Policy Advisers for the Scottish Liberal Democrats Parliamentary Group

Salary: £38,000 

Hours: Full time, 37 hours 

Contract type: Permanent

Number of roles: 3 

Location: Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh 

Closing date: Wednesday 29 July at 11:59pm 

Job purpose 

The Scottish Liberal Democrat MSPs are growing their team at the outset of a new parliamentary term. This is an exciting opportunity to be at the heart of policy development and scrutiny at Holyrood. 

You will be supporting our 10-strong group of MSPs to get things done for people and make a real impact. Your research will make front-page news, your analysis will put ministers on the spot, you’ll write speeches that shape debates and you’ll turn ideas into policy that has the potential to be rolled out across the country. 

These posts are positioned within the parliamentary party’s central team, providing policy expertise and undertaking research for the whole MSP group, including the party leader. 

Working closely with the MSPs in their role as spokespeople in Parliament and committee members, you will be the be the staff team’s principal source of advice, policy development, research and political strategy on your assigned policy areas. These could include:

• economy, finance, tourism, business and public service reform 
• health and care, justice, social justice, housing, local government and equalities 
• education, children and young people, Europe and external affairs, constitution and culture 
• rural affairs, food and farming, climate, environment, energy and transport
   
  You will work across a number of portfolios at any one time. The portfolios you are assigned to may change over time so you must be adaptable and prepared to get to grips with new and complex policy areas. 

Key responsibilities 

The principle responsibilities are to: 

• Write speeches and briefings for parliamentary debates. 
• Organise amendments and whips for legislation and debates. 
• Prepare MSPs for Committee meetings, identifying points of interest for them to pursue, drafting questions for witnesses and preparing policy notes and briefings. 
• Support the MSPs’ response to parliamentary statements and events such as the Programme for Government. 
• Contribute to the organisation of parliamentary business and communicate with parliamentary officials. 
• Generate research, projects and new policies, and turn these into campaigns for the parliamentary group. 
• Send freedom of information requests, write parliamentary questions, analyse statistics and interrogate publications to delve into issues and uncover new information. 
• Liaise with external groups and organisations (including think-tanks, NGOs, other elected representatives), compiling and using relevant research and insight. 
• Develop effective relationships with counterparts in other UK legislatures. 
• Write responses to policy queries from external organisations and members of the public. 
• Provide policy advice to communications colleagues, contributing to relevant press releases. 
• Acquire and develop knowledge of your subject areas in order to provide comprehensive advice and policy support. 
• Keep your knowledge of policy areas and national issues up-to-date, exploring opportunities to make an impact. 
• Ensure research activities comply with data protection legislation and GDPR requirements. 
• Other duties as may be required to support the parliamentary group. 
   

Requirements

1. Be curious and driven to uncover new and interesting information through excellent research, analytical and critical thinking skills, with an ability to scour information to identify what matters most and is useable. 
2. Be able to produce accurate and concise work within tight timescales. 
3. Have the creative flair and strategic mind to produce influential work. 
4. Be a quick learner and a proactive problem solver with the ability to both think on your feet and multitask. 
5. Have skills in developing relationships and communicating complex information to others at every level within the organisation and beyond it. 
    

You must be able to support the MSPs in carrying out their duties in accordance with the organisation’s aims and values. 

You will need to have a strong understanding of Scottish politics and its processes.  

How to Apply:  

For any questions about the role please contact: james.parry@parliament.scot    

To apply, please click “Apply Online” and upload your CV along with a supporting statement as a single document. Please note that the system does not allow you to upload your supporting statement separately.  

Your supporting statement should be no longer than 2 sides of A4 and should set out:  

• how you meet the five requirements listed; 
• which specific portfolios you would be suited to covering and why. 

Your supporting statement should outline how you meet the requirements detailed above for this role. Applications that do not include a supporting statement may not be considered.    

If you are experiencing any issues with the applications process, please send your CV and supporting statement directly to james.parry@parliament.scot 

Closing Date: Wednesday 29 July at 11:59pm 

MSPs are employers in their own right. All MSP staff are required to be security vetted in line with HM Government (HMG) Personnel Security Controls and any employment cannot begin until security clearance has been granted. MSPs will also carry out other pre-employment checks including eligibility to work in the UK, and employment references where applicable.