Senior Press Officer

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. The Communications Team support service to promote the work of the Assembly through press office, social media, publicity and events.

The London Assembly Labour Group support the work of the 11 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 Press Office, working with our Group Manager and the Leader of the Labour Group to lead our media work. Task managing our Communications Officer and Digital Communications Officer, you’ll be in charge of media engagement to promote the work of the Assembly Members. That means strategising to consider our key messages, planning story ideas and overseeing the production of traditional and social media content.

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 is a combination of proactive work to generate exciting media stories and reactive work to respond to breaking news stories. Your day might look something like:

• Leading a short catch-up meeting at the start of the day with the Communications Officer and Digital Communications Officer to go through the press grid and plan stories for the day ahead
• Meeting with Assembly Members to discuss their upcoming press ideas and developing plans to deliver them
• Editing local newspaper articles to ensure they are fit for purpose
• Talking to journalists to pitch upcoming story ideas and responding to requests for interviews/quotes.

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.

• Knowledge and understanding of media handling techniques, including strategies, including designing and delivering an effective communications plan for an elected politician.

• Ability to utilise the latest information and communication technologies in relation to media issues, including designing or commissioning leaflets, newsletters and other documents.

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 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

If you wish to talk to someone about the role, the hiring manager Karl Hyndman would be happy to speak to you. Please contact them at karl.hyndman@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/assessment.

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.

Find out which DBS check is right for your employee - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

More Support

If you have a disability which makes submitting an online application form difficult, please contact resourcingteam@london.gov.uk.