Housing Policy Manager

Working for City Hall makes a difference to the lives of Londoners. Our staff are at the centre of long-term planning and development for our great city.

Housing and Land

The Housing and Land directorate is responsible for the Mayor’s plans to deliver new and improved homes and strong communities.  Working closely with boroughs and partners, we manage the Mayor’s housing investment programmes and land and property assets to support the building of affordable homes, job creation and regeneration.

About the team

This role is in the Housing Strategy and Policy team, which is responsible for developing the Mayor’s housing policies. The remit of the Housing Strategy and Policy team covers a broad range of policy areas including new supply, homelessness, rough sleeping, building safety and private rented sector policy. In this post you will be working alongside colleagues to formulate policy to deliver on the Mayor’s priorities and to ensure these policies are informed by sound evidence.

About the role 

The position is responsible for a priority Mayoral area, leading on policy to support the supply of new homes, in particular through the Mayor’s housing funding programmes. Ideally you will have experience working in this area, but if not, you’ll be able to evidence a track record of getting to grips with new policy briefs and stakeholders quickly. You’ll be responsible for helping to implement the Mayor’s 2024 election manifesto, tackling London’s housing crisis through exciting projects and providing expert advice and guidance. The successful candidate will manage a small team of senior policy officers and officers. You will work closely with officers across London boroughs and social housing providers as well as officials at the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government. You’ll likely have a track record of navigating complex political organisations and will be ready to use your influencing strategy to achieve outcomes that make a real difference to Londoners. 

What your day will look like

• Identifying and managing policy projects to provide insight and solutions to housing challenges.
• Advising senior managers, Deputy Mayors and the Mayor’s Office on emerging housing issues and the actions City Hall should take, and helping City Hall to communicate this to Londoners.
• Working collaboratively with colleagues across the GLA as well as London boroughs and central government to provide a whole system response to London’s housing crisis.  
• Supporting the development of the team's Senior Policy Officers and Policy Officers and deputising for the Head of Housing Strategy when required.

Skills, knowledge and experience

To be considered for the role you must meet and address the following essential technical requirements in your application:

• Broad and extensive professional experience, expertise and knowledge of current housing issues and policy, in particular as they affect London, and experience and understanding of policy development. 
• An understanding of the GLA’s commitment to equality and diversity and how you would apply it to this role.

You must also meet the following behavioural competencies in your application, as explained further in the GLA Competency Framework (linked below):

• Strategic thinking
• Decision making
• Communicating and influencing

The GLA Competency Framework Guidelines further detailing each competency and the different level indicators can be found here: GLA Competency Framework

How to apply

If you would like to apply for the role you will need to submit the following:

• An up to date CV
• A covering letter with a maximum of 1,250 words, which outlines how you meet the essential technical requirements and behavioural competencies (outlined above, behavioural competencies explained further in the GLA Competency Framework). We recommend that you structure your cover letter with sub-headings and include specific examples to ensure you present the information required for shortlisting. 

Please ensure your CV and Personal Statement have a maximum file size of 1.5MB each and upload your Personal Statement to the ‘CV and Cover Letters’ section’ of the form, ensuring you address the technical requirements and competencies in your cover letter.

Word or PDF format preferred and do not include any photographs or images. Please ensure your CV and Personal Statement are saved with the job reference number as part of the naming convention (E.g., “CV – applicant name - 012345)

Please note, if you do not submit the above, you are unlikely to be considered for the role.

We are a Disability Confident Employer so for candidates who wish to be considered under the scheme and meet the essential criteria, they will automatically be invited to interview. Please note, should you require any adjustments through the process, we will accommodate as much as possible. Please contact the recruitment team for further information if required.

If you have questions about the role

Please contact Kate Webb, the hiring manager, via kate.webb@london.gov.uk with any queries about this role or how to apply.

If you have any questions about the recruitment process, contact the team glaopdcrecruitment@tfl.gov.uk who support the GLA with recruitment.

As part of GLA’s continuing commitment to be an inclusive and equal opportunity employer we will be removing personal identifiable information from CVs and Personal Statements that could cause discrimination. 

Assessment process

Once you have submitted an application, your details will be reviewed by a panel.

If shortlisted, you’ll be invited to an interview and will also be required to participate in a short assessment. The interview will be competency based and address the technical requirements and competencies outlined above.

The interview and assessment dates will be confirmed after applications are reviewed but are expected to take place in mid July 2025 Interviews will be held in person at our GLA office in Southwark (169 Union Street, SE1 0LL).

Equality, diversity and inclusion

London's diversity is its biggest asset, and we strive to ensure our workforce reflects London's diversity at all levels. We welcome applications from everyone regardless of age, gender, gender identity, gender expression, ethnicity, sexual orientation, faith or disability.

We particularly encourage applications from Black, Asian and Minority ethnic candidates and disabled candidates who are currently underrepresented in our workforce.

We are committed to being an inclusive employer and we are happy to consider flexible working arrangements. We would welcome applications from candidates who are seeking part time work as this role is open to job share. 

Please note we are a Disability Confident Employer so for candidates who wish to be considered under the scheme and meet the essential criteria, they will automatically be invited to interview. Please note, should you require any adjustments through the process, we will accommodate as much as possible. Please contact the recruitment team for further information if required.

Benefits

GLA staff are hybrid working up to 3 days a week in our offices and remotely depending on their role. As part of this, you will need to split your time between home working and coming into the office.

In addition to a good salary package, you will be paid every four weeks, providing frequent salary payments. We also offer an attractive range of benefits including 30 days’ annual leave, interest free season ticket loan, interest free bicycle loan and a career average pension scheme.

Additional Information

Please note, all candidates will need to confirm that the information provided in this application form is true and correct. Should a candidate deliberately give false information, including the use of AI software, they understand that this would disqualify them from consideration.

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record (DBS) check but some roles may require additional security screening. 

More Support

If you have a disability which makes submitting an online application form difficult, please contact resourcingteam@london.gov.uk.

The GLA is proud to be a Level 2: Disability Confident employer. We are committed to becoming a more inclusive and accessible organisation and creating a truly inclusive and accessible workplace and culture for our disabled staff. We have named Disability Equality as a key corporate priority within our EDI Strategy. We welcome and encourage applications from disabled applicants. Should you wish to opt into the scheme, please let us know during your application.