Work for Liam

Liam is recruiting for two roles based in the Constituency office, a Head of Office and a Community Engagement Manager. See full details below:

Head of Office

Closing Date: 9AM, Monday 16th September 2024. Applicants can apply earlier. Interviews will be on a rolling basis. Working For: Rt Hon Liam Byrne MP (Birmingham, Hodge Hill & Solihull North)

Location: Birmingham

Salary: Upto £45, 000 (full time) in-line with IPSA pay scales.

Length of Contract: Permanent subject to a 6 month probation period

Job Details: Liam Byrne MP is looking to recruit a supremely well organised Head of Office to join his brilliant and long established team in the constituency working for residents in the new constituency of Hodge Hill & Solihull North. The role will involve close working with the Westminster team. Experience of working in the charitable/ advice sector or a local council or government agency, or indeed for an MP is desirable but not essential and opportunities to develop skills in post will be supported. Experience of budget management is important.

STRATEGIC

•In conjunction with the team of extremely experienced caseworkers in Birmingham and the London Office team, create and oversee an ongoing plan of the MP’s work programme in the constituency

•Building and maintaining relationships with key local stakeholders in police, council and relevant agencies to help solve constituency problems

•Managing creation of action plans in each ward, from surveys to community meetings, from plan development to plan communication, including writing and preparing the research programme of surveys, mailings plus organising and staffing residents meetings, capturing minutes and generating (a) letters to agencies and (b) follow up letters to residents.

•Organising street surgeries, generating casework followups and managing data.

•Horizon-scan, anticipating what advice or action may be required; proactively identifying issues and maximising knowledge of what’s going on the constituency, through media and digital monitoring

•Finding & liaising with community groups. Helping define projects that we can assist with, and identifying issues to flag in Parliament.

Finance and HR Management

•Responsibility for managing all aspects of the budget, keeping MP informed of all relevant financial matters and liaising with IPSA on office finance.

•Support and manage recruitment of staff for MP’s office.

•Manage office teams (across both sites), ensuring accurate personnel records are kept and notifying IPSA of contractual changes as necessary.

•Identify training opportunities and ensure office team maintain and develop knowledge of relevant legislation where appropriate.

ADMINISTRATIVE

•Lead and maintain a highly professional administrative support function for MP’s office, creating and maintaining systems as appropriate, together with oversight of maintenance of the digital estate and key office assets, ensure records are kept and information managed confidentially and in line with data protection legislation and ensuring the office is fully equipped.

Constituency diary and scheduling

•Overall management of MP's diary commitments outside the House of Commons, proposing visits and staffing Liam on constituency visits and events, in liaison with the Communications and Legislation Manager, based in London

•Maintaining a comprehensive grip and knowledge of community events

•Attending Ward meetings as representative of MP and briefing MP on outcome.

Communications

•Working with the Communications and Legalisation Manager together with the Digital Assistant (both based in London) to plan the MP’s communications and external stakeholder engagement

•Writing and preparing the research programme of surveys, mailings plus organising and staffing residents meetings

Security

• Deal with security matters, keep abreast of security guidance, maintain the security system, liaise with external bodies as appropriate.

OTHER

•There may be requirement for the role holder to work outside of normal working hours including attending events with the MP as required.

Upon appointment you will be required to apply for security clearance, undertaken by the Security Vetting and Pass Office.

Application Details

Please send a CV and covering letter (explaining in no more than 2 sides of A4 why you are suitable for this role) to: homanlf@parliament.uk

Closing Date: 9AM, Monday 16th September 2024. Applicants can apply earlier. Interviews will be on a rolling basis.

Start ASAP.

Community Engagement Manager/Officer (dependent on experience)

Closing Date: 9AM, Monday 16th September 2024. Applicants can apply earlier. Interviews will be on a rolling basis. Job Title: Community Engagement Manager/Officer (dependent on experience)

Salary: Upto £33, 000 (full time) in-line with IPSA pay scales. Part-time considered.

Job Details

Liam Byrne MP is looking to recruit Community Engagement Manager/Officer to join his brilliant and long established team in the constituency working for residents in the new constituency of Hodge Hill & Solihull North. The role will involve close working with the Westminster team.

Experience of working for an MP or a local council or government agency is desirable but not essential and opportunities to develop skills in post will be supported. The appointment as Manager or Officer will be dependent on the candidate's experience.

Duties and responsibilities may include, but are not limited to:

1. Pushing forward progress of constituency projects with a range of local agencies, along with problem-solving and coordinating neighbourhood action and solutions with local agencies, as the MP’s representative

2. Liaising with community groups and helping define projects that we can assist with, and champion in Parliament.

3. Building and maintaining relationships with key local stakeholders in police, council and relevant agencies.

4. Assisting with outbound surveys of constituents, analysing feedback and preparing briefing notes based on responses.

5. Organising and staffing residents meetings, including capturing minutes and generating (a) letters to agencies and (b) follow up letters to residents, plus briefing case working team on follow up.

6. Organising and staffing street surgeries together with actioning followup work

7. Attending Ward meetings as representative of MP and briefing MP on outcome.

8. Helping running the ward plan cycle in each ward, from surveys to community meetings to plan development to plan communication, helping us ensure we have a clear ward plan in every part of the constituency

9. Scheduling of Liam’s time, proposing and staffing visits

10. Maintaining a comprehensive grip and knowledge of community events

Key Attributes:

•Good with engaging with people and working alongside an established team.

•Excellent project and task management skills

•Self-starter, able to organise independently, and manage own workload.

•Enthusiastic and self-motivated with a strong work ethic.

•Sympathetic to the aims and values of the Labour Party.

•Knowledge of the Hodge Hill & Solihull North constituency would be highly desirable.

•A good grasp of current affairs and political developments would be desirable.

Upon appointment you will be required to apply for security clearance, undertaken by the Security Vetting and Pass Office.

Closing Date: Monday 16th September 2024

Interview via Teams/Zoom week commencing: Monday 16th September 2024

Start date as soon as possible.

Application Details

Please send a one page covering letter a two-page CV, and a 300 word statement on the issues that will likely impact Liam's constituency to homanlf@parliament.uk with a subject line: Community Engagement Manager/Officer

Please note that it will not be possible to acknowledge every application submitted.