Job Ad – Serjeant at Arms

Job title: Serjeant at Arms

Reports to: Managing Director, In House Services, House of Commons 

Appointment Term: Permanent post

Closing date: Noon Friday 30th August

Salary: The salary for this role will be between £71,000 and £108,000 per annum. 

Location: This post will be located on the Parliamentary Estate.

Context for Appointment

The House of Commons and the iconic Palace of Westminster are key elements of the UK Parliament. 2800 staff work behind the scenes at the House of Commons, supporting the democratic process. They are politically impartial and take great pride in the vision and values which guide their work. 

As one of the oldest offices in Parliament, Serjeant at Arms has played a vital role in the House of Commons and its precincts for 600 years. Bearing the Mace, the Sergeant at Arms precedes the Speaker as he or she enters and leaves the Chamber each day. Although a role rooted in tradition, at its core is the provision of advice and services to the Speaker and to Members to support the work of the Chamber and its Committees. 

The appointment is made by the Monarch on the recommendation of the Speaker.

The Role

The Serjeant at Arms is responsible for the order and security of the House of Commons including maintaining order in the chamber, galleries and committee rooms of the House and controlling access to the parliamentary estate, counting MPs and the 1.25 million people who visit every year.

Key Responsibilities

The Serjeant’s key responsibilities are complex and varied. Primarily, the Serjeant controls access to the House of Commons and maintains order in the Chamber and its precincts. Working closely with Black Rod, (who has overall responsibility on behalf of HM Queen), the Serjeant will plan, manage and organise arrangements within the Palace. The Serjeant further Co-Chairs, with Black Rod, the Business Resilience Group for Parliament in addition to developing and maintaining robust relocation contingency and business continuity plans. The Serjeant will Act as Duty Silver within Parliament’s Incident Management Framework.

The Person

We are seeking a highly experienced leader capable of meeting a diverse and demanding set of requirements.  An adaptable and responsive personality coupled with strong customer service orientation will be key determinants of success. Candidates will possess demonstrable experience in making significant and tangible improvements to customer service within a complex stakeholder environment. 

Alongside these skills the ability to work in partnership with others will be critical. Parliament, like all high-profile institutions, has reviewed its overall security arrangements and is currently implementing a new approach in light of the range of today’s potential threats.

To meet the demands of the role you will need to harness all the talents and skills of a team of circa 70 colleagues and continue the great strides the previous postholders have made in increasing the diversity of team.

This is a highly visible role requiring the utmost professionalism and the requisite dignity and gravitas. 

In return we can offer you a truly unique and inspirational working environment, a challenging and varied agenda which will develop your professional and leadership skills, and the chance to play a very active role in supporting our thriving parliamentary democracy.

Inclusion & Diversity

The House of Commons has a full Diversity and Inclusion Strategy outlining our aims until 2021. Please refer to the full strategy here: https://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/offices/commons/house-of-commons-commission/hoc-diversity-inclusion-strategy.

You can learn more about the role and how to apply via our microsite:  

http://green-park-jobs.co.uk/houseofcommons-saa/index.php

For an informal, confidential discussion please contact Green Park, our retained executive search partner and speak to either Andrea Trainer or Ben Bond on 0207 399 3996

Please note: Only applications consisting of a current CV, relevant Supporting Statement and completed diversity monitoring form will be considered. An application which fails to include these documents will be considered an incomplete application and preclude you from consideration.

At the House of Commons we aim to provide a positive, inclusive working environment where people are valued for the skills and experience that they bring to work. Our aim is to be representative of the society we serve. This means making Parliament more accessible, diverse and free from discrimination. The Diversity and Monitoring Form assists us in monitor and evaluating the delivery of our vision.