Location
City of Westminster

Hours
Full time. Depending on business needs, hours can exceed standard contracted hours, for which overtime is paid. The post holder will need to be willing to work flexibly across their time and brief as necessary.

Salary
£37,121 per annum

About the Role
This vacancy offers an excellent opportunity to work at the heart of both Government and Parliament. The Government Whips’ Office is responsible for delivering the Government’s legislative programme in the House of Lords. The Whips often act as lead Minister in the Chamber on behalf of a department. As part of the House of Lords Business Manager’s Office, the team supports the Leader of the House and Chief Whip in securing the passage of Government Bills through the upper chamber. It acts as a channel of communication between the Government and Opposition parties on parliamentary matters and coordinates Lords parliamentary business. The office provides support, advice and guidance on House business to Ministers, Government Departments and back-bench Peers.

The Office directly supports a Ministerial Team of Whips in their roles as spokespersons for various Government Departments and in their duties as Lords and Baronesses-in-Waiting to HM The King.

The PA is essential to the effective functioning of the team of Whips. The post holder will be responsible for making the most effective use of the Whip’s time and providing effective support, including ensuring they have clearly identified priorities and high quality briefing to enable them to successfully carry out their duties. As the Whips may need to deputise for other Ministers, you will need to manage a diary and relationships with numerous Government Departments, particularly in coordinating briefing for business.

The post holder needs to be very well organised, flexible and able to prioritise. They must be able to work well with others, communicate effectively and be confident. The post holder will also need to remain calm and reliable under pressure. Previous experience of diary management would be helpful but is not a prerequisite.

The successful candidate will form part of a small team of four, working closely with the team of six government Whips. They will have contact with the Chief Whip, Whips, Ministers and officials in both Houses and offices across government, as well as with external organisations. The post reports directly to one of the Private Secretaries.

Main duties include managing diaries to ensure priorities are clear and time is used effectively; anticipating pressure points and proactively identifying solutions; coordinating the Whips’ rota for Chamber and Grand Committee duties; advising on HR requests and coordinating responses; managing meeting requests; commissioning targeted briefing; organising travel; responding to correspondence and invitations; preparing briefing packs; supporting colleagues; maintaining good working relationships across the House of Lords and Government Departments; and general office duties as needed.

Experience
Previous experience of diary management is helpful but not essential. Experience working with ministers, members of the Houses of Parliament, or senior stakeholders is desirable.

About you
You will be adaptable with excellent written and verbal communication skills. You must be calm under pressure, able to manage difficult conversations and build relationships. Excellent organisational skills are essential to manage competing demands and a busy portfolio. You should be confident, flexible, and able to work well as part of a team with discretion and tact.

Qualifications
There are no specific qualification requirements for this role, but a high level of interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively under pressure are essential.