Senior Adviser, Legislation, Strategy & Coordination in Cardiff

Basis: Permanent, Full time 36 hours per week. A £312 tax-free working from home allowance is also payable annually.

Location: Cardiff, Belfast, Edinburgh or Remote UK (Hybrid – min. 2 days in office).

Benefits: Outstanding benefits including Civil Service Pension Scheme, flexible working, 28+ days holiday, and more.

About the Electoral Commission: The Electoral Commission is the UK’s independent body overseeing elections and regulating political finance. Everything we do is about ensuring trust, participation, and integrity in the democratic process. As we continue to deliver our five-year Corporate Plan, the Commission is building on a period of growth and change, expanding our workforce and modernising how we deliver our services to better support the needs of a changing democracy.

About the role: As a Senior Adviser within the Legislation, Strategy and Coordination team, you will help coordinate the Commission's response to legislative change and support the delivery of high-profile programmes that shape how elections are administered. Working across all four nations of the UK, you will collaborate with colleagues, senior leaders and government stakeholders to ensure legislative developments are understood, planned for and implemented effectively. The role combines project delivery, policy implementation and stakeholder engagement. You will be responsible for translating complex legislative proposals into practical plans, helping the Commission prepare for and respond to changes that directly impact voters, campaigners, political parties and electoral administrators.

Key responsibilities include:

• Coordinating activity across multiple workstreams within the electoral reform programme
• Monitoring legislative developments and assessing their impact on the Commission and its stakeholders
• Developing and maintaining project plans, risk registers, impact assessments and implementation documentation
• Supporting senior leaders and programme sponsors in delivering reform programmes
• Working with colleagues across the Commission to develop guidance, communications and operational responses to legislative change
• Building effective relationships with government departments and external stakeholders

This is an ideal opportunity for someone who enjoys working in a fast-paced environment, influencing complex programmes and contributing to work that has a direct impact on democracy across the UK.

About the team: The Legislation, Strategy and Coordination team acts as the Commission's central hub for electoral reform activity. The team brings together colleagues from across the organisation to coordinate responses to legislative developments and ensure changes are implemented effectively and consistently. The team works closely with colleagues from Electoral Administration, Regulation, Communications and other specialist functions, providing a unique opportunity to build relationships across the organisation and gain exposure to a broad range of policy, legislative and strategic work. The team is relatively small, collaborative and highly visible, providing significant opportunities for individuals to contribute, develop and make a tangible impact.

Who we’re looking for: We're looking for someone who can combine strong project coordination and stakeholder management skills with the ability to analyse complex information and turn it into practical action. You do not need to be an electoral law specialist. We're more interested in your ability to navigate complex environments, manage competing priorities and work effectively with a wide range of stakeholders.

You will likely bring:

• Experience delivering and coordinating projects or programmes using recognised project management approaches
• Experience building and maintaining effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders
• An understanding of UK political, governance or legislative processes
• Experience analysing complex information and producing clear recommendations, reports or plans
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Strong influencing and stakeholder engagement capabilities

This role would suit candidates from policy, government, regulation, governance, programme delivery or wider public sector backgrounds.

Why work for us? This is an opportunity to be at the forefront of electoral reform in the UK. You'll work closely with government officials, senior Commission leaders and colleagues across multiple directorates to help shape the Commission's response to legislative change. The role offers excellent exposure to high-profile programmes, strategic decision-making and stakeholder engagement at a national level. You'll also gain experience working across policy, project delivery and governance disciplines, creating excellent opportunities for professional development and future career progression.

The Office: Our offices provide welcoming, collaborative spaces where colleagues can connect, share ideas and work together across teams. Whether based in London, Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh, you will be part of a supportive working environment that balances the benefits of in-person collaboration with the flexibility of hybrid working.

The Benefits: We offer a strong total reward package, including:

• Flexible working and hybrid model for office-based staff, with a minimum of 40% of working time spent in the office
• Flexi-time scheme, allowing flexible hours with the option to accrue and take flexi leave
• 28 rising to 30 days annual leave + bank holidays
• Performance-related pay

Key dates: Interviews (2nd stage): Week commencing TBC. Anticipated start date: October 2026. Interviews are expected to take place virtually via MS Teams.

The Electoral Commission is proud to be a Level 2 Disability Confident Employer. As part of this commitment, we aim to prioritise interviews for disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria listed in the job description. There may, however, be occasions where it is not practicable or appropriate to interview all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria. For example, during periods of exceptionally high application volumes or seasonal recruitment activity, the Commission may need to limit the overall number of interviews offered to both disabled and non-disabled applicants. If you have a disability and would like to be considered under this commitment, please indicate this when you apply. We also welcome requests for reasonable adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process or within the workplace.