Political Officer (Green)

About Southwark

Southwark is a large, ambitious and progressive council with a ‘can do’ attitude and enviable reputation. As a Council, we are successful, passionate and forward thinking. We are committed to ensuring our residents and businesses are central to everything we do. If you want to make a difference at a local level, apply to Southwark Council today.

What You'll Be Doing

In May 2026, residents of Southwark elected the borough’s first-ever Green Group of Councillors on a manifesto focused on making Southwark more affordable and more green. The Green Party in Southwark now leads the council as part of a Joint Administration. Our priorities for the next four years are to make our borough greener, safer and more affordable.

We are now seeking a Political Officer to support the Group in delivering for the residents of the borough. Joining at the start of the borough’s first ever Green administration, you will play a central role in supporting new councillors as they navigate a challenging and fast-moving political landscape. You will help shape and advance a nationally significant policy agenda while ensuring the Group delivers on its commitments. This is a dynamic and varied role. You will contribute to strategic policy development while also responding to emerging issues on a day-to-day basis. Responsibilities will include drafting briefings, speeches and proactive communications, coordinating reactive media responses, and strengthening the Group’s digital and online presence.

What We're Looking For

You are a politically aware, adaptable and highly organised individual, with the ability to think both strategically and on your feet. You are comfortable working in a fast-paced environment where priorities can shift quickly, and you bring a calm, solutions-focused approach under pressure. You understand the importance of discretion and have a strong sense of political judgement. You are an effective communicator, confident engaging with elected members, senior officers and external stakeholders. You are also a strong organiser, capable of managing competing demands and providing tailored support to multiple councillors. Above all, you are motivated by the opportunity to play a key role in helping deliver meaningful change for Southwark residents.

Additional Information

Benefits

In your role, we want you to feel supported, challenged and rewarded. You will benefit from our family-friendly policies including flexible working, home working, and a local government pension scheme, plus many other staff benefits. You will join a motivated, driven and supportive team that strives for excellence and values its members. You will also be part of a successful and high-achieving development team that is making a real difference to the lives of residents in the borough. For more information about the wide variety of benefits you can take advantage of please visit our Staff Benefits page.

Guaranteed Interview Scheme

As part of our commitment to inclusion, we offer guaranteed interviews for specific groups of people. To qualify, you'll need to meet the minimum requirements for the role, and identify with one of the below criteria:

• Members of the Armed Forces and veterans
• Are currently in care, or have previously been in care
• If you consider yourself to be disabled or if you have a long-term health condition
  
  

We are an organisation who is passionate about our people and understands that richness of diversity is a requirement to provide the best possible services to our communities. This is demonstrated through our council-wide ambitious commitment to tackle racial inequality in our communities and workforce through our Southwark Stands Together programme . We particularly welcome applications from members of the Black, Asian and ethnic minority communities to increase representation at senior management level in the Council.

Attachments

• Political Officer (Green) - Job Description & Person Specification.docx