Research and Support Officer

London Assembly and secretariat

The London Assembly scrutinises the Mayor's activities by questioning the Mayor about their decisions. The Assembly also investigates issues of importance to London.

There are 25 Assembly Members, elected every four years at the same time as the Mayor. The Secretariat works for the Assembly to support its activities. The

Communications Team support service to promote the work of the Assembly through press office, social media, publicity and events.

About the role

The GLA is looking to recruit two Research and Support Officers to support members of the London Assembly’s Reform Group in fulfilling their roles as elected Members of the London Assembly.   

You would be part of a small team of four people supporting the Group.

We are looking for someone who:

• relishes working across a range of topic areas which affect Londoners, from policing to the economy and housing;
• can provide high-quality and research and policy briefings;
• can manage a range of correspondence, including casework support;
• can take primary responsibility for the co-ordination of the Assembly Member’s work for Assembly meetings (such as the submission of questions for Mayor’s Question Time), in liaison with other colleagues as appropriate; and
• can act as the first point of contact for the Assembly Member for all people within and without the organisation, representing the views and interests of the Member(s) in an effective and professional manner, and dealing with a wide range of internal and external people and organisations.

You must be comfortable working in a fast-paced environment and taking a proactive approach to your work.  

You can learn more about working at the London Assembly here: Working life at the London Assembly (long version) - YouTube

What your day will look like

• Drafting policy or research briefings.
• Drafting questions for Mayor’s Question Time meetings, having researched the relevant topic and related Mayoral responses.
• Managing correspondence.  
• Acting as the first key point of contact for Assembly Members both within the Greater London Authority and for constituents.

Skills, knowledge and experience

To be considered for the role you must meet the following essential criteria:

• Demonstrable research skills, to enable quick and effective grasp of information from a range of sources on a wide range of policy topics, and proven experience of policy briefing in a political / public sector organisation.

• Demonstrable verbal and written communication skills, including experience of writing a range of different styles of document for different audiences, often within very short timescales; experience of producing information specifically for media work and/or briefings for media interviews; the ability to use a range of software and media.

• Experience of working directly with influential, high profile people in a pressured environment and in dealing with confidential/sensitive issues and documents; the ability to work in a politically complex organisation and apply political awareness.

• The ability to build rapport and effective professional relationships with a diverse range of people, sharing knowledge and skills to deliver shared goals.

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 personal statement with a maximum of 1500 words. Please ensure you address how you demonstrate the essential criteria outlined above in the advert.

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 Personal Statement.

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)

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. 

If you have questions about the role

If you wish to talk to someone about the role, the hiring manager Rebecca Arnold would be happy to speak to you. Please contact them at rebecca.arnold@london.gov.uk.

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

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/assessment.

The interview/assessment date is: To be confirmed

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. 

Find out which DBS check is right for your employee - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

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.