Southwark (Hybrid)
Permanent, Full time
£51,029
Communities & Skills
Collaborative, open, inclusive and fair - we work with and through partners to ensure Londoners can shape healthy, empowered and productive lives. Communities and Skills is led by Executive Director, Tunde Olayinka and is comprised of the following units: Civil Society & Sport, Communities & Social Policy, Group Public Health Unit, Skills and Employment, and Health, Children and Young Londoners.
About the team
London’s skills and employment system plays a key role in supporting Londoners to get the skills they need to improve their lives and for London’s economy to thrive. You will be part of the Strategy, Policy and Relationships team embedded within the Skills and Employment unit.
The team includes a range of responsibilities, including strategy planning, policy development and communications, as well as governance and stakeholder engagement. The team leads the design of policy and programmes including for the GLA’s largest revenue budget – the Adult Skills Fund.
Through further devolution of powers, funding and decision making, we want to support even more Londoners to transform their lives. This is a particularly exciting time to work in the team, with skills and employment being central to the Mayor’s vision for inclusive growth and his London Growth Plan.
About the role
We are looking for a Senior Policy Officer to join the Greater London Authority’s Skills and Employment Unit’s Strategy, Policy and Relationships team. The team manages strategy, policy and governance arrangements within the GLA’s skills and employment unit, which runs a range of flagship programmes to deliver high quality adult education in London.
You will join a dedicated team of officers with a range of responsibilities, including strategy planning, policy development, commissioning of research, communications, governance and stakeholder engagement. You will play a vital role in supporting the team’s delivery of London’s Adult Skills Fund and other devolved skills programmes, as well as contributing to the development of skills and adult education policy in line with the Mayor’s London Growth Plan, supporting inclusive growth and the health and wellbeing of Londoners. This may include developing and implementing policy concerning the delivery of English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), a major area of spend that has a huge impact for Londoners, or, developing policy to support Londoners to access Higher education and higher-level skills. You will become a subject expert in your area and broaden your expertise across other areas of delivery over time.
We are looking for someone who can effectively work with a range of stakeholders, has experience of policy development, can communicate complex issues, and inspire action. You will be responsible for proactively managing stakeholder relationships, commissioning research, and contributing to policy and programme development and implementation. Your enthusiasm, organisation, and motivation will be invaluable in this exciting and varied role.
This job is ‘politically restricted’ under the Local Government and Housing Act 1989.
This role is based at London Fire Brigade’s Head Office (Union Street SE1 0LL)
Skills, knowledge and experience
To be considered for the role you must meet the following criteria:
Essential
- Experience in contributing to policy and/ or strategy development within a political context.
- A successful track record in using research and analysis to inform policy and strategy development, a good knowledge of skills and employment policy and delivery.
- Experience in project management, monitoring and reporting.
- A successful track record in working with a range of stakeholders, building and managing relationships; and working in a complex organisational or political environment.
Desirable
- Experience of working on skills and employment policy, in particular with regard to the issues affecting migrant learners, those learning English as an additional language and/or access to higher education.
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 2 indicators of effective performance)
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)
Planning and Organising
...is thinking ahead, managing time, priorities, and risk, and developing structured and efficient approaches to deliver work on time to a high standard. (Level 2 indicators of effective performance)
The following competencies are also relevant to the role and may be tested at interview stage:
- Research and Analysis
- Problem Solving
- Strategic Thinking
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:
- Up to date CV
- Personal statement with a maximum of 1500 words. Please ensure you address how you demonstrate the essential criteria and competencies outlined in the advert.
Applications submitted without a Personal Statement will not be considered.
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)
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, Adam Norris, would be happy to speak to you. Please contact them at adam.norris@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 which will include a short presentation.
The interviews are expected to take place in the w/c 16th June and w/c 23rd June 2025 ( exact dates tbc)
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.
Secondment Opportunity
If you are a GLA employee applying for an internal fixed-term position, as an internal secondment opportunity, you must ensure you satisfy the following secondment policy criteria listed below before applying
- On a permanent contract or a fixed term contract where the time left on the contract at the point at which you apply for secondment is longer than the secondment period;
- successfully completed your probation period and are performing to the required standard for your current role; and
- at least 18 months service with the GLA
If you do meet the criteria listed above, you will need to complete the Approval for secondment application form and gain line manager approval, before emailing the fully completed form to the Resourcing Assistant who is managing the vacancy. This form must be received by the closing date of the vacancy. Failure to provide this form will mean your application cannot be progressed.
If you are unable to satisfy all of the criteria, unfortunately, you are not eligible to apply for this vacancy as an internal secondment. For further information, please see Secondment Policy and Procedure.
IMPORTANT: If you are a current GLA employee on a fixed-term contract, which is due to end BEFORE the end date of this vacancy, you DO NOT NEED to complete the Approval for secondment application form as it is not a secondment.
If you are successful in securing this secondment opportunity, you will need to be released from your existing role, so please ensure that you make your line manager aware of your application.
More Support
If you have a disability which makes submitting an online application form difficult, please contact resourcingteam@london.gov.uk.
Please note all applications for this vacancy must be submitted via our online recruitment system. We do not accept CVs alone for this role. Please upload a personal statement with a maximum of 1500 words to the ‘Additional Documents’ section of the form, ensuring you address the following technical requirements and competencies in your personal statement. Word or PDF format preferred and do not include any photographs or images.
The GLA Competency Framework Guidelines further detailing each competency and the different level indicators can be found here: GLA competency framework.
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.
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 a disability confident employer who guarantee an interview to any disabled candidate who meets all of the essential criteria.
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.
In addition to a good salary package, we 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.