Political Adviser

Job description

Role purpose:

To be a Disability Gamechanger

• Help deliver Scope’s political influencing strategy and communications.  
• Create, maintain and develop Scope’s political and parliamentary relationships that help deliver change for disabled people.
• Represent Scope externally to parliamentarians, political stakeholders and key strategic partners to deliver Scope’s political influencing and profile building.  

Main responsibilities and accountabilities: 

• Deliver Scope’s political strategy and political engagement programme.
• Identify and pursue influencing opportunities in Parliament, including debates, legislation and select committee inquiries.
• Monitor developments in Westminster, disseminating relevant information to colleagues.
• Draft correspondence, briefings and communications to be sent to key political stakeholders.
• Draft written briefings for the CEO and other senior colleagues.
• Build, maintain and develop Scope’s relationships with MPs, peers, researchers, diary secretaries, select committee clerks and other relevant external stakeholders.
• Organise Scope’s party conference programme and Westminster events.
• Coordinate visits and meetings with key political influencers, including ministers and local MPs. 

Internal contacts

Policy and Campaigns 

Strategy, Evidence and Insight  

Communications

Marketing, Fundraising and Delivery 

External contacts

Political parties, politicians and their staff

Disabled people and their families

Disabled People’s Organisations

Civil servants

Special Advisers

Think tanks, membership bodies and trade associations 

Other charities and not-for-profit organisations

Person specification 

Knowledge and experience

Essential

• Passionate about politics and familiar with the personalities of Westminster, with a solid grounding in parliamentary procedure and a demonstrable interest in political news.
• Clarity about the contribution of political influencing to achieving social change.  
• Ability to be flexible, respond positively to change work effectively under pressure and deal with conflicting priorities.
• Demonstrates effective interpersonal skills.
• Evidence of excellent IT skills particularly Microsoft Office.

Desirable

• Demonstrable understanding of the social model of disability.

Skills and competencies

Essential

• Sound political judgement and demonstrable experience of effectively working with UK parliamentarians, parliamentary systems and processes.
• Proven relationship-building skills.
• A good organiser with an eye for detail and the confidence to engage with political figures in meetings and at local visits.
• The ability to assimilate and summarise complex information in a clear and concise manner across a number of policy areas.
• A strong written and verbal communicator, who is personally persuasive, adept at explaining complex policy issues to political audiences and able to write clearly and concisely.

Desirable

• Demonstrable understanding of the social model of disability
• Experience of organising political events