UNIVERSITY of Liverpool executive John Flamson has been enlisted by city council leader Joe Anderson to write a job description for the post of business advisor to the council cabinet.

Here, LDP Business sets out a job description for the new role. Do you fulfil it?

As well as having a thick skin and being able to put up with a left-leaning boss, the post holder needs to be all things to all men.

He or she needs to be credible in the eyes of the city’s business community. It’s not a job for a career quangocrat. A substantial track record of owning or managing a business in the city at a senior level is a prerequisite.

To be credible in the eyes of the business community, candidates must not have an interest in keeping the council sweet. A candidate’s business and livelihood should not be dependent in any way on council contracts. There can be no cosy relationships.

Instead, the right candidate needs to be independent minded, not afraid to speak up for business in a room full of people who may be ideologically opposed to your ideas.

Ideally, he or she should be able to speak up for a wide cross-section of businesses, including retailers, manufacturers, property developers, business professionals and many others. Experience of both big and small business would be preferable.

The post-holder should be able to act as an ambassador for the city, particularly in the area of inward investment? Advising the council on how best to attract new jobs would be crucial.

Most of all, though, candidates must show an understanding of what it takes for a city to become the most business-friendly places in Britain and help shape the policies and actions of the city’s administration so that local firms can thrive without being obstructed by unhelpful politIcal dogma or administrative bureaucracy?

Is this person you?

If so, you could be the right person to help lead our city into the 21st century.