Recruitment

Following my appointment as Shadow Justice Secretary I am expanding my office and wish to recruit a number of key new staff.

Chief of Staff

I am looking for an exceptional person to support my parliamentary and political activity, oversee communications, run my team and manage my Westminster office.

You will need excellent and mature political judgement, first class diplomatic, analytical and writing skills, the ability to manage and motivate people, good humour, discretion and a willingness to work under pressure, frequently putting in long hours. This job will put you right at the centre of my frontbench activity and policy-making in the important areas of constitutional and penal reform.

You will have several years' relevant political experience in a senior position, perhaps developed as a lobbyist, civil servant, campaigner, journalist, or senior researcher in, for example, an MP's office or a think tank.

Parliamentary researcher

I am looking for a first class researcher to support my frontbench work.

You will have extremely good political acumen, excellent research and analytical skills, the ability to write well, and a willingness to work long hours under pressure. You will be reliable, thorough, hard working and personable.

You will be closely involved in parliamentary activity and will have an input into policy-making in the important areas of constitutional and penal reform. Some form of legal experience might be helpful but, in view of the number of experienced lawyers on our team, it is not essential.

You are likely to have a first class degree from a top university. For exceptional candidates this could be your first job after graduation, or you might be looking to broaden your political experience in a more senior position.

Constituency aide / researcher

I am looking for a bright, personable individual to manage my busy constituency activity, ie:

- Organise and attend my surgeries and village meetings and, crucially, manage the follow-up.

- Liaise with councillors, community groups and individuals to ensure that I take up local concerns and follow through on appropriate issues.

- Manage my local communications, including drafting news releases, organising constituency communications and updating my website to ensure that my work is fully publicised.

Ideally you will be based in or near the constituency and be able to work locally for at least some of the week, accompanying me on Fridays and Saturdays when I am holding surgeries and attending local meetings and events.

You will be extremely well organised, with good communication and writing skills and the ability to empathise with people and community issues. You will be a natural campaigner, with good political instincts, and will have the skills and enthusiasm to manage my website and develop new forms of e-campaigning and communication.

Above all you will share my commitment to represent the interests and concerns of the local community effectively and do the best possible job for constituents. You will be a self-starter who is willing to put in the time, including attending local meetings which frequently take place in the evenings.

I am looking for someone who would value building a long term role in, and familiarity with, the constituency, not someone who would be likely to move on after a relatively short time.

HOW TO APPLY

All positions will be remunerated according to experience.

Please e-mail your application and CV to job@nickherbert.com.

Please do NOT e-mail me directly or telephone my office.

Applications will be treated in the strictest confidence.