Research and Support Officer

London Gov; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 35,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A governmental body in London seeks a Research and Support Officer to assist Assembly Members with stakeholder engagement and casework. The successful applicant will play a crucial role by managing diaries, drafting communications, and ensuring that the Assembly Members are well-prepared for meetings. Strong communication and organizational skills, alongside a political awareness, are essential for this position. This role is integral in championing the interests of Londoners and involves working in a dynamic environment.

Benefits

30 days’ annual leave

Interest-free season ticket loan

Interest-free bicycle loan

Career average pension scheme

Qualifications

• Demonstrable stakeholder management skills in a pressured environment.
• Ability to manage internal and external relationships effectively.
• Understanding political changes affecting the work of the Assembly.

Responsibilities

• Support two Assembly Members in their roles and stakeholder engagement.
• Draft casework responses and arrange meetings.
• Manage diary commitments for Assembly Members.

Skills

Strong verbal and written communication skills

Stakeholder management

Organizational awareness

Experience with high-profile individuals

Job description

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. Within the Secretariat each political group on the Assembly has its own team of dedicated staff to support the work of its AMs.

About the team

The London Assembly Labour Group support the work of the 10 Labour Assembly Members in representing their constituents, scrutinising the work of the Mayor and championing the needs of Londoners.

We achieve this by delivering three main functions:

• Dedicated Research and Support Officers act as stakeholder engagement specialists for the Labour Group, dealing with casework, diary management and events.
• Senior Researchers provide policy support for the Labour Group across areas such as economy, environment, fire, health, housing policing, transport etc.
• Press Officers promote the work of the Labour Assembly Members through writing local and regional press releases, helping prepare our politicians for TV/ radio interviews and creating social media content.

About the role

In this role you will work as a part of our Research and Support Officer (RSO) team. Working with our Principal RSO, you’ll lead on supporting two of our Assembly Members, helping navigate the web of relationships that assists them to work at their best and to champion the interests of Londoners. You’ll make sure they are in the right place, at the right time with the right information. You’ll draft casework responses and written mayor’s questions, arrange meetings and work with people inside and outside City Hall to support the work of your Assembly Members.

This role is based at City Hall, in the Royal Docks (Kamal Chunchie Way, London, E16 1ZE

What your day will look like

This is a busy role that provides stakeholder support through a combination of casework, diary and inbox management and delivery of meetings and events. Your day might look something like:

• having a short catch up with your Assembly Members to discuss casework and understand their priorities when responding.
• attending a constituency visit with one of your Assembly Members to support their work and meet local stakeholders.
• keeping on top of diary commitments and making sure your Assembly Members have what they need for meetings.
• supporting the planning and organisation of an event for a community group being held by one of your Members at City Hall.

Skills, knowledge and experience

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

• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• A stakeholder specialist who can manage internal and external relationships for the Assembly Member(s)
• Good organisational awareness that recognises how political changes impact on your work and the ability to apply political awareness to what you do.
• Experience of working directly with influential, high profile people in a pressured environment and in dealing with confidential/sensitive issues and documents;
• Sympathy for and alignment with the values and aims of the Labour Group at the London Assembly.

How to apply

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

• Personal statement with a maximum of 1500 words. Please ensure you address how you demonstrate the essential criteria and competencies outlined 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 ‘Additional Documents’ 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)

Applications submitted without a Personal Statement will not be considered.

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

If you have questions about the role

If you wish to talk to someone about the role, the hiring manager, Tamsin Addison, would be happy to speak to you. Please contact them at [e-mail] .

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 dates are: w/c 23rd February 2026

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.

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.

To provide a full range of research, casework, diary, administrative and information support to a dedicated Assembly Member(s).

Principal accountabilities

• To act as a stakeholder specialist, supporting the relationships between the Assembly Member(s), constituents, across the functional bodies and London. To provide core research, advice and support to the Assembly Member(s) across the range of their GLA functions.
• To act as the first point of contact for the allocated Assembly Member(s) 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.
• To manage all correspondence (including electronic) and casework received by the Member(s) concerned as required.
• To work with the Labour Group Press Team to provide pro-active public affairs support to the Assembly Member(s), including producing constituency issue reports.
• To take responsibility for the co-ordination of the given Assembly Member(s) work for Assembly and other meetings (such as the submission of questions for Mayor’s Question Time, and motions), in liaison with the Group Manager, Senior Researchers and other colleagues, and including Assembly Member(s)’ internal and external stakeholder events held at City Hall.
• To act and manage resources allocated to the job in accordance with the Authority’s policies and Code of Ethics and Standards; 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; to realise the benefits of a flexible approach to work in undertaking the duties and responsibilities of this job, participating in multi-discipline cross departmental and organisational groups and task teams.

Key contacts: Assigned Assembly Member(s); Labour Group Assembly Members; Group staff.

Accountable to: Group Manager, Labour Group.

Accountable for: Resources allocated to the job.

Person specification

Technical requirements/experience/qualifications

1. Demonstrable stakeholder management skills, including oversight and organisation of events, and proven experience of briefing in a political / public sector organisation.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. An understanding of the GLA's commitment to equality of opportunity and valuing diversity, and the ability to translate this into action.

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

Building and Managing relationships

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

indicators of effective performance

• Develops new professional relationships
• Understands the needs of others, the constraints they face and the levers to their engagement
• Understands differences, anticipates areas of conflict and takes action
• Fosters an environment where others feel respected
• Identifies opportunities for joint working to minimise duplication and deliver shared goals

Organisational Awareness

… is understanding and being sensitive to organisational dynamics, culture and politics across and beyond the GLA and shaping our approach accordingly.

Level 2 indicators of effective performance

• Challenges unethical behaviour
• Uses understanding of the GLA’s complex partnership arrangements to deliver effectively
• Recognises how political changes and sensitivities impact on own and team’s work
• Is aware of the changing needs of Londoners, anticipating resulting changes for work agendas
• Follows the GLA’s position in the media and understands how it impacts on work

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

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

Problem Solving

… is analysing and interpreting situations from a variety of viewpoints and finding creative, workable and timely solutions.

Level 2 indicators of effective performance

• Processes and distils a variety of information to understand a problem fully
• Proposes options for solutions to presented problems
• Builds on the ideas of others to encourage creative problem solving
• Thinks laterally about own work, considering different ways to approach problems
• Seeks the opinions and experiences of others to understand different approaches to problem solving

Working Patterns

May occasionally be required to work out of office hours to assist with events.

Reasonable adjustment

Reasonable adjustment will be made to working arrangements to accommodate a person with a disability who otherwise would be prevented from undertaking the work.

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.

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