Licencing Officer x 4 – Greater London Authority

Team: Strategic Licensing and 24 Hour London

Directorate: Good Growth

Location: Hybrid/Union Street

Good Growth is responsible for delivering and implementing the Mayor’s environment, transport and economic strategies and for the effective implementation of the London Plan. The Directorate is also responsible for regeneration, enterprise, growth, capital projects and design work.

About the team

London is a city recognised as the global capital for arts and culture. Our theatres, music venues, museums and galleries are renowned across the world. Our creative industries are vital to London’s success, and the recording studios, rehearsal spaces, artists’ workspaces, grassroots music, and LGBTQ+ venues all contribute to this success. The Culture, Creative Industries and 24-Hour London portfolio at the Greater London Authority focuses on supporting London’s cultural and creative economy, strengthening cultural infrastructure, and ensuring the city functions as a global, inclusive 24‑hour city. This includes overseeing major projects such as Creative Enterprise Zones, London Borough of Culture, the Fourth Plinth commission, and initiatives that support the night-time economy.

Alongside programme delivery, the team is preparing for devolved powers of licensing to the Mayor—working with boroughs, the police, industry and communities to ensure that licensing and regulatory frameworks support vibrancy, safety and economic growth while balancing local impacts.

About the role

This is an exciting opportunity to join the Culture, Creative Industries and 24 Hour London (CCI24) Unit delivering the Mayor’s and the Strategic Licensing policy. You’ll be at the heart of a fast-paced, cross-organisational effort to design and implement new licensing powers—with the ambition to launch by Summer 2026.

This is a unique opportunity to:

• Support and shape a new policy and regulatory function within the GLA
• Drive innovation in how licensing supports London’s economic and cultural vibrancy
• Work with senior stakeholders across government, industry, and the city
• Make a visible impact on how London works, plays, and grows

As one of four Responsible Authority Officers, you will lead on complex and high-risk licensing cases, providing expert input and supporting consistent delivery of the Responsible Authority function across London boroughs. Each Responsible Authority Officer will deliver day-to-day casework, including assessment, drafting representations and supporting consistent delivery service.

What your day will look like

• Work with colleagues across teams and boroughs to review and manage casework through the tracking system, ensuring all information is accurate and up to date.
• Support triage and prioritisation processes, helping to assess incoming casework and ensure urgent matters are progressed promptly.
• Monitor deadlines, milestones and performance metrics, following up with relevant stakeholders to keep work on track and highlighting any risks or delays.
• Coordinate communication across teams, responding to queries and providing clear, timely updates to internal stakeholders.
• Support reporting and evaluation activity by gathering data, maintaining trackers and contributing to performance reports.
• Maintain and improve templates, documentation and administrative systems to ensure consistency and efficiency across the service.
• Work flexibly across competing priorities, adjusting plans in response to changing demands and deadlines.
• Build effective working relationships with colleagues and stakeholders, ensuring information is shared clearly and appropriately.
• Attend team meetings and contribute updates on casework progress, risks and priorities.
• Ensure all casework and information is handled sensitively, maintaining confidentiality and adhering to organisational policies.
• Take a proactive approach to planning and organising workload, ensuring tasks are completed to a high standard and within agreed timescales.
• Support continuous improvement by identifying opportunities to streamline processes and enhance ways of working.

Skills, knowledge and experience

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

• A relevant professional qualification in licensing or regulatory services e.g. Institute of Licensing’s Licensing Practitioners Qualification, CIEH Award or equivalent (desirable)
• Demonstrable experience of working within a licensing, regulatory, enforcement or public protection environment in a local authority or comparable public sector setting
• Sound working knowledge of the Licensing Act 2003, including the four licensing objectives, the application process, the review procedure and the role of responsible authorities
• Experience of processing licence applications and/or regulatory casework, including drafting formal correspondence, reports and recommendations
• Ability to organise and prioritise a varied workload, managing competing deadlines and ensuring casework is progressed effectively.
• Experience of using casework, tracking or workflow systems to maintain accurate records and monitor progress.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to work collaboratively and share information clearly with a range of stakeholders.
• Ability to work flexibly and remain effective under pressure, adapting to changing priorities and demands.
• Strong attention to detail, ensuring accuracy in data, reporting and documentation.
• Awareness of handling sensitive information appropriately, maintaining confidentiality within a professional environment.

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.

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.

… 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.

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.

Level 2 indicators of effective performance:

• 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 well-being, supporting them to cope with pressure and change.

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

This role is based at London Fire Brigade’s Head Office (Union Street SE1 0LL).

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 is to be confirmed.

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.

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.

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.

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.