Project Manager - Local Government Reorganisation
Essex County Council (ECC)
Temporary, Full Time
£(Apply online only) per day, Umbrella (Outside IR35) dependent on experience
Location: Chelmsford
We’re looking for a Project Manager with master planning expertise and advanced MS Project skills to:
* Design and maintain complex, integrated programme plans
* Manage critical risks and navigate senior stakeholder relationships with confidence
* Build agile reporting frameworks and governance structures
* Provide clear, actionable insights for executive decision-making
Essential skills:
* Proven experience in large-scale programme planning and reporting
* Expertise in Microsoft Project and advanced planning tools
* Strong risk management and senior stakeholder engagement capabilities
* Ability to design governance and agile reporting frameworks for complex change
If you thrive on complexity, precision, and influence at the highest level, this is your chance to make history.
The Opportunity
This role is accountable for managing projects which make a contribution to the delivery of ECC’s strategic aims. The Project Manager is responsible for driving and overseeing the delivery of projects to ensure project objectives are clearly defined and can be delivered within the agreed timelines.
As an exemplary and experienced manager familiar with working in a complex project environment this role is key in ensuring a robust project infrastructure is in place underpinned by governance and assurance processes. Influencing and working with senior stakeholders to ensure agreed project outputs are delivered to enable benefits to be realised.
Accountabilities
* Responsible for managing a project, which contributes to ECC’s strategic aims, to deliver agreed outcomes within time and cost constraints.
* Responsible for undertaking day to day management of both the project and the project team
* Responsible for ensuring a robust business case has been agreed ensuring expertise and specialist knowledge has contributed to the development of the business case in order to align project deliverables to the organisation’s expectations.
* Responsible for developing and monitoring the project progress to ensure this stays within the agreed budget. Set out resource requirements in order to be prioritised by the Portfolio/Programme Manager.
* Responsible for managing, leading and motivating a team and ensuring current capability is matched against project requirements. This incorporates support and coaching for individuals and the team, as appropriate, in order to develop a high performing team.
* Responsible for ensuring agreement with customers of quantified benefits to be realised & metrics required to monitor impact. Designing and actively managing the project plan to ensure the outcomes are achieved.
* Responsible for highlighting project risks and issues and ways in which these can be mitigated and escalated as appropriate.
* Responsible for ensuring effective Change Management processes are in place and changes to deliverables as agreed with stakeholders are documented.
* Responsible for ensuring an effective governance and assurance framework is in place to support decision making and ensure regular reporting on progress through pro-active engagement with project sponsors. Work collaboratively with and manage internal stakeholder relationships together with external partners.
* Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework.
The Experience You Will Bring
* Educated to degree level or equivalent by extensive experience
* Evidence of continuing professional development and expert knowledge in relevant professional area, such as, AMP practitioner or Prince 2.
* Evidence of having successfully completed several projects and experienced contributing to a range of other projects and/or programmes.
* Experience of working with a diverse range of individuals at different levels within a complex organisation and engaging with them, finding ways to overcome obstacles.
* Experience of working within a political environment with knowledge of a public sector setting and involvement in a large, complex environment
* Good management skills in leading and managing a team and evidence of developing others
Please note that this advert may close earlier than advertised should sufficient suitable applications be received