Working for: Steve Race MP (Exeter)
Location: London (Westminster) based, with regular travel to Exeter
Salary: £32,000–£36,000, dependent on experience
Contract: Permanent, full time (37.5 hours per week), 12 weeks' probation period
Annual leave: 25 days per calendar year, plus bank holidays

Steve Race, MP for Exeter, is looking to hire a committed and enthusiastic Communications Officer to join his team in Westminster.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a team of experienced parliamentary staff in the office of a busy MP, working hard in the best interests of the people of Exeter.

You will create engaging social media content to keep constituents informed of Steve's parliamentary work and monitor relevant websites to identify trends and issues. You will work closely with colleagues in both Exeter and Westminster, bringing your understanding of online platforms and public engagement to build effective communications campaigns which highlight the work of Steve and his team. You will regularly travel to the constituency to record original content.

MPs receive huge volumes of correspondence from constituents about legislation, Government announcements and issues in the news. Responding to this contact will be an important part of your role, helping to answer questions, raise issues with Government departments, and communicate the position of the MP.

No two weeks in Parliament are ever the same, so you can expect a varied workload alongside your core responsibilities.

Steve's welcoming and supportive team has a wealth of experience, and we are keen to help the successful applicant to excel and develop their professional skills.

Key responsibilities

• Drafting responses to constituents on a wide range of policy issues, dealing with large numbers of standard queries, as well as assisting on more complex cases
• Attending meetings with the MP and following up on actions as required
• Engaging confidentially, professionally, with care and integrity with members of the public and other stakeholders, through telephone enquiries, social media, email and face-to-face to maintain positive ongoing relationships
• Ensuring all social media enquiries and policy correspondence are dealt with in a timely manner
• Monitoring social media activity, reporting any relevant trends to the team and following up on requests
• Preparing a variety of social media content to communicate the MP's work, including producing graphics and video content, and assisting with print planning as needed
• Maximising both reach and engagement of content across all platforms, as well as making effective use of targeted communications
• Analysing patterns of enquiries and articulating the findings in reports and communication with the MP and other staff members
• Providing general administrative support, including efficient data and file management to ensure the office complies with data protection legislation, and managing image consents for content creation
• Supporting the MP and Parliamentary Assistant with written correspondence, event planning, engaging with interest groups and preparing briefing material as needed

There may be a requirement for the role holder to work outside of normal working hours and travel for work.

Who we're looking for

The successful applicant will:

• Be sympathetic to the aims and values of the Labour Party
• Have a keen interest in and understanding of politics and current affairs
• Show an understanding of the key issues affecting Exeter
• Understand the role of an MP, and be familiar with Steve's work and campaigns
• Have previous experience of planning and implementing effective communications strategies and content calendars
• Have demonstrable experience of producing engaging written, graphic and video content for online platforms, using editing software such as Veed, Canva and CapCut
• Display excellent written communication skills, an ability to adapt these skills to different platforms and audiences, and to engage professionally and sensitively with people from all walks of life
• Have experience of producing succinct documents based on detailed research with excellent attention to detail
• Be proactive and able to work with minimal supervision, and be able to prioritise a demanding workload and manage their time effectively in an often fast-changing environment
• Have excellent IT skills and an understanding of a range of workplace software, including Microsoft Office and casework management programmes
• Understand the principles of data protection legislation and handling confidential information

Benefits

Generous pension, training and development, and access to an Employee Assistance Programme.

Key dates

• Closing date: 22nd November (midnight)
• Interviews: To take place in early December (likely 1st or 2nd)

How to apply

Please apply through this page, uploading your CV and a one-page cover letter as a single PDF file.

Appointment is subject to Counter Terrorist Check (CTC) security clearance and right to work checks. CTC normally requires you to have been resident in the UK for at least three of the last five years. A start date cannot be agreed until security clearance and pre-employment checks are complete.

If you require any reasonable adjustments to allow you to complete the application, please get in touch.

Find out more about Steve's work at https://steverace.org.uk/  For any questions about the role, please contact info@hivesupport.co.uk.