comply with a Baseline Security Standard. The standard requires that we ascertain the identity of the applicant, their right to work in the UK, their employment

or academic history over the last three years, and their address history over the last three years.

Successful candidates will be required to complete pre-employment checks. This includes security vetting to Counter Terrorist Check (CTC) level unless otherwise specified. All successful candidates are required to pass these checks before an offer can be confirmed.

Applicants should be aware that if they have resided outside of the UK for a total of more than two of the last five years they are not eligible for vetting. Please see the National Security Vetting booklet for further information. In addition, applicants are required to give a reasonable account of any significant recent periods of time (more than six months) spent abroad. Applicants who have been unemployed or self-employed for over six months in the last three years (whose last three years’ employment/academic history are not covered by references) will be asked to provide further documentation to prove their history.

Process Saxton Bampfylde Ltd is acting as an employment agency advisor for this appointment. Please note that your application will be shared with the third party agency Saxton Bampfylde in their capacity as employment agency advisor. For details on Saxton Bampfylde’s privacy policy please visit: https://www.saxbam.com/legal-disclaimer.

The interview panel will be the political leadership of the House, the Clerk of the Parliaments, and an external panel member. Interviews are expected to take place in the last week of April.

How to Apply Please complete your online application by 12 noon on Monday 29 March 2021 and attach the following documents:

• A CV setting out your career history, with responsibilities and achievements.

• A statement of suitability (no longer than two A4 pages) setting out how your knowledge, skills, experience and personal qualities meet the essential criteria as set out in the person specification above.

If you require any reasonable adjustments during the application process, please contact [email protected]

Telephone enquiries If you wish to find out more information about this post, please contact [email protected]

No recruitment agencies please.