Job Description

Job Title: Senior Communications Officer (Public Affairs)
Directorate: Communications, Policy and Research
Permanent, full-time
Salary: \xc2\xa342,828 per annum
Location: London (minimum 2 days in the office)

Are you interested in bringing your public affairs and influencing skills to an organisation that plays a vital role in the democratic process?

The Electoral Commission is the independent body which oversees elections and regulates political finance in the UK. We work to promote public confidence in the democratic process and to ensure its integrity.

The role

We are looking for a proactive and skilled public affairs and communications professional to help raise the profile of the Electoral Commission and deliver a high-quality public affairs and communications service. You will support the public affairs manager and the wider external communications team, to provide expert advice and insight to colleagues.

You will brief and prepare senior colleagues for select committee appearances, meetings with parliamentarians and on upcoming legislation. You will be responsible for keeping stakeholders up to date on fast moving issues, drafting responses to parliamentary questions, and responding to parliamentary business to ensure that stakeholders understand the work of the Commission and the value it brings.

The Commission makes and advocates for changes to our democracy, aiming to improve fairness, transparency and efficiency. We want to see improvements made to voter registration, the rules governing digital campaigning, and the accessibility of elections. You will join the team making the case for these vital changes to the political and electoral systems.

The successful candidate

You will be comfortable working in a fast-paced environment, on your own initiative, as well as part of a collaborative and dynamic team. You will have excellent knowledge of Westminster, Whitehall and the devolved legislatures; experience of distilling complex information into digestible briefings; and excellent interpersonal skills that enable you to build strong relationships with both internal and external stakeholders. You will be an engaging and persuasive communicator, with experience of contributing to communication campaigns.

Working at the Electoral Commission

Please note that we use flexible job descriptions for roles in our external communications team, which work across both public affairs and press roles. You should refer to this job advert for details of the specific activities and responsibilities connected to this post.

The closing date for applications is Monday 11 September at 23.55. Interviews will be held on Tuesday 19 and Wednesday 20 September.

We offer excellent terms and conditions, including flexible working hours and the opportunity to join the Civil Service pension arrangements (dependant on scheme rules). If you are interested in applying for this role please visit to download the job description before applying online.

We would like to continuously increase the diversity of our employees. Applications from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic candidates are particularly welcomed.

Video conferencing tools will be available for the interviews and may be required. We will confirm details with shortlisted candidates.

Electoral Commission