Project Manager - Transformation Programme

Job summary

• Job title: Project Manager - Transformation Programme
• Organisation: Unitary Authority
• Contract type: Permanent or 24-month FTC (up to you)
• Employment type: Full-time
• Working hours: 37
• Salary: £51,800 - £57,100 (depending on experience)
• Working Environment: Hybrid, average 2 days per week in office
• Location: South Essex, England
• Annual leave: 25 days up to 32 days - based on length of service
• Pension: Local Government Pension Scheme - one of the most generous pension schemes in the UK
• Additional benefits include wellbeing support, learning and development, and a range of salary sacrifice schemes.

Your new role

• Lead critical projects supporting the council's transformation agenda, working with multidisciplinary teams to improve a range of services for residents and visitors.
• Deliver solutions, lead complex projects, manage stakeholders, and ensure clear governance through effective communication and project management tools.
• Drive high performance, manage risks, and maintain project control in a matrix environment.

What you'll need to succeed

• Deliver projects from start to finish, ensuring solutions meet time, quality, and budget constraints.
• Manage stakeholders and build strong relationships with key stakeholders and project board members.
• Maintain control of project delivery, using standards and tools for clear governance.
• Handle multiple projects across various service areas.
• Coordinate internal and third-party resources for successful project delivery.
• Identify and manage project risks with appropriate controls and escalation.
• Produce high-quality project documentation and communications.
• Develop and track detailed project plans.
• Lead all project stages and development plans.
• Monitor progress and take corrective action as needed.
• Organise and run project meetings.
• Provide regular project updates and reports.
• Manage project budgets.
• Ensure dependencies on other projects are identified and managed.
• Facilitate smooth transition of projects to business as usual, including documentation handover.
• Align projects with corporate strategic aims and priorities, delivering benefits and identifying impacts.
• Provide quality assurance, project health checks, and performance monitoring.
• Work autonomously, re-prioritizing and escalating tasks as necessary.
• Mentor less experienced staff.
• Collaborate with all council departments.

What you'll get in return

• Proven experience managing the end-to-end delivery of complex non-technical service design or operational/business change projects in a public sector organisation to a variety of customers, leading complex, high-profile, time-dependent projects to successful delivery.
• Experience working in a local authority or the wider public sector (NHS, health, blue light services) will strengthen your application.
• Excellent knowledge of project management tools and techniques, including stakeholder management, planning and dependency management, issue and risk management, and budget and resource management.
• Ability to manage resources in a matrix environment, coordinate and motivate others, which is essential to the success of this role.
• Experience in transformation/ change management and business/operational readiness.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Competence in financial management.
• Excellent MS Project skills and the ability to create robust project schedules with a traceable critical path

What you need to do nowIf you're interested in this role, click 'apply now' to forward an up-to-date copy of your CV.

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