The Elections Directorate is responsible for a challenging and dynamic policy landscape, always in the public eye, covering electoral policy and law. This includes how elections are run, who can participate and how elections and campaigning are regulated.
The Directorate delivers changes that realise the Government Manifesto commitments and other Ministerial priorities (e.g. introduction of Votes for 16- and 17-year-olds, improvements to elector registration, revised list of Voter Identification that electors produce at polling stations, etc.) through the Electoral Resilience and Democratic Engagement Programme.
The Directorate works closely with electoral-sector stakeholders (the local council teams that run elections). The role of the Project Support Officer This is a fast-paced policy and project delivery environment where you will have the opportunity to understand the intricacies of running elections, including the passage of complex electoral legislation through Parliament.
Job overview
- Manage policy implementation projects related to the Government Manifesto commitments, within agreed time and quality specifications
- Support the production of various reports to track progress, performance and the health of the programme to support decision-making and inform internal and external stakeholders.
- Work closely with Project Managers to develop proportionate project management documentation (e.g. Highlight Reports, etc.), manage the project controls (including schedule, risk and issues register, assumptions and dependency logs etc.), and ensure integration into the Programme’s reporting dashboards and Programme plan
- Work closely with the Risks and Issues Manager to develop, implement and embed the programme’s RAID Strategy and RAID Process.
- Maintain effective communication channels with key stakeholders and delivery partners including the project managers, policy, analysis, and legal teams
- Work closely with other Programme functions across policy, stakeholder engagement, planning and strategy.
- Support policy and project teams in producing high-quality advice to Ministers and briefings for senior officials.
- Provide secretariat duties for Programme and Project Governance Meetings.
- Involvement in internal assurance reviews and Accounting Officer Assurance Reviews
- Actively engage with the wider Project Management and Delivery professional network to ensure sharing of best practice, building of capability, and promote continuous improvement.
Person specification
Essential criteria
- The ability to work flexibly on quickly changing priorities and actively prioritise multiple issues/tasks
- Experience of using a structured approach to plan, do, check and act upon the work
- Excellent communication skills including being able to translate complex message into strong quality of written products to a range of audiences.
- Experience of reporting and working with boards, delivering quality products in a fast-paced environment.
- Experience in using the Microsoft office suite (specifically Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, Teams, SharePoint etc.)
- Experience of working in projects in a complex delivery environment with multiple stakeholders.
- Understanding of the Programme Management Office (PMO) function.
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £36,169, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government contributes £10,478 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
At MHCLG we offer many benefits that range from tailored career pathways and flexible working to MyLifestyle Staff Benefits Scheme, Childcare Vouchers, and Cycle to Work Schemes. For more information, please click here.
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience.
Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.
Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
Selection process details
Application and Selection The application process will be split into 2 stages, testing the following Success Profiles:
Behaviours and Experience
Stage 1: Sift
- Experience: How does your experience make you suitable for this role? (Lead Sift)
- Behaviour: Managing A Quality Service
- Behaviour: Delivering at Pace
- Behaviour: Working Together
There is a 250-word limit per question.
When writing your application, remember:
- the assessor won’t be reading your answers sequentially
- do not assume that the same assessors will have read all of your answers
- if talking about something in your first answer, make sure that you write the second answer as if you had not written the first (and so on!)
Most of our campaigns utilise multiple assessors and so it is possible that each of your answers would be viewed by different assessors.
In the event that we receive a large number of applications, we may conduct an initial sift using the lead behaviour listed in the advert. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to interview.
If you run into any technical problems when applying through Be Applied (for example, trouble logging in or submitting your application), their support team can help. Please contact them at [email protected].
Stage 2: Interview
- Behaviours: Working Together, Managing A Quality Service, Delivering at Pace.
- Experience: Experience questions will be based around the essential skills and criteria as listed in the job description.
Sift and Interview Dates
Sifting is envisaged to take place starting 15/06/2026.
Starting Your Application
Step 1: Complete your personal details on CS Jobs
Step 2: Complete the Civil service work strength test by 23:55 on 12/06/2026.
You’ll receive guidance when invited to take the tests – please read it carefully before starting.
These tests are not timed, but we recommend allowing up to one hour per test.
Step 3:
Please note:
- If successful, you’ll receive a link to complete your application by submitting behaviour examples via Be Applied by 23:55 on 14/06/2026.
- Check your junk/ spam folders if you haven’t received it.
- Links are sent manually and may take a few days.
Step 4: We will review your application and if successful, you will be invited to interview.
Disability Confident Scheme (DCS)
We are a Disability Confident employer.
We apply a fair and proportionate interview process for all candidates. In line with our commitment to the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS), we aim to progress candidates who apply under the Disability Confident Scheme and meet the required minimum selection criteria.
However, where high application volumes are received, progression to interview may be limited to those who best meet the role criteria. In these circumstances, the benchmark required to proceed to interview may be raised for all candidates.
How We Recruit
Find out more about our recruitment processes here.
How to Apply
Find out everything you need to know before applying here.
You must review the following information from the MHCLG Career's Site before submitting your application. This step is essential to ensure your eligibility for the role and that your application is completed correctly.
- Security Clearance Requirements
- Civil Service Nationality Requirements
- Right to Work
- Civil Service Code and Recruitment Principles
- CV Declaration
- Sponsorships
- Salary and Grade
- Existing Civil Servants
- Conflict of Interest
- Location and Flexible Working
- Internal Fraud Database
- Appeals and Complaints
- Fixed Term Appointments for:
- External Candidates
- Existing Civil Servants (Including Loans)
- Secondments
- MHCLG employees
Security Clearance Requirements
National Office: BPSS
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.
Nationality requirements
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
- UK nationals
- nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
- individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
- Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window).
Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants. We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.
Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).
Apply and further information
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.
Contact point for applicants
Job contact
Recruitment team
Further information
If you are unsure about any part of the process or require additional information about the post to enable you to progress your application, you should speak to the Resourcing team - [email protected].
Candidates can appeal at any stage of the recruitment process if they believe there has been: a procedural irregularity an infringement of the Civil Service equal opportunities policy exceptional circumstances which were not notified to the interview panel which might have affected performance on the day. It is important to note that these are appeals about the process not the decision. In the first instance, an appeal should be directed to the MHCLG Resourcing Hub at [email protected].
If the MHCLG Resourcing Hub is unable to satisfactorily resolve your complaint, you may contact put your complaint in writing to the Civil Service Commission, Room G8,1 Horse Guards Road, London, SW1A 2HQ or by email to: [email protected].
