Career

£56,180 – £66,497 per annum

Contract Type Permanent

Closing Date 29th June 2025 at 23:55

House of Commons

The House of Commons is a unique and exciting place to work right at the heart of the UK’s thriving democratic system. 

Behind the scenes, the House of Commons Service is made up of more than 3,000 employees who support and facilitate the smooth day to day running of the House. They provide professional services to Members of Parliament, their staff, and the wider parliamentary community. More information on what it’s like to work at the House of Commons can be found here: Be at the heart of the House of Commons – UK Parliament

Staff Benefits

In addition to your salary, we offer an attractive range of benefits including: 

• 30 days’ annual leave (increasing to 35 days after first full leave year). 
• Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 28.97%. 
• Access to training and development. 
• Flexible working. 
• Interest free season ticket loan and bicycle loan.

Introduction 

The Research and Information team is home to the House of Commons Library and the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology. We make sure that MPs and their staff have accurate, reliable information at their fingertips. Our mission is to keep trusted information and analysis at the heart of Parliamentary democracy. We also publish our impartial research on our websites, which are viewed around 19 million times a year. We are proud to provide an essential service for the UK Parliament, and an invaluable resource for everyone.

Our Research directorate is made up of around 100 subject specialists. We publish around 50 research briefings per month and answer more than 20,000 confidential research requests a year. Our work is highly respected and well used, both in Parliament and beyond.  As part of this team, you’ll use your expert knowledge and research skills to provide trusted, authoritative information to help shape policy, inform debate and support constituents. 

Research services are provided by eight sections, each responsible for research services in broad subject groupings. In this role you will join the Business and Transport Section, which covers transport, pensions, taxation, financial systems and institutions, corporate matters, and employment. We are looking for an enthusiastic and motivated expert in transport law and policy topics who will publish research and respond to research requests. See some examples of our work here.

The Role 

The postholder will work in the Business and Transport Section, which is made up of 9 researchers, in addition to the section head. It is a busy but supportive team to work in.  

The core work of the role will involve providing briefings for MPs and their staff on transport law and policy topics. The transport portfolio includes rail, local transport (including buses), aviation, roads and road vehicles, taxis, shipping, active travel and decarbonisation.

A lot of the team’s work involves helping MPs’ staff with constituency casework and the impact of national policy on constituents.   

The postholder will be expected to work more widely with the Business and Transport Section, supporting other subject areas in the team where needed. They will work closely alongside another senior transport researcher and a more junior colleague providing support across the portfolio. They will work closely with colleagues in the statistics team while building up relationships with relevant select committees and the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology, as well as relevant external stakeholders.

Some of the responsibilities for this role include:

• Research and briefing work on transport policy topics within the Commons Library, including:
  • Providing accurate, impartial, clear, fit-for-purpose written and oral briefings on legislation and topical issues on relevant subjects, in response to specific enquiries from Members and their staff.   
  • Preparing and publishing new briefing papers as required (e.g., on topical issues, in advance of second reading and report stages of major bills, and on matters of interest to Parliament) and updating them as appropriate. This includes collaborating with colleagues when appropriate and commenting constructively on others’ work.
• Supporting the broader work of the Business and Transport Section, which may include research work on any of the subjects covered by the team.

Skills and Experience 

To be successful in this role you will demonstrate:

• You have excellent knowledge and understanding of key areas of UK transport policy and/or legislation. In particular, one of the following policy areas: aviation, local transport, transport decarbonisation, or wider cross-modal issues and their implications – such as road safety. You have a good knowledge of current affairs and UK public policy.
• You are able to absorb complex, technical material, relevant to a subject quickly, and can analyse, interpret and present it clearly and accurately for a non-specialist. You have experience of using reliable, accurate and relevant information sources and research tools with the ability to assess their value using sound judgement.
• You have the ability to explain complex information clearly and succinctly using your excellent written and oral communication skills. You can communicate demonstrating strict political impartiality and authority, and in line with the needs of the audience.
• You can deal with a changing portfolio of work or cover for colleagues. You plan, prioritise and organise your workload to meet deadlines, and other competing demands. You can maintain high quality standards whilst working under pressure.  
• You work effectively as part of a team and build and maintain working relationships with a wide range of people. You share skills, knowledge and learning with colleagues, with the ability to informally coach others and uphold our principles of equality, diversity, inclusion at all times. 

Next Steps and Additional Information

• Application Form – If you would like to apply for this role, please submit an application providing evidence against criteria 1-5 in the Job Description. 

More information on the application process can be found in the Application Support Pack attached.  

More information on the role and the full criteria can be found in the Job Description. If you are invited to interview, the interview questions will be shared with you in advance.

Please note that most job offers will be made at the minimum of the salary range, other than in exceptional circumstances.

Find out more and apply.