Clerk of the House

This role of Clerk of the House of Commons is an exciting and unique opportunity to contribute to the work of the UK Parliament at the highest level. The Clerk of the House of Commons is an official member of the House of Commons Commission and chairs the Commons Executive Board. The postholder is appointed by the Crown as the chief adviser to the House on matters of parliamentary procedure, privilege and broader constitutional issues. As Head of the House of Commons Administration of around 4,000 staff, the Clerk provides strategic leadership and is ultimately responsible for the services provided to meet the strategic objectives of the administration of the House, through line management of and delegation to the Director General of the House of Commons. The Clerk also chairs the House Administration's Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group and must be able to demonstrate a strong personal commitment to those issues., The Clerk of the House will be selected on the basis of a combination of a written application, an assessment and interview. All candidates will be required to demonstrate in their written application and at interview how their experience has equipped them to meet the requirements of the role. The criteria that will be used to assess whether candidates have the required knowledge, experience, skills and qualities are set out above and in the Job Description. In your application you should give examples with evidence from your current or previous roles as to how you meet each of these criteria. All applicants are required to provide the following:

• A CV (maximum three sides of A4) with your full employment history as well as any unpaid or community activity.
• A short supporting statement (maximum two sides of A4) giving evidence of the strength and depth of your ability to meet the criteria for the role as detailed in the Job Description.
• The names and contact details for two referees. These must be people who know you well enough to comment on your suitability for the post and will be expected to have authoritative and personal knowledge of your achievements.
As part of the online application process, you are asked to complete:
• A diversity monitoring form. This form will not be disclosed to anyone involved in assessing your application.
More information on the role can be found in the Candidate Pack, which includes the Job Description and essential criteria. Applicants must ensure that anything submitted must be factually accurate. Plagiarism 'can include presenting the ideas and experience of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own.' Whilst candidates can make use of AI, they must do it truthfully. Where possible experience stated within the supporting statement should also be visible in the cv part of the application. Whilst we accept candidates may use AI tools within job applications, statements, and CVs; submissions must be truthful and relevant to experience. Please ensure that you anonymise your application by removing any identifiable factors from your CV or Supporting Statement.

This post requires experience in high-level decision-making and strategic people management, the ability to inspire a diverse workforce, strong interpersonal skills, political impartiality and sensitivity, and detailed knowledge and expert understanding of the practices and procedures of the House of Commons. The Clerk is often required to give such procedural advice without notice to the Speaker, and when required to the Deputy Speakers, the Leader of the House, the Shadow Leader, Members of the front benches and individual Members of the House, and must be able to draft or explain it quickly, clearly and accurately. Good communication skills are an essential requirement, as is the capacity to respond quickly to often fast-moving events, with high reputational risks.

In addition to your salary, we offer an attractive package of benefits, including:
• Generous annual leave starting at 30 days, increasing to 35 days after one year.
• Membership of the Civil Service pension scheme, with an average employer contribution of around 27%.
• Flexible and hybrid working options, where role requirements allow, to help you balance professional and personal commitments.
• Enhanced family-friendly policies, including parental and caring leave.