Bishop Rachel has made history with a number of firsts: When she became the first female diocesan bishop in the Church of England and when she became the first female bishop in the House of Lords.

The purpose of this role is to support the Bishop of Gloucester in her duties as a Member of the House of Lords and her work as Anglican Bishop to women's prisons.

The Parliamentary Unit serves the National Church Institutions (NCIs) by maintaining links with MPs, Peers and employees and helping the NCIs to engage more effectively with the Parliamentary process. The Unit is based within the Mission and Public Affairs Division (MPA) of the Archbishops’ Council, which is concerned with the Church’s engagement with society and with issues of public concern.

As Parliamentary and Policy Researcher to the Bishops of Gloucester, youwill work 8 hours per week starting in September 2020.

Your work will be overseen by the Bishop of Gloucester and by the Head of Parliamentary Affairs.

Your role will include research and information gathering, drafting speeches and questions and managing meetings, appointments and other events on behalf of the Bishop. Among other things, Bishop Rachel has a particular interest in women and the criminal justice system; gender-based violence; families and children; and the flourishing of young people.

Your priorities and tasks will be set by the the Bishop however the Head of Parliamentary Affairs will manage, guide and oversee your parliamentary work on the Bishop's behalf.

The balance between Parliamentary tasks and those that relate to the Bishop’s diocesan role is likely to vary depending on the Parliamentary cycle. You will also add additional capacity to the overall work of the Parliamentary Unit in providing resource to the other bishops in the Lords from time to time.

This is a fixed-term contract which is likely to last for 12 months.