A1 Clerk

Your job will be one of the following:

Clerk of a select committee, leading the staff team (typically of 5-9 people) supporting Members of Parliament in scrutinising the Government’s performance in a particular policy area, and reporting their findings and recommendations to the House. Select Committees work in different ways, choosing approaches and methods appropriate to their topics of inquiry, but typical duties which A1 clerks can expect to undertake include:

• Acting with autonomy in all aspects of the management of the Committee and relations with its Members, giving effect to the collective decisions of the Committee
• delivering the Committee’s programme of inquiries and other activities

A senior member of staff (and sometimes acting Head of Office) in one of the procedural offices listed under ‘Chamber Business team’ above, giving advice on parliamentary practice and procedure to Members. In that capacity, you may on occasion be the most senior member of the staff of the procedural office available, and responsible—perhaps under considerable time or political pressure—for giving sound procedural advice and support to Members of Parliament, colleagues, and others in and outside the House, such as Parliamentary Counsel or Government departments. 

A1 Clerks in both the Committee Office and in the Chamber Business team may be asked to take part in a rota as a Clerk in sole charge of providing advice to the Chair during sittings of the House in Westminster Hall and may be asked to train as an Assistant Clerk at the Table. In that latter capacity, you would sit with senior Table Clerk colleagues during sittings of the House in order to familiarise yourself with Chamber business and may be asked to assist with tasks such as preparing advice for the Speaker or Deputy Speaker in the Chair, identifying Members, drafting minutes, or conducting divisions.

The Person

The successful candidate will have the following skills/experience:

• Ability to adopt a strategic view of their role within the House of Commons Service and their immediate Team, showing a flexible approach to managing priorities and workloads within available resources. Demonstrates the House’s values, including commitment to diversity and inclusion. Ability to motivate a team and to manage people inclusively, helping staff to develop their skills, addressing under-performance, and delegating effectively.
• Demonstrable ability to provide high-level authoritative advice on complex issues and proven ability to rapidly acquire required specialist knowledge. Ability to understand the functions, practice, and procedures of the House of Commons and its committees and to quickly develop the competence to provide authoritative procedural advice to Members of Parliament and others, without supervision, either as the Clerk of a Departmental Select Committee or as the senior person on duty in a procedural office. A demonstrated commitment to the sharing of knowledge and best practice.
• Demonstrable experience of working effectively in complex or highly charged environments, identifying and mitigating potential risks, and seeking advice where appropriate. A good understanding of the political and legal context in which the House of Commons carries out its business and an ability to work in a politically impartial way.

In addition to an attractive salary and benefits package, we welcome applications from candidates who wish to work part-time or as part of a job share, while annual leave entitlement starts at 30 days pro rata and increases with length of service up to 35 per annum. Some of the other benefits include interest-free season ticket loan and bicycle loan, access to training and development, in-house gym, onsite nursery, and a Contributory Civil Service Pension Scheme. 

For further information or to apply, visit: https://housesofparliament.tal.net/vx/lang-en-GB/mobile-0/appcentre-11/candidate

We are committed to equality and diversity. We actively encourage applications from people from diverse backgrounds. Our aim is to build a diverse, dedicated, and high-performing workforce to keep the House of Commons running smoothly and to support a thriving parliamentary democracy.