Lead Written Parliamentary Questions Coordinator (Task Manager)

Department for Education; London; Hybrid; GBP 37,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

The Department for Education in London seeks a Lead Written PQ Coordinator responsible for managing daily operations and delivering responses to parliamentary questions. The ideal candidate will possess strong organizational skills, thrive under pressure, and have a desire to enhance their leadership abilities while working closely with ministerial offices and stakeholders.

Benefits

Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension Scheme

Generous annual leave starting at 25 days

Professional development opportunities

Qualifications

• Excellent organization and time management skills.
• Strong leading and managing skills, with the ability to develop colleagues.
• Strong communication skills, able to engage across the department.

Responsibilities

• Manage the department’s written PQ caseload.
• Deliver responses to MPs and Peers within tight deadlines.
• Support the team in a fast-paced, pressurized environment.

Skills

Organization

Time Management

Negotiation

Leadership

Communication

Job description

City of Westminster, London (region), SW1P 3BT

Job Summary

The Written Parliamentary Question (PQ) team is key to the department’s success in communicating with parliament and the outside world.

The Lead Written PQ coordinators (task manager) is responsible for managing the daily operation of the written PQ process and the delivery of the team. You will support the coordinators to deliver at pace, reviewing and flexing resource across the team and stepping into problem solve where needed.

You will join a supportive, flexible team who are adept at delivering at pace and manage work to tight deadlines.

Job Description

Parliamentary Questions form an essential part of departmental accountability to parliament and are used by Members of both Houses, as well as regularly being featured in the press. Therefore, strong organisational and prioritisation skills are essential. You will help manage the department’s written PQ caseload and ensure that the team delivers responses to MPs and Peers within short parliamentary deadlines (ranging from 3 to 10 days).

This is an exciting opportunity for someone who would like to develop their leadership and managerial skills and to work closely with ministerial offices. You should enjoy working with a wide range of different people and know how to get the best out of them individually, whether that is within your team or across your stakeholders.

You should be someone who thrives in a fast paced and pressurised environment. You will need to keep your team briefed and motivated, helping them to deliver at pace and supporting them to effectively meet parliamentary deadlines, whilst also encouraging their own development.

This post requires a resilient and tenacious individual who will flourish under the pace and pressure of the role. You should be confident in your ability to engage and build significant relationships with a range of different people (e.g. with Private Office and policy colleagues) and use negotiation and influencing skills to achieve successful outcomes and timely performance.

This post would be suitable for an individual who is interested in Parliament and would like to gain an insight into a high profile operational delivery team and an understanding of policy across a large department of state.

Within this role, in order for the team to effectively meet its parliamentary deadlines, you will work a fixed, daily shift of 10:00 – 18:00.

Parliamentary Questions form an essential part of departmental accountability to parliament and are used by Members of both Houses, as well as regularly being featured in the press. Therefore, strong organisational and prioritisation skills are essential. You will help manage the department’s written PQ caseload and ensure that the team delivers responses to MPs and Peers within short parliamentary deadlines (ranging from 3 to 10 days).

This is an exciting opportunity for someone who would like to develop their leadership and managerial skills and to work closely with ministerial offices. You should enjoy working with a wide range of different people and know how to get the best out of them individually, whether that is within your team or across your stakeholders.

You should be someone who thrives in a fast paced and pressurised environment. You will need to keep your team briefed and motivated, helping them to deliver at pace and supporting them to effectively meet parliamentary deadlines, whilst also encouraging their own development.

This post requires a resilient and tenacious individual who will flourish under the pace and pressure of the role. You should be confident in your ability to engage and build significant relationships with a range of different people (e.g. with Private Office and policy colleagues) and use negotiation and influencing skills to achieve successful outcomes and timely performance.

This post would be suitable for an individual who is interested in Parliament and would like to gain an insight into a high profile operational delivery team and an understanding of policy across a large department of state.

Within this role, in order for the team to effectively meet its parliamentary deadlines, you will work a fixed, daily shift of 10:00 – 18:00.

Person specification

Essential Criteria

• Excellent organisation and time management skills.
• Resilience to work calmly under pressure with a high workload, delivering at pace to tight deadlines and able to effectively make decisions under pressure.
• Strong leading and managing skills, with the ability to develop and support colleagues within your team.
• Strong communication skills (written and verbal) and the ability to engage confidently with a range of people across the department, including at a senior level.
• A good level of written English and strong attention to detail.
• A flexible approach to supporting the team and being able to flex resources so that the department can meet its parliamentary deadlines.
  
  

Desirable Criteria

• Knowledge of, or interest in, topical issues in the sector.
• Understanding of, or interest in, parliamentary business.
  
  

Desirable criteria will only be assessed at interview, in the event of a tie break situation, to make an informed decision.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace
• Leadership
  
  

Alongside your salary of £37,718, Department for Education contributes £10,926 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Applicants currently holding a permanent post in the Civil Service should note that, if successful, their salary on appointment would be determined by the Department’s transfer / promotion policies.

As a member of the DfE, you will be entitled to join the highly competitive Civil Service Pension Scheme, which many experts agree is one of the most generous in the UK.

You will have 25 days leave, increasing by 1 day every year to a maximum of 30 days after five years’ service. In addition, all staff receive the King’s Birthday privilege holiday and 8 days’ bank and public holidays.

Most DfE employees will be working a hybrid pattern, spending at least 60% of their time in an office or work setting. Changes to these working arrangements are available in exceptional circumstances but must be agreed with the line manager and in line with the requirements of the role.

Travel to your primary office location will not be paid for by DfE, but costs for travel to an office which is not your main location will be covered.

As an organisation, which exists to support education and lifelong learning, we offer our staff excellent professional development opportunities.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.

Application

Candidates will be required to provide a CV and Statement of Suitability (max word count 750 words).

We will use your CV and statement to assess your experience and suitability for the role against the essential criteria listed in the person specification section above.

In the event of a large number of applications, we will sift on the Statement of Suitability only.

More guidance on personal statements can be found here – completing your application.

Sift dates to be confirmed.

Interview

Candidates successful at sift stage will be invited to an attend an interview.

At interview you will be asked questions around the behaviours Communicating and Influencing, Delivering at Pace and Leadership. We will also ask you some strength based questions.

Interview dates to be confirmed.

For more information on the selection process, including guidance on how to write a personal statement, answer behaviour and strength-based interview questions, and the STAR approach click here: Top tips for acing the application.

Other Information

In your application, please don’t include personal information that identifies you.

This means we can recruit based on your knowledge and skills, and not background, gender or ethnicity - it's called name blind recruitment (opens in a new window).

Please ensure that you remove from your application, all references to your:

• name/title
• educational institutions
• age
• gender
• email address
• postal address
• phone number
• nationality/immigration status
  
  

We understand that you might use AI and other resources for your application; however, please ensure all information you provide is factually accurate, truthful, and original and doesn’t include ideas or work that isn’t your own. This is so that your application is authentically and credibly your own.

We reserve the right to raise the minimum pass mark in the event of a high volume or strong field of candidates.

Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK from the location options provided and not from overseas.

The government is committed to supporting apprenticeships, enabling people to learn and progress in a role whilst earning. We want to monitor the number of people who have completed apprenticeships who are now applying to progress further in their career and are asking this question to all candidates, on all vacancies. You will be asked a question as part of the application process about any previous apprenticeships you have completed. Your response to this question will not affect your application and it is not a requirement of the role to have completed a previous apprenticeship.

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check maybe carried out.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf. However, we recognise in exceptional circumstance some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Department of Education of your intention by emailing [e-mail] stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

Department for Education do not cover the cost of travel to your interview/assessment unless otherwise stated.

A reserve list may be held for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made.

Candidates will be posted in merit order based upon location preference. Where more than one location is advertised you will be asked to state your preferred location.

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

Terms and conditions of candidates transferring from ALBs and NDPBs

Bodies that are not accredited by the Civil Service Commission and are not able to advertise at Across Government on Civil Service jobs will be treated as external new starters and will come into DfE on modernised terms and conditions with a salary at the band minimum.

Bodies that are accredited by the Civil Service Commission but do not have civil service status will be offered modernised terms and will not have continuous service recognised for leave or sickness benefits. Salaries should be offered at band minimum, but there is some flexibility where this would cause a detriment to the individual.

Bodies that are accredited by the Civil Service Commission and do have Civil Service status will be treated as OGD transfers. Staff appointed on lateral transfer will move on to pre-modernised DfE terms (unless they were on modernised terms in their previous organisation). Staff appointed on promotion will move on to modernised DfE terms. Staff will transfer over on their existing salary (on lateral transfer) and any pay above the DfE pay band maximum will be paid as a mark time allowance. Staff moving on promotion will have their salaries calculated using the principles set out in the attached OGD transfer supplementary information.

Reasonable adjustment

If a Person With Disabilities Is Put At a Substantial Disadvantage Compared To a Non-disabled Person, We Have a Duty To Make Reasonable Changes To Our Processes. If You Need a Change To Be Made So That You Can Make Your Application, You Should

Contact Department of Education via [e-mail] soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

Please refer to the attached ‘Reasonable Adjustments Guide 05_2025 – accessible version’ at the bottom of the advert, for further information.

Childcare Vouchers

Any move to Department for Education (DfE) will mean you will no longer be able to carry on claiming childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This Job Is Broadly Open To The Following Groups

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
  
  

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job Contact

• Name : Louise Dominey
• Email : [e-mail]
  
  

Recruitment team

• Email : [e-mail]
  
  

Further information

The Department for Education’s recruitment processes are underpinned by the Civil Service Commissioners Recruitment Principles, which outlines that selection for appointment is made on merit based on fair and open competition. You have the right to complain if you feel a department has breached the requirement of the Recruitment Principles. In the first instance, you should raise the matter directly with the department concerned via [e-mail]. If you are not satisfied with the response, you may bring your complaint to the Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages