Ruth Hunt is looking for an experienced Senior Parliamentary Assistant with demonstrable knowledge of the workings of the House of Lords, to manage her House of Lords activities and support her in her role as a crossbench peer. Duties include providing accurate, impartial and clear briefings to Ruth and other stakeholders on issues that Ruth focuses on in the Lords and liaising with staff at Deeds and Words to ensure strategic planning and daily management of Ruth’s diary.

Key responsibilities:
o Maintain a forward plan of parliamentary opportunities including interventions, meetings, securing debates and oral questions, exploring opportunities for supporting legislation and key votes
o Strategic planning and daily management of Ruth’s diary and schedule, in liaison with staff at Deeds and Words.
o Managing correspondence and meeting arrangements in line with Ruth’s schedule.
o Research key topics, often at short notice, relating to LGBT+ issues and provide comprehensive, accessible and clear briefings.
o Build effective relationships across the House of Lords and House of Commons across all political parties, in line with Ruth’s crossbench role.

Person specification:
o Knowledge and understanding of the House of Lords and parliamentary procedures.
o Self-starter with the ability to work unsupervised and to manage and prioritise workloads.
o Awareness and understanding of current political issues, ideally relating to LGBT+ issues.
o Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
o Good relationship builder who can build and retain relationships with a wide range of people, regardless of political affiliation or background.
o Excellent administrative and organisational skills.

Security

Upon appointment you will be required to comply with the Baseline Personnel Security Standard, undertaken by the Members’ Staff Verification Office (MSVO).

Staff benefits:
The postholder will be employed by Deeds and Words and will be paid monthly, three weeks in arrears and one week in advance. We offer a range of benefits including:
o 30 days leave pro rata
o 7% contribution to a pension
o Access to training and development
o Flexible working