Senior Policy Officer, Cultural Infrastructure and Senior Policy Officer, Creative Enterprise Zones

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.

Good Growth

Good Growth is responsible for delivering and implementing the Mayor’s environment, transport and economic strategies and for the effective implementation of the London Plan. The Directorate is also responsible for regeneration (where the programme is not housing led), enterprise, growth, capital projects and design work.

About the team

The roles are based within the Culture, Creative Industries and 24-Hour London Unit at the Greater London Authority. The Unit delivers the Mayor’s Culture Strategy for London, supporting an exciting, world-leading city of inspiration and opportunities for everyone. We do this through a wide range of programmes that support the arts and creative industries to grow and be accessible to all, and the capital to become the number one destination for 24-hour culture and entertainment. Projects we work on across the Unit include the London Borough of Culture, the Creative Economy Growth programme, Creative Enterprise Zones, East Bank, the Fourth Plinth Programme, Diversity in the Public Realm and 24-Hour London Task Force. The Mayor has adopted a new governance approach in which he has set mandates which commission the major programmes.

The Space for Culture team is part of the Culture, Creative Industries and 24-Hour London unit. It ensures that culture, creativity and community are hardwired into the fabric of our city to build a better London for everyone. From production and performance spaces to public realm projects, from protecting spaces at risk to creating opportunities for new spaces, we work to strengthen our city’s identity as a rich, diverse and multifaceted cultural capital.

The team plays a strategic role in the delivery of a range of cultural infrastructure and public realm initiatives including the Fourth Plinth, East Bank, Creative Enterprise Zones, Culture and Community Spaces at Risk, Making Space for Culture, the Thames Estuary Production Corridor, Diversity in the Public Realm, the Creative Land Trust, ReStage, and an International Centre for Creative Industries.

We are recruiting for two full-time Grade 9 positions within the Space for Culture team:

Senior Policy Officer – Cultural Infrastructure

This role will sit within the Making Space for Culture team and report to the Making Space for Culture Manager.

Senior Policy Officer – Creative Enterprise Zones

This role will be part of the Creative Enterprise Zones team and report to the Senior Programme Manager, Creative Enterprise Zones.

The principal accountabilities and job descriptions – both shared and role-specific – are outlined below.

Key contacts

Accountable to: Making Space for Culture Manager, Senior Programme Manager, Creative Enterprise Zones

Accountable for: Resources allocated to the job

Principal contacts: Internal GLA Staff (Culture, Planning, Intelligence, Business, Regeneration, Environment Housing Teams) and External stakeholders (London Boroughs, representative bodies, developers, external consultants, delivery partners, cultural organisations and creative businesses, industry groups, external funders).

About the role

Senior Policy Officer - Cultural Infrastructure

The Senior Policy Officer role will find opportunities for the creation of fit for purpose cultural space which serves the needs of all Londoners, bringing together research, policy and project delivery. The candidate will bring experience of placemaking, masterplanning, planning and development of cultural infrastructure projects to the team. Use of data and evidence to make compelling cases would be advantageous.

Senior Policy Officer, Creative Enterprise Zones

As Senior Policy Officer, Creative Enterprise Zones you will develop and implement the Mayor's policies and plans for Creative Enterprise Zones, as outlined in the Mayor's Cultural Strategy, the London Plan, and London Growth Plan.

Creative Enterprise Zones (CEZ) launched in 2017 to increase permanent affordable creative space to work, provide business support, and improve access for Londoners to learn creative sector skills and find new jobs in the industry. You will lead on the delivery of Creative Enterprise Zones, working in partnership with borough partners and consortia and across the GLA to develop and implement this ambitious and innovative policy.

What your day will look like

Senior Policy Officer, Cultural Infrastructure

1. Enable new cultural space development by supporting the development and delivery of strategic cultural spaces identified through manifesto commitments, mandates and the Space Register.
2. Ensure delivery of programmes and tools which support the Cultural Infrastructure Plan objectives to retain and grow London’s cultural spaces. This may include developing new tools, research and resources.
3. Engage with stakeholders to support the integration of cultural space within new development identified within masterplans, Opportunity Areas and GLA Housing and Land projects.
4. Engage with planning policy and development management functions to support the delivery of cultural space including the Space Register. Provide advice and contribute to planning applications and planning policy related to the work you are delivering.

Senior Policy Officer, Creative Enterprise Zones

1. Establish, develop and maintain effective networks and relationships with external bodies to ensure agreed objectives for CEZ are achieved in line with the Mayor's priorities and the statutory cultural strategy, including in particular boroughs, CEZ consortia, creative SME representatives and artist stakeholders.
2. Develop and manage regular Knowledge Exchange Forums or other information exchange platforms to keep partners and external stakeholders involved in the development of the programme.
3. Maintain an up-to-date awareness of new developments, relevant legislative and national policy changes, national and international initiatives and best practice that could have an impact on the development of Creative Enterprise Zones.
4. Liaise with Making Space for Culture and Culture and Community Spaces at Risk teams to ensure development and protection of cultural spaces, with focus on creative production spaces.

Shared accountabilities for 2 x Grade 9 roles

1. Manage allocated staff and resources, external partnerships and contracts in accordance with the Authority's policies and Code of Ethics and Standards, reporting on risks as appropriate. This will include clienting of consultants as necessary, procurement, project management, monitoring and review of progress.

2. Provide written and oral briefings and specialist reports related to key cultural policies for the Mayor and his advisors, GLA staff, government departments and London and national organisations including:

1. 1. drafting timely responses to Mayoral questions and correspondence
   2. providing concise briefings and responses to questions
   3. providing meeting management and secretariat functions for key meetings
   4. representing the GLA at external events and meetings
   5. making timely responses to the London Assembly's scrutiny function.

3. Work across the Good Growth directorate to share knowledge and expertise and support crossover areas such as creative workspace, planning policy and economic development.

4. 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.

5. 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.

Undertake any other additional duties and tasks reasonably assigned to the role.

Skills, knowledge and experience

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

• Experience of working on regeneration, planning or development schemes, to support the delivery of new space.
• A demonstrable current working knowledge and experience of the challenges, needs, and opportunities facing London’s culture and creative industries sectors, including development pressures and business and operational models.
• Experience of commissioning and carrying out research, including use of data, to produce practical, easily understood reports, toolkits and recommendations.
• Extensive experience of project management – delivering projects to a specific timeline and budget.
• Experience of chairing and managing stakeholder groups, bringing together partners from a wide range of different organisations.
• Good negotiating, influencing and communication skills, including experience of preparing written reports, letters and briefings.

Behavioural Competencies

BUILDING AND MANAGING RELATIONSHIPS

… is developing rapport and working effectively with a diverse range of people, sharing knowledge and skills to deliver shared goals.

Level 3

• Actively engages partners and encourages others to build relationships that support GLA objectives
• Understands and recognises the contributions that staff at all levels make to delivering priorities
• Proactively manages partner relationships, preventing or resolving any conflict
• Adapts style to work effectively with partners, building consensus, trust and respect
• Delivers objectives by bringing together diverse stakeholders to work effectively in partnership

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 3

• Encourages and supports teams in engaging in transparent and inclusive communication
• Influences others and gains buy-in using compelling, well thought through arguments
• Negotiates effectively to deliver GLA priorities
• Synthesises the complex viewpoints of others, recognises where compromise is necessary and brokers agreement
• Advocates positively for the GLA both within and outside the organisation

STRATEGIC THINKING

…is using an understanding of the bigger picture to uncover potential challenges and opportunities for the long term and turning these into a compelling vision for action.

Level 2

• Works with a view to the future, prioritising own and others’ work in line with GLA objectives
• Briefs and prepares team to accomplish goals and objectives
• Communicates the GLA’s strategic priorities in a compelling and convincing manner, encouraging buy-in
• Balances own team’s needs with wider organisational needs
• Identifies synergies between team priorities and other relevant agendas

DECISION-MAKING

… is forming sound, evidence-based judgements, making choices, assessing risks to delivery, and taking accountability for results.

Level 2

• Takes decisions as necessary on the basis of the information available
• Makes decisions without unnecessarily referring to others
• Involves and consults internal and external stakeholders early in decisions that impact them
• Identifies potential barriers to decision-making and initiates action to move a situation forward
• Demonstrates awareness of the GLA’s decision-making processes and how to use them

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

This role is based at London Fire Brigade’s Head Office (Union Street SE1 0LL).

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

The recruiting managers will hold two online Q&A sessions for both roles on 13 November and 17 November 2025. You can join the session using the links below:

• Thursday, 13 November 2025, 12.30pm to 1.30pm:

https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_NzgzMDdmOGMtYTBlZi00NjU0LTg1MWItNmZmNjYyN2ZhNmFl%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%2230653dea-fb01-4b4c-8ddf-c183f89febfb%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%2252c42ce3-86ff-4a49-baf1-f9c9cddaa7af%22%7d

• Monday, 17 November 2025, 4.30pm to 5.30pm:
  https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_NTc5YTJlOGUtMzY3MS00YjNkLTk0NGQtNTA0OTNjNjZmODI3%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%2230653dea-fb01-4b4c-8ddf-c183f89febfb%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%2252c42ce3-86ff-4a49-baf1-f9c9cddaa7af%22%7d

Please note: Participants' names will not be displayed to other attendees by default. Organizers and presenters can see who is attending, but attendees can only see the names of organizers and presenters who are brought on screen.

Under the data protection legislation, the Greater London Authority is only allowed to use personal information if we have a proper reason (known as a 'legal basis') to do so. We have relied on your consent to join the event to process this data. We will not share your data with other third parties.

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: 10 December and 12 December 2025

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.

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.