Support and Information Officer (Northern Ireland)

Job Title: Support and Information Officer (Northern Ireland)

Directorate: Devolution, Governance and Law

Starting salary band:

B grade: £31,549 - £33,126 per annum depending on skills, experience and qualification.

Full time & Permanent: Full time, permanent. This role operates on a hybrid basis which requires a minimum of 2 days office attendance (40%).

Location: Belfast

Working at the Electoral Commission

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.

We offer excellent terms and conditions, including flexible working hours and the opportunity to join the Civil Service pension arrangements, fantastic office space and opportunities for personal development opportunities and continuous learning.

The Commission is about to embark on an exciting new journey with a new five-year Corporate Plan full of exciting changes which will impact the way we in HR work and plan for the future including rolling out a new pay structure and performance management framework, increasing our organisational headcount and introducing performance base pay progression. This role will play a pivotal role in supporting this change.

Pay Progression

The Commission is to launch a new Pay Structure in July 2025 which introduces performance-based pay progression depending on performance. Eligibility for the performance-based pay progression in April of the following year is dependent on having completed the required six months service at the progression rating date (31 January). The new structure allows the potential for pay progression on top of any inflationary increase for staff.

The range below shows the potential maximum pay progression in addition to any annual inflationary increase to your pay. The full width of the B Band starts at £31,549 and goes up to £42,065. Please note that the salary band for new staff is up to £33,126 and our default position is to appoint into the lower zone of the band unless exceptional circumstances.

Other Benefits

Alongside your salary based on £31,549 the Electoral Commission contributes £9,139 of your basic salary towards you being a member of the Civil Service Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides and the conditions involved.

The Electoral Commission offers a competitive mix of benefits including:

• A culture of flexible working, such as flexi scheme, homeworking and compressed hours.
• Automatic enrolment into the Civil Service Pension Scheme, with an employer contribution of 28.97%.
• A working from home allowance of £312 per annum is paid as a tax-free working from home allowance.
• A minimum of 28 days of paid annual leave, plus 8 bank holidays increasing up to a maximum of 30 days after 4 years.
• An extensive range of learning & professional development opportunities, which all staff are actively encouraged to pursue.
• Eye care vouchers, Ride 2 Work and an opportunity to sell up to 5 days annual leave at the end of the annual leave period.
• A hybrid office/home based working model where staff will spend a norm of 40% of their time in the office.

The Role

The Northern Ireland Support and Information Officer will play a key role in assisting the Electoral Commission’s work in Northern Ireland by providing advice and guidance to voters, electoral administrators, political parties, candidates, agents, and the public.

The postholder will provide secretarial and financial planning support to the team, assisting the Senior Officer (Political Parties Liaison) with the delivery of party finance activities in Northern Ireland.

In addition, the postholder will also support the Senior Communications and Engagement Officer with tasks such as preparing press releases, managing social media content, coordinating newsletters, and contributing to other communications and engagement initiatives. They will collaborate closely to ensure these activities align with the Commission’s broader strategic objectives.

Who we are looking for:

• You will be proactive and enthusiastic about working with stakeholders and delivering outcomes to meet our objectives.
• You will also be self-motivated to progress your own projects and responsibilities, and a team player who is happy to support the work of others and contribute across the organisation.
• We are looking for a candidate who is engaged and effective and who will keep others informed about their area of work.
• Experience of elections would be useful; however, we will also accept applications which exhibit relevant transferable skills and experience.

To be successful in this role, you will need to:

• Serve as the primary point of contact for the Commission’s public information service in Northern Ireland, responding to queries received via email, phone and ensuring all contacts are logged in accordance with Commission procedures.
• Work with relevant team leads to provide advice and guidance to political parties, candidates, agents, and campaigners, ensuring compliance with legislative requirements and the Commission’s guidance in Northern Ireland.
• Support communications by preparing press materials, newsletters and Northern Ireland-related content for the Commission’s website and social media channels.
• Assisting with the processing of electoral observer accreditation applications across the UK during busy electoral events.
• Provide administrative support to ensure the effective operation of the Northern Ireland team and secretariat support to meetings with external stakeholders.

More information on how to apply

To remove bias from our recruitment process, the Electoral Commission operates anonymous recruitment. Please apply by supplying an anonymous CV, without reference to your name, age, ethnicity or other identifiable information. Failure to supply an anonymous CV and cover letter will result in your application being rejected.

We want to attract the broadest range of talented people who are passionate about democracy. The more diverse our workforce, the better we can adapt to and reflect the needs of society. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and as a staff member you will become part of an inclusive culture, where you will have the opportunity to achieve your full potential and enhance your career through learning and development.

Closing date is Tuesday 22 April 2025 at 23:59.

Although we reserve the right to close the advert earlier if we receive a high volume of interest, please don’t delay applying if interested.

Shortlisting will take place from Wednesday 23 April 2025.

Interviews will be held on Tuesday 6 May and Wednesday 7 May 2025.

Applicants who are applying for the position will be expected to attend the interview in person at our offices in Belfast. We may consider requests to use video conferencing tools and will confirm details with shortlisted candidates. The Electoral Commission does not compensate candidates for the travel costs incurred due to interview attendance.

If you are interested in applying for this role, please download the job description before applying online.

If you have any further questions about the role, please don’t hesitate to contact the HR Team at recruitment@electoralcommission.org.uk who will be happy to help.