Principal Assembly Usher

Job Title: Principal Assembly Usher (Operational Planning and Business Support)

Organization: Northern Ireland Assembly

Contract: Temporary (Estimated 6 months, with possibility of extension)

Hours: Full-Time (including rostered on-call supervision outside normal business hours)

Salary: £44,039

We are partnering with the Northern Ireland Assembly to appoint a Principal Assembly Usher to join the Security and Usher Services management team. The post-holder will take a lead role in administrative, business-support, and forward operational-planning functions to ensure the safe and effective delivery of all Assembly business. Key responsibilities include forecasting resource demand, coordinating staffing capacity, developing workforce-planning tools, and providing operational and on-call leadership at Parliament Buildings.

Benefits

• Highly competitive salary fully aligned with public sector pay scales
• Enhanced holiday package (37 days from day 1)
• Weekly pay
• Randstad Employee Assistance Programme inclusive of access to counseling services
• Refer-a-Friend scheme
• Opportunity to work in a forward-thinking, fast-paced environment
• A dedicated Randstad consultant to support your registration process & career development

Essential Qualifications

• At least a primary degree, with a minimum 2.2 classification, in any subject, or a formal qualification of an equivalent or higher standard (plus at least 3 years' relevant experience across all essential criteria areas); OR
• At least 5 years' relevant experience across all essential criteria areas detailed below.

Essential criteria

• At least 3 years' experience (with a relevant degree/equivalent qualification) or 5 years' experience (without a degree) managing, supervising, and developing staff, with responsibility for operational planning, the delivery of operational security services, and general office administration.
• Proven experience leading or contributing to operational workforce planning, including organizing diverse workloads to respond to changing operational priorities.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze and interpret data from diverse sources (such as staffing, demand, budgets, contracts, and management reports) to draft high-quality documents and support sound operational decisions.
• Proficiency in using Microsoft Office applications to manage and evaluate information, generate reports, and support high-quality service delivery.
• Flexibility and availability to provide supervisory leadership and on-call support on a rostered basis outside normal working hours.

Role Responsibilities

• Act as a core member of the Security and Usher Services management team, with overall responsibility for forward workforce and resource planning.
• Lead, manage, and develop staff, establishing clear priorities and service standards, handling performance issues, and championing the Assembly Commission's Corporate Values.
• Manage administrative support within the Security and Usher Services office, including priority setting, workloads, and service standards.
• Maintain and draft standing orders, forward operational plans, and deployment procedures that adapt to evolving business requirements.
• Lead the assurance, development, and improvement of workforce-planning tools and technologies used to forecast demand and inform resource deployment.
• Oversee the management of the Assembly ID pass system, postal service, and lost-property function.
• Ensure departmental compliance with data protection legislation (UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018), and prepare Information Security and Information Assurance documentation.
• Assist with procurement exercises, tender evaluation panels, contract compliance, and budgetary preparations.
• Lead operational planning for Assembly plenary sittings, Committee meetings, and corporate events.
• Provide on-call supervisory coverage on a rostered basis and stand in for the Principal Assembly Usher (Operations) when required.
• Assist in the oversight and operation of the closed-circuit television (CCTV) system at Parliament Buildings and contribute to training design and delivery.