Hours: 08:00 – 16:30, Monday to Friday

Salary: £19,000 + overtime with a mid-year review and annual increases

Closing date: 12 midday, Thursday 27 June 2019

Interviews: will be during the week commencing 8 July 2019

Newsdirect is an independent bureau that provides impartial and issues-based updates on the day’s political and parliamentary news.  Our monitoring team tracks parliamentary business, government activity and political news with a particular focus on the Scottish institutions.

Ahead of the new parliamentary term in September, we are looking for two new reporters to join our news team. In this role, you’ll write up short news lines and check parliamentary output for client-related topics.  Every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday you’ll provide essential, live reporting of parliamentary committees, ministerial questions and debates.

Your output will help our clients spot opportunities to engage with policymakers and ensure they go into meetings with all the latest updates at their fingertips. In this role, you’ll quickly develop political insight,  gain real-time newsroom experience and work with some of Scotland’s most renowned campaign teams.

Duties will include:

• Providing a fast, early-morning collation service of new parliamentary information
• Scanning and summarising news releases and stakeholder sources for precise client interests
• Supporting Account Managers with regular and ad hoc tasks, including monthly reports, election research and forward planning information
• Assisting in the preparation of policy profiles and research
• Keeping effective notes and records as well as maintaining client data
• Identifying new business opportunities and participating in service development activities
• Reporting from party conferences and attending policy and networking events as required
• Providing a helpful and responsive helpdesk service for client requests

Applicant Profile

We’d like to hear from candidates who can:

• Communicate political exchanges and processes clearly and accurately in plain English
• Demonstrate experience of fast-paced and close-knit working environments
• Produce accurate work under pressure of time and support colleagues to do the same
• Be organised and able to adapt to fast-changing situations as required
• Manage IT effectively and identify tasks and approaches that could benefit from a tech-solution

How to apply

Please note that we will only consider applications that incorporate all three of the following application criteria:

1. Across a 2-page CV and 1-page covering letter, show us your suitability for the role.
2. Please indicate the notice period from your current role or confirm the date you would be available to start.
3. Additionally, we would also like you to write 300 words on an issue likely to be on the radar of the Scottish Parliament over the remainder of 2019.  We’d like you to pick an issue that is less likely to be given profile in the national media.  Write from an informative and neutral standpoint.

Your application should be emailed to admin@newsdirect-uk.com by 12:00 on Thursday 27 June.