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. 

About the team

The Scrutiny and Investigation team works with Assembly committees to deliver their scrutiny priorities, providing advice and briefing, engaging with stakeholders and producing Assembly outputs, including reports with recommendations for the Mayor. The team supports Assembly committees in scrutinising a wide range of policy areas including transport, planning, health, fire and rescue, the environment, culture and economic development.

About the role

Senior Policy Advisers in the Scrutiny and Investigation team play a vital and varied role in delivering the Assembly’s priorities. You would support a committee in conducting investigations into key areas of Mayoral policy and wider issues of importance to Londoners. You will use your excellent research skills to understand the challenges facing London, and develop policy solutions that can address these. You will engage stakeholders and experts, brief Assembly Members and produce reports and other outputs. You would be leading a project team, line managing at least one officer and collaborating with colleagues from across the Secretariat.

The vacant roles are not yet assigned to a specific Assembly committee. Senior Policy Advisers would ordinarily be assigned to one committee, which may change over time, depending on business need.

What your day will look like

·         Conducting background research into a policy issue to help design the scope of an investigation.

·         Writing a briefing for Assembly Members to inform their questioning at an upcoming committee meeting.

·         Meeting with the chair of a committee to provide advice on the direction of an investigation.

·         Talking to experts and stakeholders to understand their perspectives on an issue.

·         Drafting a report setting out the findings and recommendations of an investigation.

·         Editing and supporting the work of a Policy Adviser or Policy Officer.

An information session has been arranged for potential applicants to learn more about the role. See below for details.

Essential criteria: Skills, knowledge and experience

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

• Experience in successfully carrying out scrutiny investigations (ideally for more than one Committee) or similar programme of scrutiny projects in a democratic context. 
• Knowledge and understanding of political, policy and governance issues relating to London and the UK more widely. 
• Excellent research and analytical skills with experience of gathering information from varied sources and drawing conclusions. 
• Strong communication skills, with experience of writing and editing a variety of outputs setting out arguments clearly and convincingly.
• Experience of operating effectively in a political environment. 

Please find the full Job Description here

How to apply

Internal recruitment

If you would like to apply for the role you’ll need to submit:

·              an online application

·              a Word statement (1,500 words) outlining how you meet the essential criteria set out under ‘Skills, knowledge and experience’ above.

If you have questions about the role

If you wish to talk to someone about the role, the hiring managers David Hirst and Richard Berry would be happy to speak to you. Please contact them at David.Hirst@london.gov.uk or Richard.Berry@london.gov.uk.

An information session for potential applicants to learn more about the role will be held on Tuesday 7 July at 4pm on Microsoft Teams. You do not need to pre-register for this session. Please use this link to join: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/338246791653805?p=nsImi41DBYxxPxD8lJ Meeting ID: 338 246 791 653 805 / Passcode: r6uE75hT

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 will be in late July 2026.

Behavioural competencies

Our shortlisting decision will be made with reference to the above essential criteria. Other behavioural competences for this role, which will be assessed later in the recruitment process, are:

BUILDING AND MANAGING RELATIONSHIPS

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

·         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

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.

·         Monitors allocation of resources, anticipating changing requirements that may impact work delivery

·         Ensures evaluation processes are in place to measure project benefits

·         Gains buy-in and commitment to project delivery from diverse stakeholders

·         Implements quality measures to ensure directorate output is of a high standard

·         Translates political vision into action plans and deliverables

COMMUNICATING AND INFLUENCING

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

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.

·         Exchanges ideas and knowledge with partners, subject-matter experts, and senior stakeholders to foster new research agendas and derive insights for the GLA

·         Takes accountability for the quality of intelligence that research and new policy are based upon

·         Encourages new and innovative insights from analysis

·         Evaluates the feasibility and cost effectiveness of research proposals, stringently assessing whether the research will add real value

·         Encourages research with a highly practical focus and maximum impact for Londoners

RESPONDING TO PRESSURE AND CHANGE

… is being flexible and adapting positively, to sustain performance when the situation changes, workload increases, tensions rise or priorities shift. obligations.

·         Maintains a focus on key priorities and deliverables, staying resilient in the face of pressure

·         Anticipates and adapts flexibly to changing requirements

·         Uses challenges as an opportunity to learn and improve

·         Participates fully and encourages others to engage in change initiatives

·         Manages team’s wellbeing, supporting them to cope with pressure and change

MANAGING AND DEVELOPING PERFORMANCE

… is setting high standards for oneself and others, guiding, motivating and developing them, to achieve high performance and meet the GLA’s objectives and statutory

·         Seeks opportunities to develop professional skills and knowledge, and encourages team to do so

·         Ensures own and others’ workloads are realistic and achievable

·         Provides staff with clear direction and objectives, ensuring they understand expectations

·         Recognises achievements and provides constructive feedback and guidance

·         Gives staff autonomy and confidence to perform well and to their potential

ORGANISATIONAL AWARENESS

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

·         Uses understanding of differences between the GLA and its partners to improve working relationships

·         Helps others understand the GLA and the complex environment in which it operates

·         Translates changing political agendas into tangible actions

·         Considers the diverse needs of Londoners in formulating GLA objectives

·         Helps others understand how the media and external perceptions of the GLA influence work

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.

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 be prioritised for the next stage in the process.  

If you have a disability or long-term condition (for example dyslexia, anxiety, autism, a mobility condition or hearing loss) and need us to make any reasonable adjustments, changes, or do anything differently during the recruitment process, please let us know by emailing resourcingteam@london.gov.uk (please include the role title and reference number). 

Interview adjustments will be made on a case-by-case basis, but some (non-exhaustive) examples include:   

- Providing extra time in assessments and interviews;    

- Providing questions in advance of the interview;    

- Holding interviews in different formats – such as over the phone or via a video call.  

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.

We may close this advert early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications.