Political Assistant – Two Roles Available – Liberal Democrat Group and Labour Group | 9053 | Temporary Contract/Secondment Opportunity until May 2026 | 37 hours per week | £39,862  – £41,771 per annum | Scale J | Norwich Role One – Political Assistant to the Liberal Democrat Group We would like you to join our busy Democratic Services team supporting the Liberal Democrat group at Norfolk County Council. You will work directly with senior officers across the council, elected Members and the public, right at the heart of local democracy. Role Two – Political Assistant to the Labour Group We would like you to join our busy Democratic Services team supporting the Labour group at Norfolk County Council. You will work directly with senior officers across the council, elected Members and the public, right at the heart of local democracy.  About Us/the RolesWe pride ourselves on providing an effective, excellent and efficient modern governance service for Norfolk. We are looking for a political assistant, hired under the terms set out in the Local Government and Housing Act, 1989.  You’ll be working in a fast-paced political environment, supporting and contributing to a busy political group. You will regularly prepare research, reports and briefing material in response to enquiries raised by members and officers, alongside general administration of the group. You will be expected to keep abreast of changes to national legislation that might affect policy and service delivery on a local level, and be able to provide briefing documents to members that outline the potential impact on Norfolk County Council. You will help the group navigate the various political meetings held at the council, including drafting motions, conducting research, and helping write speeches.This role will sit within Democratic Services team, and will support the Liberal Democrat group of councillors at county hall or the Labour group of councillors at county hall  .  About You/Skills & Experience We are looking for someone with a strong interest in developing their career in, or associated with, politics. This is an exceptional opportunity to work at the front line of local politics. You will have a good knowledge of the issues and challenges facing local and central government and a good understanding of the role of local Councillors, both in terms of representing community interests and party-political issues. You will be an excellent communicator and facilitator, and a strong team player. This is a challenging role and you must have the ability to provide solutions that support Councillors effectively.You will be calm and confident under pressure. You will have excellent written and oral communication skills, and well-developed research and IT skills are essential. Working largely independently using your own initiative, you will be able to work flexibly to respond to service demand. You will have experience of working with elected Members on politically sensitive information and attending meetings with Members and senior Officers. You should also be a good team player. While you will have your own areas of responsibility, you will be expected to support colleagues in ensuring that we continue to provide a seamless service to Officers, Members and the public day in, day out. Location We want our people to be inspired and motivated to work well together, make the most of our work spaces, enjoy a healthy work-life balance, and deliver excellent services to Norfolk and its people. Flexibility is built into the way we work, with hybrid working (splitting your working time between one or more workplaces, and agreed remote working location(s) like your home) a key feature for many roles. As this role works with politically elected members, there is an expectation that office-based work is frequently required. Our technology platform and equipment is first class, enabling you to connect and collaborate remotely. We ask that you have in place good Broadband connectivity. Our Values Service ambition: To provide an excellent, modern governance service to the Council, through the effective administration of the Council’s decision-making (and other) meetings and assisting Councillors to work in an efficient and effective manner.To ensure all Councillors receive the current, accurate and helpful information they need to do their job.  Our service aims:We are ‘effective’ – we get the job done, fulfilling the governance responsibilities of the Council.We are ‘efficient’ – prudent with our resources, working to drive down costs whilst retaining the resilience and capability to deliver quality at paceWe ensure ‘excellence’ – doing what we do well, supporting councillors to do their job, adapting to changing landscapes and delivering consistently high-quality advice and information.  For further information about the roles, please contact Tristan Hopper, Democratic Support and Scrutiny Manager (tristan.hopper@norfolk.gov.uk).   These are some benefits you can enjoy by working for Norfolk County Council: Competitive salaryGenerous holiday entitlement Health and Wellbeing services including fast-track physiotherapy and a free counselling serviceFlexible working opportunities including flexi-time, part time, remote and hybrid working – dependant on your job role and business need. Financial benefits such as:‘Norfolk Rewards’ our employee discounts programme which helps you save money on almost anything, from everyday groceries and clothes, to holidays, new technology, gym membership, trips to the cinema and days out.   A Blue Light card for Fire Service and Social Care WorkersRelocation expenses (where applicable)An advance of your expenses if you travel for workLocal Government Pension Scheme with generous employer contribution, life assurance, death in service payments and dependants’ pensions.Tax efficient ways of getting extra pension and new bikesAccess to our tax efficient car lease scheme for greener travel enabling you to lease a brand new, ultra-low emission vehicle (subject to eligibility)A payment if you refer someone you know to a hard to fill job Before you apply, we recommend reading the full Job Description and Person Specification to help you demonstrate you meet the criteria. You can also find information on our Terms and Conditions here. Already a Norfolk County Council employee? See and apply for internal and external vacancies in myOracle using your @norfolk.gov.uk or @nccal.ac.uk email. We would like to make you aware that priority consideration for this post may be given to current employees who are at risk due to restructure within the organisation or are in a redeployment position.   Redeployment closing date: 21st October 2025 at 23:59 All other applicants closing date: 28th October 2025 at 23:59 nWe have miles of beautiful coastline and our unique Broads, thriving market towns and a city with a proud cultural heritage.  Our economy is growing and driven by innovation in a number of sectors, including energy and food.  We also have ambitious plans for new housing and a building programme for schools across Norfolk.  Our county a great place to live, work and visit, and is an excellent environment for businesses to start, grow and innovate.

We are the main local authority for Norfolk providing services countywide to more than 850,000 Norfolk residents. We take the lead in critical policy areas, working with 84 elected Members responsible for the strategic local government services in the county. We provide a high quality service through involving people who use our services to shape and comment on them and by promoting efficiency and innovation. We work in partnership with local businesses, voluntary organisations and other local authorities such as District and Parish Councils to provide the people of Norfolk with excellent services.
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