He had no previous experience in the higher levels of government when he was appointed by Lord Shrewsbury as under-secretary of the Southern Department in 1689, holding the post to June 1690.
Pulteney signed the Association promptly and voted in March with the Court for fixing the price of guineas at 22 shillings.
In February 1701 he was promoted to the more remunerative ordnance office of clerk of the deliveries with an annual salary of almost £1,000.
After the 1705 English general election, when he was returned again for Hastings, he voted for the Court candidate for Speaker on 25 October 1705.
He was defeated at the 1710 British general election butretained his place a Lord of Trade until 1711.
[3] In 1714, Pulteney was appointed as a Commissioner of the Board of Customs with a salary of £1,000 to 1722, and from 1715, was a member of the Commission for Building Fifty New Churches.
He stood again for Hastings at the 1722 British general election, supported by the Duke of Newcastle, but lost by a single vote.
By his wife Lucy, he was father to Daniel Pulteney, whose granddaughter Laura also became Countess of Bath.