Scrutiny Officer

Job reference number: 1107
Contract type: Permanent
Closing date: 09 July 2025 at 23:59
Interview Date: Week commencing 4th August 2025
Salary: £40,814 per annum
Grade: 6

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

Are you interested in working with Assembly Members from across the political spectrum, conducting research to hold the Mayor to account and investigate issues of importance to Londoners? 

The London Assembly is looking for a talented researcher to join its highly-regarded scrutiny team, where you will be investigating some of the key challenges facing London and examining the Mayor’s policies to address them. 

We are looking for someone with proven research, analysis, data visualisation and drafting skills, who is seeking to gain or extend their experience delivering impartial research and research support in a political environment. 

In this role, you will be part of a research team and will contribute to producing and delivering a wide-range of projects, research, briefings, reports and outputs for the London Assembly, its committees and its Members. You will be assigned to support the Research Unit in the Assembly, and tasked with work to support Committee investigations through conducting high quality research and analysis, as well as scrutiny support work.

On a day to day basis, you will be working with the senior researchers in the Research Unit to support the gathering and analysing of evidence from a range of sources, and drafting outputs. You will also be assigned to project teams that support specific Assembly committees, helping to deliver the research support they need for scrutiny investigations, which may include monitoring of new publications, planning and organising meetings and visits, and engaging with stakeholders.

The Assembly’s Scrutiny and Investigation team works with Assembly Members to deliver their scrutiny priorities, providing advice and briefing, engaging with stakeholders and producing Assembly outputs. Within this team, the Research Unit provides a specialised research and analysis service for the team, as well as publishing background papers on London government and key policy issues. To view some of our recent outputs please visit: https://www.london.gov.uk/who-we-are/what-london-assembly-does/london-assembly-research-unit-publications

This is an excellent opportunity to develop topical research skills and political awareness in an ambitious research role. 

What your day will look like

• Researching policy issues 
• Analysing datasets and producing visualisations
• Writing outputs for the Assembly such as letters and reports
• Producing briefings for Assembly Members
• Drafting Research Unit publications such as background papers

Skills, knowledge and experience

PERSON SPECIFICATION 

Technical Requirements/ Experience/ Qualifications

1.        Evidence of ability to research and analyse information.

2.        Evidence of ability to understand and synthesize complex or high volumes of information.

3.        Evidence of ability to implement and manage administrative systems.

4.        Experience of communicating effectively in different ways, including with external stakeholders and drafting correspondence.

5.        Evidence of ability to work as part of a project team.

6.        Degree or equivalent experience.

7.        Broad understanding of key policy and political issues affecting London and London government.

Behavioural competencies

RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS

… is gathering intelligence (information, opinion and data) from varied sources, making sense of it, testing its validity and drawing conclusions that can lead to practical benefits.

Level 2 indicators of effective performance:

Proactively seeks new information sources to progress research agendas and address gaps in knowledge

Grasps limitations of or assumptions behind data sources, disregarding those that lack quality

Analyses and integrates qualitative and quantitative data to find new insights

Translates research outcomes into concise, meaningful reports

Identifies relevant and practical research questions for the future

PLANNING AND ORGANISING

… is thinking ahead, managing time, priorities and risk, and developing structured and efficient approaches to deliver work on time and to a high standard.

Level 2 indicators of effective performance:

Prioritises work in line with key team or project deliverables

Makes contingency plans to account for changing work priorities, deadlines and milestones

Identifies and consults with sponsors or stakeholders in planning work

Pays close attention to detail, ensuring team’s work is delivered to a high standard

Negotiates realistic timescales for work delivery, ensuring team deliverables can be met

COMMUNICATING AND INFLUENCING

… is presenting information and arguments clearly and convincingly so that others see us as credible and articulate, and engage with us.

Level 2 indicators of effective performance:

Communicates openly and inclusively with internal and external stakeholders

Clearly articulates the key points of an argument, both in verbal and written communication

Persuades others, using evidence based knowledge, modifying approach to deliver message effectively

Challenges the views of others in an open and constructive way

Presents a credible and positive image both internally and externally.

Job description

Principal Accountabilities

Support the Assembly’s committees and their teams to carry out effective investigations into issues of importance to Londoners, including by:

Conducting research and analysis in support of Assembly investigations.  

Produce accurate, timely and effective contributions to Committee briefings and outputs, including leading the production of briefing and outputs where appropriate;

Maintain regular research / monitoring systems for topical press reports and GLA policy developments;

Ensuring the accuracy of committee investigation outputs on behalf of the team by conducting detailed proofreading and fact checking;

Help to monitor the implementation and impact of the Assembly’s recommendations.

Liaise with Secretariat, GLA colleagues and external organisations to plan and organise informal meetings and site visits.

Managing responses to relevant correspondence and FOI requests.

Work creatively with external relations colleagues to raise the profile of the Assembly, its committees and work. 

Provide research briefings and organizational support for the committees’ programme of informal meetings and site visits, liaising with internal partners and external  stakeholders to ensure the preparation and delivery of these events.

Work with the Senior Policy Adviser and other members of the team to establish and maintain a rigorous approach to handling responses to stakeholder consultations, including working with the wider project team to deliver response analysis papers.

Manage resources allocated to the job in accordance with the GLA's policies and Code of Ethics and Standards.

Manage staff and resources in allocated to the job in accordance with the Authority’s policies and Code of Ethics and Standards

Realise the benefits of a flexible approach to work in undertaking the duties and responsibilities of this job, and participating in multi-disciplinary, cross-department and cross-organisational groups and project teams

To realise the benefits of London’s diversity by promoting and enabling equality of opportunities, and promoting the diverse needs and aspirations of London’s communities.

How to apply 

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

Up to date CV  

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, please contact Eleanor Haigh at eleanor.haigh@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 and assessment. 

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.