Parliamentary and Public Affairs Adviser/Researcher to the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Archbish

This post sits within Faith and Public Life (FPL), the team that supports the Church of England’s work in the public sphere, and specifically supports the work of the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Archbishop of York across a wide range of topics, from their role in Church and state relations, to their witness on issues of social justice. The work is set in the context of the priority areas of the Archbishop’s ministry, the Quinquennium goals of the Church of England, and the five marks of mission of the Anglican Communion. Policy and research on these areas are carried out within the Faith and Public Life team, and so the post will link across all the areas of work in FPL.

The creation at the start of 2022 of the new FPL department for the National Church Institutions brought together for the first time a number of outward-facing activities formerly divided between the Archbishops’ Council and the staff of the Archbishops. Public policy and ethics, Parliamentary support for the Lords Spiritual and Second Church Estates Commissioner, Inter-religious relations, links to the Anglican Communion and Ecumenical relations, along with a number of project teams working on issues as diverse as modern-day slavery, freedom of religion and belief and social impact investment, all came together to form the new team, with opportunities to learn from one another and work effectively across specialisms. Administrative support for all areas of the work is delivered through the FPL support team.

The Public Affairs Adviser/Researcher to the Archbishops fulfils this role under the supervision of the Director of the Faith and Public Life team, and the Head of Parliamentary Affairs for the Church of England, working closely with colleagues in the Office of the Archbishops at Lambeth and Bishopthorpe Palaces, the Public Policy Team and the Parliamentary Unit of FPL.

As a link between the Archbishops and the Faith and Public Life team, the post-holder will have frequent personal contact with the Archbishops and close working relationships across the team, ensuring, through the Director, that the Archbishops can avail themselves of all the skills and experience held within the team as required. The post-holder’s research activities will contribute to, and be coordinated with, wide research activities of FPL’s Public Policy team.

As the overall Parliamentary engagement of the Lords Spiritual and Second Church Estates Commissioner is coordinated through the Parliamentary Team within FPL, the post holder will be a full member of the Team and will be line managed, for that part of the work, by the Head of Parliamentary Affairs. 

The role involves the briefing and management of events and meetings held by the Archbishops, and the management of their interventions in the House of Lords, including speechwriting.  It also involves carrying out research both at the specific request of the Archbishops, and, where possible, assisting the Public Policy team in research that supports the wider Church of England.

Key duties include:

• Liaising with the other members of the Faith and Public Life team to ensure that the Archbishops are appropriately advised on key developments in government policy and legislation
• Assisting the Archbishops, through the Parliamentary Team, in their Parliamentary duties, including research for speeches, questions and meetings, monitoring and updating them on specific issues and events, and liaising with others in Parliament, civil society and the National Church Institutions on his behalf.
• Ensuring that the Archbishops are kept abreast of the wider activities of the Lords Spiritual.
• Organising and staffing meetings in Parliament with the Archbishops.  
• Undertaking discrete and ongoing research projects, to assist in the ongoing public affairs work of the Archbishops and the Faith and Public Life team’s wider work.
• Assisting in developing briefing material to support the Archbishops’ contributions on social and public issues, including drafting speeches, notes and preparatory material for the Archbishops and members of their senior staff as required.
• Providing support for new work areas that enable the Archbishops to address their own priorities in their ministry.  This will include work across both the Provinces of Canterbury and York.
• Assisting in the preparation of briefs for official engagements for which the Faith and Public Life team has lead responsibility, including basic research and collation of information.
• Assisting in the maintenance and development of relationships with major charities, NGOs, think tanks and social and public affairs (or equivalent) departments at a national level in other denominations and faiths.
• Assisting in the day-to-day activities of the Faith and Public Life team, such as drafting correspondence on behalf of the Archbishops on relevant matters and responding to the numerous invitations that the Archbishops receive.
• Where appropriate, attending meetings on behalf of the Archbishops and/or the Faith and Public Life team.

The post holder will also assist with day-to-day duties, such as drafting briefings and correspondence, and assisting with the drafting of speeches and written material for use by the Archbishops.

All staff working at Lambeth and Bishopthorpe Palaces share responsibility to promote and maintain a strong safeguarding culture with regard to children and vulnerable adults, including identifying the key actions they should take given their role and responsibilities.

Your role profile is intended to reflect your main tasks and areas of work, but is not exhaustive. Changes may occur over time, and you will be expected to agree to any reasonable changes to the profile that are commensurate with your banding and in line with the general nature of your post. You will be consulted about any changes to the profile before these are implemented.

The postholder will be required to have basic DBS clearance.

Essential

Education

• Degree level (or equivalent qualification that includes a significant independent research project).
• Excellent ICT skills.
• Excellent communication skills, verbally and in writing.
• Excellent organisation skills, including time management, diary management etc.
• Research skills and the ability to gather information quickly and accurately.

Skills/Aptitudes

Knowledge / Experience

• Knowledge of Parliament, its function and structures.
• Appreciation of the role of the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Archbishop of York and the Church of England in national life.
• Proven ability in presenting complex data in manageable and informative ways.
• Some experience of organising events (receptions, seminars, small and large meetings etc.)

Personal attributes

• An open and collaborative working style.
• Discretion and judgement in handling confidential or sensitive material.
• Willingness to work creatively within a team with people of differing political and/or theological persuasions.
• Ability to make considered decisions on complex matters, to seek support and advice when necessary and to take responsibility for one’s work.

Circumstances

• Willingness and ability to work some unsocial hours when required.

Desirable

Education

• Degree or A Level (or equivalent) in a relevant subject, such as politics, theology etc.
• Database management.
• Ability to discern the impact of policies, legislation etc. on the Church of England, other churches, and other faith communities.

Skills/Aptitudes

Knowledge / Experience

• Ability to draft briefing papers, bulletins and other accessible modes of communication.
• Awareness of Parliamentary processes, political parties, think tanks, lobby groups etc.

• A grasp of the key issues facing the Church of England in its public role today.

   

Personal attributes

• Ability to manage his/her own work programme with minimal direct management.
• Ability to deliver outcomes to deadlines and to work under pressure.