Research and Support Officer - The Guardian : Job Details

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 role

The GLA is looking to recruit a Research and Support Officer to support Alex Wilson – who represents the Reform Party - in fulfilling his role as an elected Member of the London Assembly. 

You would be part of a small team of two people in total which supports Alex.

We are looking for someone who: relishes working across a range of topic areas which affect Londoners, from policing to the economy and housing; can provide high-quality and research and policy briefings; can manage a range of correspondence, including casework support; can take primary responsibility for the co-ordination of the Assembly Member’s work for Assembly meetings (such as the submission of questions for Mayor’s Question Time), in liaison with other colleagues as appropriate; can act as the first point of contact for the Assembly Member 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.

You must be comfortable working in a fast-paced environment and taking a proactive approach to your work.  

What your day will look like:

• Drafting policy or research briefings.
• Drafting questions for Mayor’s Question Time meetings, having researched the relevant topic and related Mayoral responses.
• Managing correspondence.  
• Acting as the first key point of contact for Alex Wilson AM both within the Greater London Authority and for constituents.

  Skills, knowledge and experience

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

• Demonstrable research skills, to enable quick and effective grasp of information from a range of sources on a wide range of policy topics, and proven experience of policy briefing in a political / public sector organisation.
• 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.
• 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.
• The ability to build rapport and effective professional relationships with a diverse range of people, sharing knowledge and skills to deliver shared goals.