House of Commons The House of Commons is a unique and exciting place to work right at the heart of the UK's thriving democratic system. Behind the scenes, the House of Commons Service is made up of more than 3,000 employees who support and facilitate the smooth day to day running of the House. They provide professional services to Members of Parliament, their staff, and the wider parliamentary community. Staff Benefits In addition to your salary, we offer an attractive range of benefits including: 30 days' annual leave (increasing to 35 days after first full leave year). Civil Service pensionwith an average employer contribution of 27%. Access to training and development. Flexible working. Interest free season ticket loan and bicycle loan. Introduction You will be working in the Select Committee Team (SCT) supporting the work of House of Commons Select Committees. Select Committees are cross-party committees of MPs who examine government policy and spending. You can find out what Select Committees are on this website. Most specialist roles support a specific committee. Some specialists work as part of a policy-based 'unit' supporting committees working on related topics, or in the Scrutiny Unit, which supports the work of all committees. The first placed candidate for this role will be working with the Scottish Affairs Committee. Other posts in similar roles may become available. The Role As a Committee Specialist, you will work collaboratively with colleagues to provide policy advice and analysis for the Scottish Affairs Committee. You will be asked to develop expertise in the relevant committees' areas of work. You will advise on, arrange, and lead committee inquiries. You will provide written and oral briefing to support committee hearings and produce reports to communicate committee findings. You will also support committee media and public engagement work and work closely with the MPs who chair and sit on the committee(s), as well as engaging with high-profile individuals and organisations in the public, private and third sectors within committee areas of interest. Early on, you are likely to be asked to: identify suitable people to speak to the Committee, prepare briefing material and questions for witnesses; attend Committee events and meetings, and events relevant to its area of work; conduct analysis of evidence, produce drafts of committee outputs, including correspondence, media and social media materials and, in particular, committee reports. As you develop your skills and experience, you will take on more responsibilities. These are likely to include: advising on possible subjects for the committee or committees to examine, including terms of reference and calls for evidence for inquiries; providing advice during committee meetings; proposing, designing and organising committee events, public engagement and visits (possibly including overseas); maintaining up-to-date knowledge about the committee subject areas through research and by building on relevant external contacts and networks. Skills and Experience To be successful in this role you will demonstrate: An ability to research unfamiliar topics and rapidly acquire specialist knowledge using a range of sources, analyse this information and use it to develop evidence-based conclusions or take evidence-based decisions. An ability to explain complex information clearly, impartially, and succinctly to non-specialist audiences, orally and in writing. A detailed knowledge and understanding of policy making and implementation in the context of one or more of the UK's devolution settlements, with recent relevant policy, research, practical or scrutiny experience, and knowledge of the roles of the key individuals and organisations in that field. You will be working in a politically contested environment and it will be crucial that you can act, and be seen to act, in an impartial way. Next Steps and Additional Information Application Form - If you would like to apply for this role, please submit an application providing evidence against criteria 1-3 in the Job Description. More information on the role and the full criteria and responsibilities can be found in the Job Description. Please note that most job offers will be made at the minimum of the salary range, other than in exceptional circumstances. #LI-Hybrid