AMS PSR

Senior Advisor – Electoral Guidance Reform

Basis: Permanent, Full time 36 hours per week

Location: Cardiff, Belfast or Edinburgh (Hybrid – min. 2 days in office) or Remote (UK)

Benefits: Outstanding benefits including Civil Service Pension Scheme, flexible working, 28+ days holiday, and more.

A £312 tax-free working from home allowance is also payable annually.

About the Electoral Commission

The Electoral Commission is the UK’s independent body overseeing elections and regulating political finance. Everything we do is about ensuring trust, participation, and integrity in the democratic process.

As we enter a bold new chapter under our five-year Corporate Plan, we are increasing our workforce and transforming how we plan and deliver core services. This post plays a central role in that journey.

About the role

As Senior Adviser, Electoral Guidance Reform, you will play a key role in supporting the development and delivery of electoral guidance and resources arising from legislative change, lessons learned from electoral events, and wider reform.

You will work closely with policy, legal and legislative colleagues to interpret changes in electoral law and translate them into clear, practical guidance for those delivering elections on the ground. Acting as a trusted internal adviser, you will help shape the Commission’s response to draft legislation, statutory consultations and emerging electoral practice issues.

On a day-to-day basis, you will:

• Produce high-quality guidance, resources and supporting materials for electoral administrators, candidates and agents
• Provide expert advice on electoral practice issues arising from legislative change, legal judgments and government initiatives
• Contribute to programmes of reform, working within the Commission’s programme and project management framework
• Support the maintenance and improvement of online guidance and resources for electoral administrators, candidates and agents
• Attend meetings with stakeholders across the electoral community

This role offers a high level of responsibility and the opportunity to work on complex and high-profile issues at the heart of UK democracy.

About the team

You will join the Electoral Guidance team, part of the Electoral Administration and Regulation Directorate. The team is responsible for ensuring the Commission’s guidance remains accurate, accessible and fit for purpose as electoral law and practice evolve.

The team works collaboratively across the organisation, including with Policy, Legal, Legislation, Communications, English regional teams and devolved offices. We value professionalism, curiosity and teamwork and we are committed to sharing expertise and  delivering guidance that is practical, clear and trusted by those who rely on it.

Who we’re looking for

This role would suit someone with strong experience of UK electoral services and a passion for improving how elections are delivered. You will be comfortable working with legislation, translating complex requirements into clear guidance, and engaging confidently with a wide range of stakeholders.

You will be successful in this role if you:

• Have experience delivering or supporting electoral services within the UK
• Are confident working with electoral legislation and advising others on its application
• Have experience developing and delivering guidance, training or advisory services
• Can manage competing priorities and deliver high-quality work to deadlines
• Communicate complex information clearly, both in writing and verbally
• Build effective working relationships and influence stakeholders with professionalism and tact

Experience of working with online content management systems, digital guidance products or formal project management methodologies would be an advantage but is not essential.

Why work for us?

This role offers a unique opportunity to shape how electoral law is understood and applied in practice across the UK. You will gain exposure to legislative reform, policy development and high-profile electoral issues, while developing your expertise within a respected and independent organisation.

We offer a strong total reward package, including:

• Flexible working and hybrid model (40% office minimum)
• 28 rising to 30 days annual leave + bank holidays
• Civil Service pension scheme (28.97% employer contribution)
• Study support for professional qualifications
• Ongoing learning and development opportunities
• Ride2Work, eye care vouchers and more

How to apply

We are committed to fair and inclusive recruitment. To help reduce unconscious bias and ensure all applicants are assessed solely on their skills, knowledge and experience, we use an anonymous recruitment process.

When applying, please provide an anonymised CV which omits your protected characteristics and any personally identifiable information:

Do not include:

• Your name, address, phone number, email or other contact details
• Your date of birth or age
• Gender, ethnicity, nationality or other personal identifiers
• A photo of yourself
• Remove educational dates as these are a clear indication of your age
• There is no requirement to include your primary education details.

Do include:

• Your employment history including employers and dates of employment
• Explanation for gaps in your history
• Your duties, responsibilities and achievements

If your CV contains personal details (such as your name or contact information), we will be unable to consider your application. Please double-check your documents before submitting, including the file name you use to save and upload your CV.
 

Supporting disabled applicants

The Electoral Commission is proud to be a Level 2 Disability Confident Employer. As part of this commitment, we aim to prioritise interviews for disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria listed in the job description.

There may, however, be occasions where it is not practicable or appropriate to interview all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria. For example, during periods of exceptionally high application volumes or seasonal recruitment activity, the Commission may need to limit the overall number of interviews offered to both disabled and non-disabled applicants.

If you have a disability and would like to be considered under this commitment, please indicate this when you apply. We also welcome requests for reasonable adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process or within the workplace.

Key dates

• Application deadline: Sunday 22nd February (23:59)
• Interviews (1st stage): Week commencing 2nd March