Details Reference number 360547 Salary £56,180 - £66,497 A Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 27% GBP Job grade Other A2 Contract type Permanent Business area Research and Information Type of role Operational Research Policy Social Research Working pattern Full-time Number of jobs available 1 Contents * Location * About the job * Benefits * Things you need to know * Apply and further information Location Westminster About the job Job summary House of Commons The House of Commons is a unique and exciting place to work right at the heart of the UK's thriving democratic system. Behind the scenes, the House of Commons Service is made up of more than 3,000 employees who support and facilitate the smooth day to day running of the House. They provide professional services to Members of Parliament, their staff, and the wider parliamentary community. Introduction The Research and Information team delivers research, information and other services for Members, their staff, House staff and the public. Research and information services aimed primarily at Members and their staff are provided under the House of Commons Library brand. Research services are provided by eight research sections, each responsible for research services in broad subject groupings. The Science and Environment Section, in which this post is based, provides briefing on the environment, agriculture, fisheries, animal welfare, countryside, planning, medicine and public health, energy, water, telecommunications, science, cyber security and technology. We are looking for a Senior Researcher to join our team, leading on planning, building regulations and fire safety. You can see some examples of published planning briefings on our website. Job description The postholder will work in the Science and Environment Section, which is made up of 12 researchers, in addition to the section head. It is a busy and supportive team to work in. The work is often fast paced as we respond to the changing needs of MPs and the demands placed on them. A lot of the teams work involves helping MPs staff with constituency casework and the impact of national policy on constituents. The core work of the role will involve providing briefings for MPs and their staff on planning, building regulations and fire safety. Typically, this involves briefing on planning frameworks, planning processes, application and enforcement of building regulations and fire safety reforms, amongst other topics. The postholder will need to have excellent knowledge of planning policy and legislation. Support and training will be provided to the postholder to build skills and subject knowledge of building regulations and fire safety. Some of the responsibilities for this role include: * Research and briefing work on planning, building regulations and fire safety policy within the Commons Library, including: * Providing accurate, impartial, clear, fit-for-purpose written and oral briefings on legislation and topical issues on relevant subjects, in response to specific enquiries from Members and their staff. * Preparing and publishing new briefing papers as required (e.g., on topical issues, in advance of second reading and report stages of major bills, and on matters of interest to Parliament) and updating them as appropriate. * Supporting the broader work of the Science and Environment Section, which may include research work on any of the subjects covered by the team. * Maintaining an excellent current awareness, level of knowledge and range of contacts on specialist subjects, and a broad current awareness of all subjects dealt with by the section. Person specification To be successful in this role you will demonstrate: * You have excellent knowledge and experience of planning policy and legislation. You have a good understanding of current affairs and UK public policy. * You are able to absorb complex, technical material, relevant to a subject quickly, and can analyse, interpret and present it clearly and accurately for a non-specialist. * You have the ability to explain complex information clearly and succinctly using your excellent written and oral communication skills. * You plan, prioritise and organise your workload to meet deadlines, and other competing demands. * You work effectively as part of a team, and build and maintain working relationships with a wide range of people. Benefits Alongside your salary of £56,180, House of Commons contributes £15,168 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides. In addition to your salary, we offer an attractive range of benefits including: * 30 days annual leave (increasing to 35 days after first full leave year). * Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%. * Access to training and development. * Flexible working. * Interest free season ticket loan and bicycle loan. Things you need to know Selection process details * Application Form - If you would like to apply for this role, please submit an application providing evidence against criteria 1-5 in the Job Description. More information on the role and the full criteria can be found in the Job Description. Please note that most job offers will be made at the minimum of the salary range, other than in exceptional circumstances. We may close the vacancy prior to the closing date stated due to a high volume of applications. Information Sessions As part of the process, we will be running virtual information sessions on MS Teams for you to find out more about this role and working at Parliament. These sessions will be on: Tuesday 9 July 2024 at 10:00 10:45 If you select this slot, please send an email to pearseg@parliament.uk by 9am on Tuesday 9 July confirming your slot and you will be added to the invite. Wednesday 17 July 2024 at 15:00 15:45 If you select this slot, please send an email to pearseg@parliament.uk by 9am on Wednesday 17 July, confirming your slot and you will be added to the invite. Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment. Security Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is counter-terrorist check (opens in a new window).See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks. Nationality requirements This job is broadly open to the following groups: * UK nationals * nationals of the Republic of Ireland * nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK * nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window) * nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) * individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020 * Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service