Job Title : Senior Strategic Project Lead – Place Partnerships Department : Strategy
Flexible working with a dedicated office space in Winsford, Cheshire
Fixed-term contract for 12months
We will connect sport, physical activity, and movement opportunities across Cheshire & Warrington to provide fairer and greater access for all, whilst tackling health inequalities. As a funded Sport England System Partner, we will lead the physical activity system across Cheshire & Warrington.
In line with the Sport England Uniting The Movement strategy and Active Cheshire’s own strategy, we know that great things happen in local communities when people from that community are at the heart of their development. Building strong ‘place-based’ partnerships around shared purpose and utilising place learning to drive strategic decisions will enable long-term, sustainable change.
Together, we are building a strong strategic group to shape and drive place-based change, with a focus on how the system works, not just what it delivers. Someone to galvanise partners, to enable change, to be focused on the long-term vision with a flexible approach to getting there.
With a focus on enablers of change through asset based community development principles, we’re looking to lay the foundation on which place expansion can anchor and grow. This isn’t a project; It will be to unlock the route to further investment based upon the voices of our communities. Our communities will tell us how collectively we can succeed in reducing inactivity, increasing activity, creating positive experiences for young people and tackling inequality.
Governance and leadership – to ensure sound governance and leadership exists with Sponsors for each place area appointed and governance structure embedded to mitigate risk and maximise impact
· Understanding that each place will be different, solidify a Theory of Change for each place based on community needs.
· Knowledge consolidation – Utilise and develop networks where insights from existing work will be integrated, reducing duplication and enhancing efficiency in future phases.
· Readiness for implementation – ensure a solid foundation in place so that the transition to the next phase will be well-structured, ensuring momentum is maintained, leading the development of the ‘full-award’ application.
Externally, Sport England and the wider Active Partnership network, place Sponsors, strategic and community partners. All of which will be an integral network on which successful relationships will define the success or failure of place based working.
The ability to create a network that doesn’t position any one single partner at its centre is key. The network will be a mesh of aligned, equal, and motivated organisations, each playing its part in developing a more active Cheshire and Warrington.
Our identified localities in Crewe, Ellesmere Port and Warrington Central will have embedded leaders aligned to our mission, partner networks who collaborate and learn freely with each other to share good practice and reduce/remove duplication.
Relationship building (at a local, sub-regional and national level)
· Networking (ensuring new organisation are knowledgeable and involved)
· Training (organising and delivering leadership training)
· Can show strength and expertise in best practice ways (to share and connect learning and to support continuous improvement)
· Digital technology (proficiency with MS Office and other software).
· Ability to travel and work evenings and/or weekends.
Ability to bridge gaps between community partners and the the local strategic landscape, with a focus on co-creation and co-design
· Managing strategic relationships and influencing at a strategic level – including utilising learning at a place level to influence strategy, policy and strategic investment
· Connecting local strategies and creating shared purpose/alignment of priorities
· Strategic planning, implementation, and delivery
· Project management, including projects involving multiple partners
· Knowledge of monitoring and evaluation principles in physical activity settings
· Sharing local learning on a regional and national level, adding to connectivity of learning and further demonstrating value of the sport and physical activity sector
· Understanding of how issues affect equity and inequalities in physical activity
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