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House of Commons

The House of Commons 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.

Staff Benefits

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.

Introduction

The Parliamentary Security Department (PSD) is responsible for physical and personnel security across both Houses of Parliament and provides support to Members and staff when away from the Estate. Its purpose is to keep Parliament safe and open for business.

PSD sets security strategy provides expert advice and delivers an operational service. It does this in partnership with the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) and by working closely with the In-House and Strategic Estates teams, Serjeant at Arms and Black Rod’s office, Restoration & Renewal teams, the Parliamentary Digital Service, and other key stakeholders.

The Role

PSD are looking to appoint a Security Support Assistant within the Members’ Security Support Service (MSSS). The role holder will work closely as part of the MSSS to support Members of Parliament (Members) and their staff in accessing the appropriate security away from the estate. The role holder will be able to respond to queries from Members and their staff on security and provide clear and concise advice.

A high level of confidentiality and sensitivity is required in respect of security matters and related discussions. The post holder will ideally have an understanding of security measures, (i.e. physical and electronic security installations).

The role requires a motivated and organised individual, who can work well in a pressurised environment when responding to Members and their staff. The individual should be comfortable working with a wide range of colleagues at all levels, confident in responding to queries from Members and their staff as well as committed to providing an excellent level of customer service and taking responsibility for regular tasks.

Some of the responsibilities for this role include:

• Act as a key point of liaison for Members and their staff to raise security concerns or queries regarding the recommended security measures process e.g. the accessing of specialist security advice and the provision of general security advice.
• Monitor and triage the team’s shared inbox to ensure that all email queries are resolved and logged appropriately.
• Support House security events to ensure that Members and their staff are aware of MSSS and the support the team can offer. Champion the uptake of security measures.
• Develop and maintain a good understanding of the security measures and assist in developing and implementing changes to the security measures.
• Monitor and log security specifications from the security contractor to ensure that all required paperwork is completed correctly and log financial information from specifications accurately into the MSSS register/records.

Skills and Experience

To be successful in this role you will demonstrate:

• Strong written and oral communication skills with the ability to communicate effectively in writing for a variety of different audiences and formats. Adapts style of communication to meet the needs of the audience and able to present complex information clearly to stakeholders to support decision-making. Ability to understand security details, to ensure accurate information recording and articulation.
• Experience of working with diverse groups of people, upholding the principles of diversity, equality and inclusion, ensuring that everyone is, at all times, treated with dignity, courtesy and respect.
• Ability to deliver excellent customer service in a sensitive environment and handle sensitive information appropriately. Experience and competence gathering information to understand the facts and draw logical conclusions.
• Demonstrate excellent organisational skills and the ability to plan, prioritise and monitor tasks in a systematic way. Providing examples of good digital tools usage for handling records, data, and collaborative trackers or dashboards to improve processes. e.g. Microsoft software (Office 365 applications; Outlook; Word; Excel etc.) including an ability to and quickly learn new systems.
• Experience of working with external suppliers and/or working on high profile contracts. Ability to work successfully within both internal & external teams and stakeholders, including a challenging customer base.

Next Steps and Additional Information

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.