House of Lords Human Resources Office : Vacancies
The House of Lords Human Resources Office will advertise current vacancies on this page. Further information and an application pack can be obtained from humanresourceshol@parliament.uk stating which vacancy you are interested in applying for or it can be downloaded (Word file) below.
DIGTIAL PRESERVATION PROJECT MANAGER
House of Lords Pay Band B1
£33,767-£42,263
Fixed Term Appointment to 31 March 2012 with the possibility of extension or permanency
The Parliamentary Archives provides a records management and archives service for Houses of Parliament, and assists compliance of the House of Lords administration with Freedom of Information and Data Protection legislation. It supports the corporate aims of Parliament in the areas of effective information management, maintenance of heritage collections, promoting public understanding of Parliament’s work, and sound corporate governance and risk management.
The three million analogue records of Parliament, dating from 1497 to the present day, occupy 6.5 miles of shelving in the Victoria Tower repository in the Palace of Westminster. There is a current complement of 25 permanent staff, and a conservation team of 6 supplied and managed by the British Library. The Parliamentary Archives is part of the House of Lords’ Department of Information Services, but it is jointly funded by both Houses of Parliament. There are three teams in the Archives: Records Management, FOI & Data Protection; Public Services & Outreach; and Preservation & Access. The Assistant Clerks who head these teams report to the Clerk of the Records who is head of the office.
Preservation & Access is a newly-restructured team which brings together responsibility for preservation of records in all media, their cataloguing and digitisation. These areas have undergone considerable change in the past few years, and face challenging developments ahead. In 2008 the Archives launched a Digital Preservation Strategy and Roadmap which encompasses all of Parliament’s digital assets which require long-term preservation (see www.parliament.uk/publications/archives/digitalpreservation.cfm). The assets to be preserved in future will include administrative records - including emails - selected for permanent preservation (principally Microsoft formats), XML publications, the outputs of digitisation projects such as the online Hansard (see http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/), digital photographs, digital audio-visual broadcast material, CAD drawings, the Parliamentary website and its microsites, and data from business systems which is required for long periods of time, though not permanently. We are now in the second year of a four year project implementing the Strategy and Roadmap. Current and planned activities include defining detailed requirements, procuring systems and services, developing detailed policies and procedures, raising awareness, and embedding new processes across Parliament.
KEY OBJECTIVES OF THE POST
The Digital Preservation Project Manager will provide project management, business analysis and technical input on the project, supporting the Assistant Clerk of the Parliamentary Archives (Preservation & Access) who is leading this work. This post will be a major contributor to the successful implementation of the Strategy and Roadmap. There is no staff management responsibility included in this post, but the postholder will be expected to work closely with external contractors and consultants as required.
MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE POST
• Project manage the implementation of the digital preservation strategy and roadmap.
• Coordinate the gathering, analysis and specification of Parliament’s requirements for digital preservation services, and contribute to the procurement of tools and services which meet those requirements.
• Coordinate expert technical input across all our digital preservation activities, including preservation planning and policy, technology liaison, metadata and standards adoption, requirements specification, and the eventual implementation of selected preservation solutions.
• Close liaison with and provision of advice to staff in Parliamentary ICT and elsewhere, on - for example - the digital preservation implications of ICT strategy developments, enterprise architecture, technology watch activities, technical requirements and systems development.
• Coordinate training in, and transfer knowledge of, digital preservation principles and techniques to key areas of Parliament - particularly in the Archives, the Information Services Directorates of both Houses and Parliamentary ICT.
• Represent the Parliamentary Archives as required in discussions within the international and national library, archive and digital preservation communities on matters of mutual interest, and to make new contacts as necessary.
• Develop and maintain knowledge and understanding of digital preservation issues through external training, conference attendance, contact with relevant bodies, and professional journals.
KEY QUALITIES AND SKILLS REQUIRED
Essential
• Strong project management skills, with experience of applying methodologies such as PRINCE2.
• Experience of gathering, analysing and specifying business requirements for complex systems and/or services.
• Awareness of digital preservation principles and techniques, including up-to-date knowledge of relevant standards.
• Excellent planning, problem solving and time management skills.
• Excellent written and oral communication and presentation skills, including the ability to explain complex technical topics simply and compellingly to non-specialist audiences.
• Good influencing, persuasion and negotiating skills with the ability to form and foster good relationships with people from a wide variety of backgrounds.
• Proven ability to work in a collaborative, team-based environment.
• A degree in a relevant field for example, computer/information science, archives or records management - or equivalent experience.
Desirable
• Hands-on experience of digital preservation, digital repository management or a related area.
• Experience of applying formal system and process modelling techniques such as UML.
FURTHER INFORMATION
Parliament's Digital Preservation Strategy and Roadmap and other work so far can be found at www.parliament.uk/publications/archives/digitalpreservation.cfm. For an informal discussion of the post or its requirements, contact Adrian Brown at archives@parliament.uk.
Terms and Conditions
Salary and allowances etc.
The post is paid in accordance with House of Lords pay band B1 (salary £33,767-£42,263). Salaries are paid monthly by credit transfer.
Pre-appointment enquiries
The successful candidate will be subject to checks on health, security and other matters before the House can make a formal offer of appointment.
Probation
Confirmation of appointment is subject to satisfactory completion of a nine-month probationary period.
Term
The post is a Fixed Term Appointment to 31 March 2012, with the possibility of extension or permanency.
Hours
Conditioned hours are 41 per week gross.
Pension and other benefits
Benefits include membership of a generous pension scheme, an interest-free season ticket loan after two months' satisfactory service, and a childcare voucher scheme.
Annual Leave
Annual leave entitlement is six weeks plus public and Bank Holidays. Holidays must be agreed in advance with the line manager and/or Head of Office.
Equal opportunities
The House of Lords is committed to equal opportunities. Applications are welcome from all qualified individuals irrespective of gender, marital status, age, race, colour, disability, religious affiliation or sexual orientation.
Personal Development
Attendance at training courses will be encouraged as part of your personal development plan but will normally take place during recess periods.
APPLICATION AND SELECTION
Please send a CV and completed reference form to the Human Resources Office, House of Lords, via email to Lisa Edwards at edwardsl@parliament.uk to arrive no later than 22 February 2010.
Please note this post is being trawled through the Civil Service as a secondment opportunity in conjunction with requesting applicants through agencies from a preferred supplier list.
For information about working for the Houses of Lords please see our website at www.parliament.uk and follow the links to the Lords Human Resources page.
Kitchen Porter
Refreshment Department
E2 (RD) £14,514 per annum
Permanent
Background to the department
The Refreshment Department has responsibility for the provision of catering facilities to Members, their guests, and Staff of the House. It also provides a private function service to members of the House, and sells House of Lords' gifts and souvenirs in its shop.
Key objective of the role
The key objective is to maintain the highest standard of cleanliness and tidiness, according to current health and food hygiene legislation, at all times. The post holder will work as part of a small team under the supervision of the Head Porter. He or she will be expected to undertake all general kitchen porter duties, work to pre-arranged cleaning schedules, and use cleaning equipment and materials effectively. The post holder must be prepared to assist other team members when required, and should be expected to be moved from area to area as demand requires.
Main responsibilities of the role
• Principal duties includes the thorough cleaning of your designated area, sweeping and mopping of floors, ensuring that all surfaces are hygienically cleaned as instructed by the Line Manager;
• Cleaning of the fridges, hot cupboards, shelving, food preparation areas, cupboards, trolleys and hoists;
• Collect tarnished silver for cleaning and polishing as required;
• Prepare the dishwasher for the days use by checking that it is in full working order, has sufficient chemicals for the days operation, and that it is cleaned as directed by the Head Porter. Advise the Head Porter of any faults and chemical requisitions required;
• Make sure that all the dirty crockery and cutlery is cleared off the service lifts, wash in the appropriate dishwasher; once cleaned, stack all items safely on the correct shelves or send clean crockery, cutlery and glassware to the appropriate outlet as required by the waiting staff;
• Make sure that the your designated machines and equipment are kept clean and that all cleaning schedules are followed, all rubbish, food waste & recyclable materials must be removed & disposed of in the correct compactors or containers;
• Observe all legislative requirements including those concerning hygiene, food, health, COSHH and safety at work;
Generic
1. It is the duty of all staff to observe all legislative requirements including those concerning food hygiene, and health and safety at work. Each member of staff should eliminate hazards to safety and to health, and where this cannot be done the hazards should be reported to the appropriate Health and Safety Co-ordinator;
2. Ensure that any complaints or comments, hazards and faulty equipment are reported to the Line Manager;
3. You should expect to carry out any other reasonable tasks as requested by the Line Manager or his/her nominee which are commensurate with the grade and to work in other outlets depending upon the needs of the Department;
4. Be available to work extra hours should the needs of the House require it;
5. Assist the Department in achieving its aims and objectives.
Personal qualities, skills and experience
Essential
• Possess a current food hygiene certificate or be able to demonstrate knowledge and be willing to be trained.
• Possess a basic health and safety certificate or be able to demonstrate knowledge and be willing to be trained.
• Be able to work well as part of a team in a pressurised environment; be punctual and reliable.
• Have good organizational skills.
• Have a good command of spoken and written English.
• Be friendly and approachable.
Terms and conditions
Salary and Allowances: Pay increases are awarded through performance as assessed in annual staff reports. Salary is paid monthly by credit transfer.
Term: This is a permanent appointment. The post holder will initially be managed by the Head Porter.
Hours: Conditioned hours are 41 hours per week gross: Working variable and or split shifts and hours may be required. The post-holder may also be required to work additional hours for which an overtime rate is payable.
Probation: There is a probationary period of nine months.
Benefits: Benefits include membership of a generous staff pension scheme, and assistance for childcare.
Pension: The post is pensionable under the House of Lords Staff Pension Scheme, which is the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme applied by analogy.
Annual Leave: Annual leave entitlement is six weeks in the first year plus public and Bank Holidays, increasing to seven weeks on successful completion of probation. Leave may only be taken during periods when the House is in Recess and must be agreed in advance with the Head of Catering Services.
Equal opportunities: The House of Lords is committed to equal opportunities. Applications are welcome from all qualified individuals irrespective of gender, marital status, age, race, colour, disability, religious affiliation or religious belief or sexual orientation.
Personal Development: Attendance at training courses will be encouraged as part of your personal development plan.
Job guides give a general overview of the post and its duties. They are subject to review and may be amended in accordance with the needs of the House.
Application and Selection
Please return your completed application form as soon as possible to:
The Human Resources Office
House of Lords
7 Old Palace Yard
London
SW1A 0PW
Or alternatively e-mail your application to: humanresourceshol@parliament.uk.
It is expected that candidates who appear best suited to the post will be invited to the House of Lords for interview. If you have not heard from us within a month of returning your application you must assume you have not been short-listed for interview.
If you are called for interview you will be asked to prove the following:
1. Your identity (eg passport)
2. Your nationality and immigration status (eg passport)
3. Whether or not there are any restrictions on your continued residence or employment in the UK. If there are restrictions you must declare what they are.
4. Your permanent address (eg recent utility bill)
If an offer of employment is subsequently made you will also have to prove your employment history for the preceding three years and provide contact details of your employers. If you have been a full-time student we will require your study history covering the preceding three years and contact details of the study centres you attended. If you have been unemployed it is not sufficient to state ‘unemployed’, you must explain how you have spent your time. References will be required for this three year period.
