Lead Written Parliamentary Questions Coordinator (Task Manager)

The Written Parliamentary Question (PQ) team is key to the department’s success in communicating with parliament and the outside world. The Lead Written PQ coordinator is responsible for managing the daily operation of the written PQ process and the delivery of the team. You will support the coordinators to deliver at pace, reviewing and flexing resource across the team and stepping in to problem solve where needed.

You will join a supportive, flexible team who are adept at delivering at pace and manage work to tight deadlines. Parliamentary Questions form an essential part of departmental accountability to parliament and are used by Members of both Houses, as well as regularly being featured in the press. Therefore, strong organisational and prioritisation skills are essential. You will help manage the department’s written PQ caseload and ensure that the team delivers responses to MPs and Peers within short parliamentary deadlines (ranging from 3 to 10 days).

This is an exciting opportunity for someone who would like to develop their leadership and managerial skills and to work closely with ministerial offices. You should enjoy working with a wide range of different people and know how to get the best out of them individually, whether that is within your team or across your stakeholders. You should be someone who thrives in a fast-paced and pressurised environment. You will need to keep your team briefed and motivated, helping them to deliver at pace and supporting them to effectively meet parliamentary deadlines, whilst also encouraging their own development.

This post requires a resilient and tenacious individual who will flourish under the pace and pressure of the role. You should be confident in your ability to engage and build significant relationships with a range of different people (e.g. with Private Office and policy colleagues) and use negotiation and influencing skills to achieve successful outcomes and timely performance. This post would be suitable for an individual who is interested in Parliament and would like to gain an insight into a high-profile operational delivery team and an understanding of policy across a large department of state.

Within this role, in order for the team to effectively meet its parliamentary deadlines, you will work a fixed, daily shift of 10:00 – 18:00.

Essential Criteria

• Excellent organisation and time management skills.
• Resilience to work calmly under pressure with a high workload, delivering at pace to tight deadlines and able to effectively make decisions under pressure.
• Strong leading and managing skills, with the ability to develop and support colleagues within your team.
• Strong communication skills (written and verbal) and the ability to engage confidently with a range of people across the department, including at a senior level.
• A good level of written English and strong attention to detail.
• A flexible approach to supporting the team and being able to flex resources so that the department can meet its parliamentary deadlines.

Desirable Criteria

• Knowledge of, or interest in, topical issues in the sector.
• Understanding of, or interest in, parliamentary business.

Behaviours

• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace
• Leadership

As a member of the DfE, you will be entitled to join the highly competitive Civil Service Pension Scheme, which many experts agree is one of the most generous in the UK. You will have 25 days leave, increasing by 1 day every year to a maximum of 30 days after five years’ service. In addition, all staff receive the King’s Birthday privilege holiday and 8 days’ bank and public holidays. Most DfE employees will be working a hybrid pattern, spending at least 60% of their time in an office or work setting.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.