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Reference: 75602

Date Added: 28 July 2020
Closing Date: 21 August 2020

Job Title: Administrative 1 (Secretary)

Working For: John Whittingdale

Location: London

Salary: According to IPSA payscales.

Length of Contract:

Job Details

John Whittingdale is looking to hire a new staff member to help in his Westminster office. This fixed term contract is partially funded by the additional Coronavirus budget and is necessary due to the high workload the office is experiencing due to the pandemic and staff sickness. If future funding permits, the role may be made permanent for the right candidate.

Working with a small team, reporting to the Senior Parliamentary Asssitant, the ideal candidate will have excellent organisational, verbal and written communication skills. Someone who loves helping others and will want to become part of a tight-knit and friendly team.

A successful candidate will be:
• Able to prioritise a demanding workload whilst maintaining an eye for detail
• Able to deal with issues in a confidential manner
• Good with people and a team player
• Competent use of digital technologies
• Sympathetic to the principles and policies of the Conservative Party

Duties will include:
• Answer all inbound telephone calls and post, providing assistance or passing on queries to other team members/MP as appropriate.
• Assist constituents to book surgery appointments and arrangements for other MP meetings.
• Assist with arrangements for events (non- political).
• Responsible for inventory of office equipment and maintenance of appropriate levels of stationary and other office supplies.
• Responsible for the filing of physical documents and assist in the filing of correspondence on online database.
• Photocopying, filing, record-keeping and typing correspondence
• Liaise with external suppliers when required regarding office supplies

Salary commensurate with a first role in Westminster and according to IPSA pay scales.

Upon appointment you will be required to apply for security clearance, undertaken by the Security Vetting and Pass Office. See Members’ Staff Security Clearance page for further info. MPs generally pay staff in accordance with IPSA guidelines.

Closing Date: 21 August 2020

Interview/Start Dates

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to a virtual interview via zoom with finalists being asked to attend socially distanced interview in Westminster.

Appointment may be made prior to the closing date for the right candidate.

Application Details

Interested candidates should email a formal letter and a copy of a recent CV as word docs (or compatible format) to Mrs Clare Pooley, Senior Parliamentary Assistant to John Whittingdale - pooleyc@parliament.uk  

Candidates invited to interview will have set out in their covering letter what qualities they beieve that they would bring to the role. Applications without a formal covering letter, in addition to a CV, will not be considered. A guide to formal letter writing can be found here: https://www.ukpostbox.com/blog/how-to-format-formal-letter 

Website: http://www.johnwhittingdale.org.uk

Additional Notes