City of York Council wish to appoint a Political Assistant to the Liberal Democrat Group which formed a Joint Administration in 2019 to run the Council. This is an interesting and varied role, and as such you should be an enthusiastic self-starter of graduate calibre to provide political research support to the Group.

The post holder will be highly motivated with exceptional communication skills to work closely with the Leader of the Council who is also the Group Leader, and all Group Members including those who are Executive Members. The post holder will be expected to:

* identify current and forthcoming local, regional and national issues of political relevance;
* prepare press releases and liaise with the media;
* understand the role of social media in an age of modern communication;
* undertake specific research;
* provide written and oral briefings on emerging issues;

This is an exciting time to be joining us at City of York Council to assist our Administration in delivering our refreshed Council Plan, supporting our drive to deliver major capital projects across the City and supporting us in getting the best outcomes from future devolution talks.

This is a politically restricted post governed by the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 and Local Government Restrictions Regulations 1990.

As designated politically restricted officers, employees will not be allowed to undertake certain activities. Please refer to the guidance attached for further information.

As this role is public facing, applicants will need to demonstrate, at interview, their competency to converse and provide advice and guidance to members of the public, in spoken English to CEFR level C1: Can express him/herself fluently and spontaneously, almost effortlessly. Only a conceptually difficult subject can hinder a natural, smooth flow of language.