Job Internal and to Admin Pool Only - Permanent Assistant Communications Officer

Working pattern: This is a full-time post (37 hours/Mon to Fri) however we are happy to talk about flexible working.  We’re committed to supporting staff to achieve a healthy work-life balance. This is a hybrid role, working from Holyrood (the role requires a minimum of two days per week in the building), and from home.

The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body is responsible for providing the Parliament with the property, staff and services required for the Parliament’s purposes.  We place a high value on excellence, and we are continually looking to improve how we can deliver the Parliament's core purpose of representing the people of Scotland by debating issues of national importance, passing legislation and holding the Scottish Government to account. We are a diverse workforce, and our embedded values shape the way we work and treat each other. We have a culture of respect and inclusion, and everyone has the ability to make a difference. Here is the link to our organisation chart.

This is an excellent opportunity to join the Parliament Communications Office as an Assistant Communications Officer. The Parliament Communications Office is responsible for explaining and promoting the wide-ranging work of the Parliament through external communications channels. The aim of the office is to communicate effectively with the public via the media/social media on a diverse range of topics, from publicising parliamentary committee reports to promoting events at the Parliament.

The Parliament Communications Office is made up of around 22 people. The Assistant Communications Officer is central to ensuring the smooth day to day running of the office and supporting the team. You’ll be responsible for carrying out and taking ownership of admin processes from end to end, including helping with inquiries from journalists, monitoring budgets, dealing with accreditation of media to the Parliament, organising meetings, preparing briefings, drafting correspondence, managing records and office resources. With sound analytical skills and good judgement, you’ll also be responsible for managing the media inbox, media monitoring and the preparation and circulation of daily newspaper cuts. You’ll be able to prioritise your workload and work to a high standard in a fast-paced environment.

You’ll be part of fostering a culture where team members are empowered to deliver high quality work which will enhance the reputation of the Parliament. We champion collaborative working with colleagues across the parliamentary service, promoting positive and open communication, as well as our commitment to diversity and inclusion.

We particularly welcome applications from candidates from a Minority Ethnic background and Disabled candidates. All appointments will be made on merit. We have a values-based culture of respect and inclusion embedded in our organisation, and everyone has the ability to make a difference.

We offer a great range of benefits including: 41.5 leave days (including public holidays), flexible working, paid professional subscriptions, family-friendly policies, Season Ticket advance loans, an onsite gym, Health and Wellbeing Schemes including discounted gym membership, a confidential counselling and information service, and the Cycle to Work Scheme.

You’ll also have the opportunity to join the Alpha Civil Service pension scheme, where we’ll offer you an employer contribution of 28.97% of your basic salary.

For further information about the role please contact [email protected]

Please apply before 11.59pm on Tuesday 19 November 2024. Full details of our selection process are outlined below.

About You

The successful candidate will be experienced in administrative roles, balancing competing priorities in a fast-paced environment. You will have experience of working as a team player, managing your own workload and delivering tasks to a high standard.

You’ll demonstrate a high level of personal credibility with excellent communication and influencing skills, with the ability to develop and maintain positive working relationships.

You’ll have a willingness to take on new or additional responsibilities as part of professional development and a willingness to develop both media and political knowledge to aid understanding.

You’ll welcome working in a diverse and collegiate environment and thrive as part of a team.

For full information about the role, have a look at the job description.

The Selection Process

Stage 1
How to apply and our selection process
We are a values-based organisation. Our values are a central part of our working culture and our people management processes. We use these to recruit, manage and develop our staff. For more information on our values and behaviours framework, please visit our values pages in our Employee Handbook.

To apply for our roles, click 'apply' and this will allow you to upload your CV in order to register with us (if you’ve not done so already).

You’ll be asked to write a values-based supporting statement based on the job description of the role you’re applying for. The job description will detail the main recruitment selection criteria under each value, in the sections titled “And in delivering these, you will have”.

Your application will be assessed solely on your statement.

You’ll need to provide one or more examples to cover all bullet points, in each of the four value sections entitled “And in delivering these you will have”

Please provide details from your background or career, of where and how you have demonstrated that value.

When completing and submitting the values-based statement to apply for this role:

Please provide evidence against each of our four values, a maximum of 400 words is allowed per value 

- Please use the STAR format (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to address the key delivery requirements under each value in the Job Description

- Each value should be clearly formatted, and your examples may include specific skills, experience, abilities, knowledge and strengths you have

- We have a separate box on our system for you to input each value

- Please do not input anything into the values boxes until you’re ready to submit your application

- Please complete your answers to the questions offline, perhaps in Word, and then copy and paste your answers into the system when you're ready to submit your application

- We recommend that you check your answers, by reading the inputted information in the box, when you've copied and pasted the information into the system, just to ensure it's all there

- Please only click 'Next' to submit your application when you're content it’s complete. When you click “Next”, you don't have the option to go back

- If you 'cancel' then your work won't be saved 

- The system will time out after an hour and your work will be lost if you don’t complete it in that time. You don't have the option to save your application and return to it later

- If the system times out, you can go into your ‘candidate profile’ to access and complete your statement

- If you mistakenly submit your statement prior to completing this on the system, please email [email protected] with full details of the role you’re applying for, what has happened, and your completed statement

Please note that only your supporting statement will be submitted to Hiring Managers, without any personal details, and they will then select candidates for interview.

Stage 2
At the final stage, you’ll be invited to attend an in-person interview.  Interviews will be held on 5 December 2024, although this is subject to change.

Feedback will only be provided on request to those who attend interview.

If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please email [email protected].

Admin Resourcing Pool Candidates 
If you’re currently in our Admin Resourcing Pool and would like to be considered for this role, please submit your note of interest by the closing date above to [email protected]. If you’re interested, we will share your values-based statement with the Hiring Managers, without any personal details, and they will then select candidates for interview if a selection process is required. If you would like to submit an updated statement, please provide this when you note your interest.

After the interview
We’ll aim to let you know the outcome of your interview as soon as we can. This will normally be within 10 working days. If you’re unsuccessful at interview stage, you can ask us for feedback. We want to ensure a positive candidate experience, so we’ll also contact you to ask for your feedback on the whole recruitment process.

Our commitment to an inclusive workforce
We are a Disability Confident Leader Employer and guarantee to interview any disabled candidates who meet the minimum criteria for the role.  If you have a disability and would like to talk to us about any aspects of this job, please contact us.  More details can be found here.

If you hold an adjustment passport, we encourage you to discuss your current working hours and adjustments in relation to the role you’re applying for.

Eligible to Apply
- Scottish Parliamentary Service staff who have the skills/experience/ qualifications required. If you have worked for the SPCB for less than 6 months you will be required to seek permission from your line manager before applying. You will be expected to complete your probation period in your new role.

- Candidates in our Admin Resourcing Pool, who have passed a recruitment board and are eligible to apply for our posts.

- Agency workers engaged by the SPCB who fall within the scope of the Agency Worker Regulations and provided their assignment will continue for the period of the recruitment exercise. Any appointment will be subject to the satisfactory completion of our pre-employment enquiries. Agency workers should also seek permission from their line managers before applying.

If you have any questions about your eligibility to apply for this vacancy, please contact People Services on 0131 348 6500.

Other information
Line managers are asked to bring this advert to the attention of their staff (particularly those on leave or those who may not have access to the website) as soon as possible and certainly before the closing date for receipt of applications. It would be helpful if line managers ensure that all staff have access to a PC to enable them to complete their application and that staff are given a reasonable amount of time to complete it.

We intend/do not intend on holding a reserve list following interviews.

For details on how we will process your personal data please refer to HR Workers Privacy Notice.