Freedom of Information and Parliamentary Questions Officer - £37,456 p.a. + benefits

Job summary

We are currently looking for a Freedom of Information and Parliamentary Questions Officer to join our Customer Experience Centre Function within the Enablement group.

This is a full-timepermanent basis. The role will be based in 10 South Colonnade, Canary Wharf London, E14 4PU.

Government departments and agencies are working towards implementing a minimum 60% attendance in office sites.

We are currently implementing a flexible, hybrid way of working, with a minimum of 8 days per month working on site to enable the collaboration and contact with partners and stakeholders needed to deliver MHRA business. Attendance on site is driven by business needs so depending on the nature of the role, this can flex up to 12 days a month, with the remainder of time worked either remotely or in the office. Some roles will need to be on site more regularly.

Job description

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency enhance and improve the health of millions of people every day through the effective regulation of medicines and medical devices, underpinned by science and research.

The agency is made up of c.1300 staff working across two main centres and peripatetically across the UK and abroad.

The agency consists of Corporate, Partnerships, Transformation, Governance, Communications & Engagement, Scientific Research & Innovation, Healthcare Quality & Access, Safety & Surveillance and Technology groups.

What’s the role?

The role sits within the Customer Experience Centre (CEC) team, which is part of the Communications and Engagement Group which serves the whole Agency. The purpose of the team is to offer a single advice and information centre which can resolve enquiries, whenever possible, at first point of contact, providing consistently good quality customer experience through a variety of channels and services. This involves assisting the Agency’s customers by answering queries received through the Agency’s main customer contact points (including, but not limited to, email and telephone). We have close working relationships across the Communications and Engagement group, the wider Agency and others in the healthcare family and we use these relationships to support enhancements to the service we provide to our customers.

This role offers the opportunity to be at the forefront of taking forward one of the Agency’s key priorities - to become patient-centred and putting our customers first. Reporting to the Head of Freedom of Information Requests (FOIs) & Parliamentary Questions (PQs) , you will be responsible for the day to day operation and coordination of all Parliamentary Questions through assessing, commissioning and reviewing requests received through Parliament and the Department for Health and Social Care.

Person specification

• Management and triage of PQ and PO requests which also includes monitoring, logging and tracking.
• Co-ordinating PQ and PO activity by issuing reminders to leads of upcoming deadlines
• Chasing leads when required to ensure responses go out on time, including ensuring sufficient review and sign-off for responses.
• Supporting the Senior PQ Officer and Head of FOIs & PQs, dealing with tasks including – compiling stats and identifying trends.
• Maintain effective collaboration with Customer Experience Centre and operational leads and ensure the News Centre are given prompt sighting of draft sensitive replies.
• Keep abreast of wider MHRA issues to identify potentially sensitive requests so additional handling advice can be sought (e.g. comms or legal).
• Explore new ways to deliver further efficiencies and improvements to our processes.
• Ensure that the shared tracker is up to date and reporting is accurate.

Who are we looking for?

Our successful candidate will demonstrate the following.

• Aptitude for following process and procedure and ability to spot risks/issues/process improvements.
• Experience of working alongside and leading staff outside the immediate team, with the ability to influence and lead delivery. Ability to support others, prioritise, coordinate and support the wider, changing needs of the business.
• Ability to interpret current affairs, MP interests and departmental policy through a political and parliamentary lens is crucial.
• Proven ability to analyse and accurately interpret data from various sources to support decisions. Must be able to demonstrate the ability to present reasonable conclusions from a wide range of complex and sometimes incomplete evidence. Ability to make decisions confidently even when details are unclear or if they prove to be unpopular.
• Experience of working alongside and leading staff outside the immediate team, with the ability to influence and lead delivery. Ability to support others, prioritise, coordinate and support the wider, changing needs of the business.

Person Specification:

Method of assessment: A=Application, T=Test, I=Interview, P=Presentation

Behaviour Criteria:

Communicating and Influencing

Excellent written and oral communication skills, with the ability to provide clear and concise answers and to adapt delivery to suit the customer in question. Strong listening skills to address customer's needs and enquiries in a quick and efficient manner. Excellent interpersonal skills and a proven ability to build relationships with a range of stakeholders both internal and external. Show positivity and enthusiasm towards work, encouraging others to do the same. (A, I)

Delivering at Pace

Effectively organise workload, manage conflicting priorities, meet deadlines and targets, and consistently achieve the highest standards of delivery. Demonstrate the confidence to stand ground when needed, dealing effectively with challenge and resistance (I)

Managing a quality service

Proven ability to take initiative and demonstrate an analytical approach towards work and process improvements. Have a keen eye for detail and put in place processes to ensure outputs are accurate and error free. (A, I)

Working Together

Develop a range of contacts outside own team and identify opportunities to share knowledge, information and learning. (A, I)

Experience Criteria:

Experience of leading the operational delivery of a service, piece of work or project, including motivating and influencing staff who you work alongside. (A, I)

Experience of providing an effective front-line customer service in a large, complex organisation, coordinating and handling enquiries from a range of customer / stakeholders and resolving issues and complaints as required. (A, I)

Experience of successfully working in a customer service environment with proven ability of providing a high level of customer service and resolving customer disputes. Experience of leading and working with staff outside your immediate team, with the ability to influence and lead delivery. (A, I)

Strengths Criteria (I)

• Problem solver: You take a positive approach to tackling problems. You find ways to identify suitable solutions.
• Decisive: You use your judgement. You take a considered approach to situations and tasks when making decisions.
• Resilient: You have inner composure, recover quickly from setbacks and learn from them.

If you would like to find out more about this fantastic opportunity, please read our Job Description and Person Specification!

Please note: The job description may not open in some internet browsers. Please use Chrome or Microsoft Edge. If you have any issue viewing the job description, please contact careers@mhra.gov.uk

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £37,456, Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency contributes £10,851 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Annual Leave: 25 days annual leave on entry, rising by one day for each completed year of service to a maximum of 30 days and pro-rata for part-time staff. PLUS 8 bank holidays
• Privilege Leave: 1 day
• Hours of Work: 37 hours (net) per week for full time staff in all geographical locations, including London and pro rata for part-time staff
• Occupational Sick Pay (OSP): One month full pay/one month half pay on entry, rising by one month for each completed year of service to a maximum of five months full pay/five months half pay
• Mobility: Mobility clause in contracts allowing staff to be mobile across the Civil Service
• Civil Service Pension Scheme. Please see the link for further information http://www.civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk/ For enquiries relating to the Civil Service Pension Schemes please contact MyCSP's Pension Service Centre directly on 0300 123 6666
• Flexible working to ensure staff maintain a healthy work-life balance
• Interest free season ticket loan or bike loan
• Employee Assistance Services and access to the Civil Service Benevolent Fund
• Eligibility to join the Civil Service Motoring Association (CSMA)
• Variety of staff and Civil Service clubs
• On-going learning and development

Things you need to know

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

We use the Civil Service Success Profiles to assess our candidates, find out more here.

• Online application form, including questions based on the Behaviour, Experience and Technical Success Profiles. Please ensure all application questions are completed in full; your application may not be considered if any responses are left blank. Our applications are CV blind, and our Hiring Managers will not be able to access your CV when reviewing your application.
• Interview, which can include questions based on the Behaviour, Experience, Technical and Strengths Success Profiles.

In the instance that we receive a high number of applications, we will hold an initial sift based on the lead criteria of Communicating and Influencing.

Applicants are assessed on whether they meet any mandatory requirements as well as the necessary skills and experience for the role. Applications are scored based on the competency-based answers provided- ensure you have read these thoroughly and allow sufficient time. You can view the competencies for this role in the job description.

Use of AI in Job Applications

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 for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

If you require any disability related adjustments at any point during the process, please contact careers@mhra.gov.uk as soon as possible.

Closing date: 23rd March 2026

Shortlisting date: 28th March 2026

Interview date: from 10th April 2026

If you need assistance applying for this role or have any other questions, please contact careers@mhra.gov.uk

Candidates will be subject to UK immigration requirements as well as Civil Service nationality rules. Further information on whether you are able to apply is available here.

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check as well as animal rights and pro-life activism checks. People working with government assets must complete basic personnel security standard checks.

Certain roles within the MHRA will require post holders to have vaccinations, and in some circumstances, routine health surveillance. These roles include:

• Laboratory-based roles working directly with known pathogens
• Maintenance roles, particularly those required to work in laboratory settings
• Roles that involve visiting other establishments where vaccination is required
• Roles required to travel overseas where specific vaccination may be required.

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment. A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

Any move to the MHRA from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility here.

Individuals appointed on level transfer will retain their existing salary and are responsible for ensuring they fully understand the financial implications of any potential move and the impact (if any) on their terms. If an individual is in any doubt, they should seek clarification before accepting a job offer.

Staff joining on promotion will receive up to a 10% increase of their current basic salary, or the pay band minimum, whichever is the greater.

The individual will not retain any allowances paid by the former department/Agency, unless there are special circumstances, such as a reserved right to those allowances on transfer.

Successful candidates may be subject to annual Occupational Health reviews dependent on role requirements. If you have any queries, please contact careers@mhra.gov.uk.

In accordance with the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles our recruitment and selection processes are underpinned by the requirement of selection for appointment on the basis of merit by a fair and open competition. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should firstly contact careers@mhra.gov.uk

If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission at: civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk

info@csc.gov.uk

Civil Service Commission

Room G/8

1 Horse Guards Road

London

SW1A 2HQ

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 theCivil 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 :

• Name : Conor Lyons
• Email : Conor.lyons@mhra.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : Careers@mhra.gov.uk

Further information

In accordance with the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles our recruitment and selection processes are underpinned by the requirement of selection for appointment on the basis of merit by a fair and open competition. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should contact the Resourcing Team at Careers@mhra.gov.uk, in the first instance. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive you can contact the Civil Service Commission at: civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk - info@csc.gov.uk - Civil Service Commission Room G/8 1 Horse Guards Road London SW1A 2HQ