Parliamentary & Policy Researcher for the Bishops of Bristol, Chelmsford and Manchester (fixed term)
Please Note: The application deadline for this post has now passed.
Post Introduction
The National Church Institutions comprises a wide variety of teams, professions and functions that support the mission and ministries of the Church of England in its vision to be a church, centred on Jesus Christ, for the whole nation - a church that is simpler, humbler, bolder.
We Include. You Belong.
Our Belonging and Inclusion Strategy aims for everyone in the National Church Institutions (NCIs) to feel that they belong, and are valued for who they are and what they contribute. Together, our people contribute in different ways towards our common purpose, whichever NCI they work in and whatever their background.
Living out our values in all that we do, we:
- Strive for Excellence
- Show Compassion
- Respect others
- Collaborate
- Act with Integrity
We believe our commitment to belonging and inclusion fuels our progress and drives us forward. The NCIs are a safe, inclusive workplace for people of all backgrounds and walks of life. We welcome applications from people of all faiths and of no faith. We want to encourage applications from a diverse group of people who share our values. Even if you have never thought about working for us before, if you have the skills and experience we’re looking for then we would like to hear from you.
About the Department
The Church of England Parliamentary Team serves the bishops in the House of Lords, and the National Church Institutions (NCIs) by providing advice and resource, maintaining links with MPs, Peers, Ministers and officials, and helping all engage effectively with Parliament, Westminster politics, and the legislative process. The Team includes those employed directly by the NCIs and those employed by individual Lords Spiritual. This post sits within Faith and Public Life (FPL), the wider team that supports the Church of England’s engagement with society and in the public sphere.
What you'll be doing
The purpose of this role is to provide advice, research and support to the Bishops of Bristol, Chelmsford and Manchester in their duties as Members of the House of Lords, and such other work as the Bishops and Head of Parliamentary Affairs may require from time to time.
This will include:
- Advising on and researching materials for questions, speeches and other interventions in the House of Lords. Monitoring and keeping the Bishops informed about relevant parliamentary developments.
- Liaising with MPs, Peers and their staff, parliamentary officials, civil servants, campaign organisations, and others in and outside the NCIs on behalf of the Bishops.
- Drafting material for online and print publication on the parliamentary work of the Bishops, in collaboration with communications officers in Church House and the respective dioceses.
About You
The Church of England is for everyone and we want to reflect the diversity of the community the Church serves across the whole country. Therefore, while of course we welcome all applications from interested and suitably experienced people, we would particularly welcome applicants from UK Minoritised Ethnicities (UKME)/Global Majority Heritage (GMH) and other under-represented groups. As a Disability Confident employer, we are committed to recruiting disabled people. We offer interviews to disabled people who meet the minimum criteria for the role.
You will need:
- Excellent communication skills, verbally and in writing.
- Knowledge of the UK Parliament, current affairs and the making of Government policy.
- Research skills, with the ability to gather information quickly and accurately and to produce content in forms suitable for both brief speeches and full-length addresses.
- Excellent organisation and time management skills
See attached job description and person specification for more information.
What we offer
Our benefits include:
- A salary of £34,472 plus age-related pension contributions between 8-15% of salary. We will also match any pension contributions you make up to an additional 3% of salary.
- 25 days annual leave.
- Flexible working hours and location, with an expectation of at least 2-3 days per week in our office in Westminster.
We try to be as flexible as we can in your work pattern to support you with other commitments, and to give a good work-life balance.
This role will be offered on a Fixed Term basis of 12 months, with the possibility of extension.
The closing date for applications is Monday 21 October 2024.
Interviews will be held during week commencing 04 November 2024.
