Maternity Cover: Production and Operations Administrative Assistant - Part-Time (Holyrood)

Total Politics Group provides customers, partners and the public with the skills, intelligence and platforms needed to engage effectively across the spheres of politics, public sector administration and public affairs throughout the United Kingdom and European Union.

Holyrood Communications is the Scottish division of Total Politics; since 1999, Holyrood Communications has been helping create honest, open and apolitical analysis of public policy here in Scotland through both our events and editorial output.

Whether you’re working in one of our editorial titles, events teams or analysing the impact of current affairs, you’ll be part of a company that moves with the times. While we’re responsive to a rapidly changing world, we never lose sight of our core values – impartiality, transparency and integrity.

You’ll be joining a group of people that appreciate and respect each other. We welcome entrepreneurial spirit and encourage new ideas from everyone. This fresh thinking, combined with the breadth of our services, means we can offer solutions that deliver real value to our clients.

The Role

This is an exciting opportunity to join our Edinburgh office as a Production and Operations Administrative Assistant, supporting key functions across the business. Working closely with the Head of Production and Operational Support, you’ll play a vital role in delivering high-quality administrative support across the Editorial, Events, Sales teams, and to the Managing Director.

This dynamic and varied position is integral to the smooth day-to-day running of our Edinburgh operations. The ideal candidate will be proactive, highly organised, and comfortable juggling a range of responsibilities across departments.

Key Responsibilities

As Production and Operations Administrative Assistant, you will play a key role in ensuring the smooth running of core business functions across the organisation. Your responsibilities will include:

Magazine Distribution & Subscriptions

• Support the Head of Production in managing the controlled (free) subscriber list.


• Handle enquiries related to subscription changes.


• Review and verify subscriber data to ensure accurate distribution.


• Research and engage potential new subscribers in relevant sectors.


• Process returned magazines and follow up with recipients as needed.


• Prepare data for fortnightly print runs.


• Assist with the preparation of the annual ABC mailing data audit.

Sales Team Support

• Serve as the commercial content liaison, for commercial content in the magazine and Holyrood.com.


• Act as the main point of contact with clients post-sale.


• Maintain the sales copy sheet and track progress for each piece of content.


• Liaise with designers on layout requirements and make basic edits using InCopy.


• Publish commercial content to Holyrood.com.


• Arrange freelance writers for roundtable writeups, special features, and annual review interviews.


• Coordinate with clients and the Total Politics Digital Campaign Manager to manage displays on Holyrood.com.


• Organise in-read text ads for newsletters in collaboration with the editorial team.

Editorial Team Support

• Transcribe interviews


• Conduct research and fact-checking for annual reference guide publications.


• Maintain the physical publication archive and the publication archive spreadsheet.

Events Team Support

• Assist with Eventsforce registration processes.


• Record RSVPs for political engagement events.


• Assist with preparing and sending mail merge emails from the Events and MD’s inboxes.


• Provide on-the-day event support for larger conferences:

             - Monitor registration desks

             - Manage session headcounts

             - Post signage

             - Handle Q&A microphones

Office Administration & Customer Service

• Monitor general email inboxes for Production and Events teams.


• Answer and route incoming calls for the Events and main office lines.


• Monitor voicemail for Events and general office lines.


• Order office supplies and book couriers when required.


• Maintain the shared Holyrood Office calendar with upcoming events and publication dates.


• Contribute to keeping the office environment organised and tidy.

Person Specification

Essential:

• Attention to detail.


• Creative problem solver.


• Highly organised.


• Strong administration skills.


• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to communicate effectively at all levels.


• Fluency in English.


• Relevant experience in a similar role.


• Experience dealing with multiple simultaneous projects with varied deadlines.


• Lives in Edinburgh or within commutable distance.


• Comfortable working in person, within an office environment.


• Familiarity with the Microsoft Office environment, particularly Teams, Outlook, and SharePoint.


• Familiarity with Excel.

Desirable:

• Interest in politics, policy, and current affairs.


• Experience working on or supporting events.

Benefits:

• 17 days annual leave plus bank holidays.


• Cycle to Work Scheme.


• Life Assurance (4x salary).


• Season ticket loan.


• Employee Assistance Programme.


• Employee Referral Bonus Scheme.

Equal Opportunities
At Total Politics Group, we’re committed to building a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace, where everyone feels respected, valued, and empowered to thrive.

We actively welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds, communities, identities, and experiences, particularly those from groups that are typically underrepresented.

As an equal opportunities employer, we do not discriminate on the basis of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation, in line with the Equality Act 2010.

Our commitment to diversity and inclusion includes:

• Ensuring fair, transparent, and non-discriminatory recruitment and employment practices.


• Fostering a workplace culture that celebrates inclusion and mutual respect.


• Making reasonable adjustments to support accessibility and remove barriers wherever possible.

We aim to be an organisation where everyone, regardless of background, has the opportunity to contribute, grow, and succeed.

If you require any adjustments or support during the application process, please don’t hesitate to let us know.

How to Apply
If you are interested in the role, please submit your application through our
Company Careers Page: About - Total Politics.

Please note: This is a part-time maternity cover position, working 18 hours per week.

Interviews will take place in August, with a view to the successful candidate starting at the end of September.