Fancy a job?

I know Guido got there first but this is too good to not comment upon. The labour Party are advertising for a Compliance Administrator to work in their Compliance Unit in their London Head Office. Here's the whole advertisement:

"Compliance Administrator Reference:11923
Posted: 12 February 08
Working for The Labour Party
Salary £23k - 25k
Details The Labour Party is seeking to recruit a Compliance Administrator to work in our Compliance Unit in our London Head Office.
The successful applicant will work with the Compliance Unit Manager to ensure that the Labour Party complies with its obligations under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act.

You will play a key role in the preparation of all Labour Party reports to the Electoral Commission and be a point of contact for information and guidance to Labour Party staff and other key stakeholders about the reporting of donations and loans.

You should have:

Experience of basic office administration systems and knowledge of financial record-keeping
The ability to compile information accurately and methodically
Excellent communication skills with the ability to distil complex information to a range of key stakeholders
Experience of working to tight deadlines in a highly pressurised environment
A commitment to the Labour Party
A full job description is available on the Labour Party's website at www.labour.org.uk/new_job

Closes Thursday 28 February 2008
Contact Please send CV and covering letter to compvac@new.labour.org.uk
Website http://www.labour.org.uk"


I especially like:

1) "The successful applicant will work with the Compliance Unit Manager to ensure that the Labour Party complies with its obligations under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act."
This must be a new requirement!

2) "Experience of basic office administration systems and knowledge of financial record-keeping"
The latter being something that the Labour party seems to have great problems with, maybe installing Sage Line50 would help.

3) "The ability to compile information accurately and methodically"
Again, his must be a new requirement!

4) "Experience of working to tight deadlines in a highly pressurised environment"
Once again meeting deadlines must be a new requirement.

5) "A commitment to the Labour Party"
Isn't that discriminatory?



I have just downloaded the full "Job Description" and here it is:

"Job Title: Compliance Administrator

Responsible to: Compliance Manager

Location: The post holder will be based Head Office, London

Key Purpose: To support the Compliance Manager in ensuring that the Labour Party complies with its obligations under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act and other related legislation.

Specific Responsibilities:

1. To maintain the database of donations and loans and assist in the preparation of the Party’s quarterly report to the Electoral Commission.
2. To assist in the preparation of the Party’s weekly report to the Electoral Commission during general elections.
3. To assist in the preparation of statutory returns of campaign expenditure to the Electoral Commission.
4. To maintain the Party’s list of accounting unit registered treasurers and deputy registered treasurers.
5. To provide advice and guidance to Party staff and accounting unit registered treasurers under the supervision of the Compliance Manager about the reporting of donations and loans and other related matters and to undertake follow-up when necessary.
6. To assist the Compliance Manager in the preparation and delivery of training programmes. This may on occasion require weekend work away from home.
7. To assist the Compliance Manager in the development of the on-line reporting system
8. To assist in the administration of legacies
9. To keep accurate records and produce statistics as required
10. To undertake other administrative tasks within the Compliance Unit as required.
11. To attend (by agreement) national and regional events, including annual conference."


Best of all are the "SKILLS/ABILITIES" required:
"Ability to compile donation and loan information accurately and methodically"
Again, his must be a new requirement!

"Ability to understand and communicate the main requirements of the law in relation to donation and loan reporting"
Again, his must be a new requirement!

"Ability to use Microsoft applications in particular Word and Excel"
I would say that a knowledge of Excel date arithmetic might be useful.

"Ability to prioritise workload and work to pre-determined deadlines"
Useful in most compliance jobs, I would have thought.


So the labour Party are looking to beef up their compliance department; a phrase involvin horses and stable doors comes to mind!