Labour deputy leader Tom Watson is doubling the size of his personal staff at a time when he is increasingly in direct conflict with party leader Jeremy Corbyn, suggesting he is building a separate power base within the party hierarchy.
The Labour deputy leader is advertising for four extra staff to join his team, according to job listings posted online.
Applications are due by 6 September, meaning the extra staff could be in position shortly after the Labour leadership result is declared on 24 September.
Positions advertised include Watson's own head of policy and research, a political adviser, a writer, and a correspondence assistant.
Watson currently employs three political and media advisers, plus a diary secretary. By comparison, Corbyn currently employs around 20 staff in his role as leader of the opposition.
The writing job pays £42,000 a year to produce articles and speeches on behalf of Watson.
"Can you capture a political moment in words? Can you simplify complex arguments so that they are easily understood?" the application asks.
The policy job states the successful candidate will be "responsible for leading the development and implementation of research and policy development within the deputy leader’s brief".
Watson recently accepted £200,000 from press privacy campaigner Max Mosley to fund his private office.
The MP was elected as deputy leader last September with his own mandate from members. As a result he cannot be removed by Corbyn, despite Watson's open attempts to help remove the Labour leader following the EU referendum result.
This gives him a unique position as an almost unsackable opponent of the Labour leader who still holds a senior position within the party, much to the irritation of some of Corbyn's team.
The only way to remove Watson is for him to either voluntarily resign or for a challenger to gather the support of 46 Labour MPs and call a deputy leadership election. Both scenarios are highly unlikely in the near future, meaning Watson is free to remain in his position for years to come.
Even if Corbyn were to step down in favour of a new leader at some point in the future there would be no obligation to hold another deputy leadership election.
On Tuesday The Mirror claimed individuals on Corbyn's re-election campaign were considering changing Labour party rules to put a term limit on the deputy leader job in an attempt to force out Watson.
Tom Watson's office declined to comment.