Principal Private Secretary to the Lord Speaker and Head of Office to Lord Speaker’s Office

Background

This is a new post that results from a review of the Office of Lord Speaker. That review resulted in several changes to the structure of the office, including making it an independent office in its own right (rather than a team within the Clerk of the Parliaments’ Office).

The Lord Speaker is the highest-ranking office holder in the House. He is the presiding officer of the House of Lords, elected by its members to preside in the Chamber, perform ceremonial functions, contribute to the governance of the House (including chairing the House of Lords Commission), and represent the institution nationally and internationally outside Parliament. A team of Deputy Speakers assists the Lord Speaker in chairing debates and these deputies are also supported by the Office of the Lord Speaker.

The purpose of this role is to fulfil the duties of a Head of Office and to be Principal Private Secretary to the Lord Speaker.

The Role

The Principal Private Secretary is a new post and will work as Head of the Office of the Lord Speaker providing leadership and strategic direction. The post holder will also provide advice to the Lord Speaker on sensitive and politically charged issues and support the Lord Speaker in fulfilling a complex national agenda, working across regional parliaments and promoting the voice and reach of the House of Lords.

The impact of this post therefore lies across the Administration, Parliament and the UK.

The Person

The successful candidate will have the following skills/experience:

• Experience of leading, managing and developing a team of staff with a range of skills, including understanding matrix management.
• Good knowledge of the UK political landscape and the work of Parliament and the ability to analyse issues, understand their political impact and decide when to intervene proactively on behalf of the Lord Speaker.
• Experience of dealing with high-level stakeholders and the ability to develop and maintain close and effective working relationships, including with members of the Commission, the wider House and the House of Commons.
• A high degree of initiative and organisational skills, with the ability to manage a wide range of work across multiple fast-moving agendas, and to deliver results at pace.

More information can be found in the job description.