Parliamentary Policy & Research Officer (Green MSP)

Salary: £32,500 to £37,000 per annum depending on experience

Hours: Full time, 30 hours per week

Location: Holyrood

Patrick Harvie MSP and Iris Duane MSP are recruiting for a number of roles both in their regional team, and in the Scottish Parliament. From tackling the climate emergency to building a fairer economy and making the case for Scotland’s place in Europe, these priorities are central to the role. This is an exciting opportunity for people with experience of casework, policy, communications or campaigning, to work with one of our newest MSPs and one of our most experienced.

By default these posts are based either in the shared local office in Glasgow, or in Parliament, though working from home remains an option in particular circumstances. There may be occasional travel between Glasgow and Edinburgh. All these roles may involve periods of working alone, as well as with the rest of the team. All these posts are full time, which is 30 hours per week in line with the 4-day week policy for staff across the Scottish Green’s Parliamentary Group. Applications for job share or other flexible arrangements will be considered.

This is an individually employed post by Patrick Harvie MSP. If you would like to be considered for the concurrent post with Iris Duane MSP, a single application can be considered for both positions advertised. Further information on this can be found under the ‘how to apply’ section.

Purpose

Working in the Parliamentary office, this post will provide support for Patrick Harvie’s portfolio responsibilities as lead for Economy, Transport and Tourism, preparation for debates and committee work in his role as a member of the Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee, legislation, research, and progressing policy priorities both proactively and in response to the Scottish Government’s programme.

Duties May Include

• Monitoring relevant current affairs and parliamentary business, and the positions of other parties
• Preparation, research and external communications related to parliamentary business in the Chamber and in committees
• Long and short research projects as decided by the MSP, producing policy position documents, briefings, draft speeches and similar material
• Drafting and lodging motions and parliamentary questions, and ensuring that deadlines are met
• Liaising with a wide range of contacts including parliament and government officials, politicians and political advisers, NGOs, businesses and academics
• Working with the Scottish Green Parliamentary Group's MSPs and their staff team on shared priorities such as legislation, budget scrutiny, political strategy and media output
• Working with volunteers and interns as required
• Other reasonable and appropriate duties as required

Qualifications and Experience

• Degree or equivalent experience gained through work, volunteering, or other relevant roles.
• Experience in research or policy work for a comparable organisation
• Experience of working in a busy environment and meeting deadlines, both within a team and on own initiative
• A strong understanding of the Scottish political landscape and parliamentary process

Skills

• Excellent written communication including accurate, clear briefing material, as well as more in depth research, and draft speeches
• Good analytical skills, with an eye for accuracy
• Self‑motivated, with an ability to work on your own
• Excellent administrative and organisational skills

Person Specification

• Ability to support Patrick in delivering his parliamentary aims and values
• A strong sense of the opportunities MSPs have to engage with national issues and local community campaigns
• A strong group ethos, and a willingness to share workload across the team when necessary