Project Manager - Local Government Reorganisation
Essex County Council (ECC)
Temporary, Full Time
Up to £500 per day, Umbrella (Outside IR35) - dependent on experience
Location: Chelmsford
Closing Date: 7th January 2026
Please note that this is a temporary opportunity until the end of March 2026 with possibility of extension.
Join Essex’s Local Government Reorganisation Programme!
We’re looking for a Project Manager with master planning expertise and advanced MS Project skills to:
1. Design and maintain complex, integrated programme plans
2. Manage critical risks and navigate senior stakeholder relationships with confidence
3. Build agile reporting frameworks and governance structures
4. Provide clear, actionable insights for executive decision-making
Essential skills:
5. Proven experience in large-scale programme planning and reporting
6. Expertise in Microsoft Project and advanced planning tools
7. Strong risk management and senior stakeholder engagement capabilities
8. 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
9. Responsible for managing a project, which contributes to ECC’s strategic aims, to deliver agreed outcomes within time and cost constraints.
10. Responsible for undertaking day to day management of both the project and the project team
11. 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.
12. 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.
13. 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.
14. 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.
15. Responsible for highlighting project risks and issues and ways in which these can be mitigated and escalated as appropriate.
16. Responsible for ensuring effective Change Management processes are in place and changes to deliverables as agreed with stakeholders are documented.
17. 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.
18. Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework.
The Experience You Will Bring
19. Educated to degree level or equivalent by extensive experience
20. Evidence of continuing professional development and expert knowledge in relevant professional area, such as, AMP practitioner or Prince 2.
21. Evidence of having successfully completed several projects and experienced contributing to a range of other projects and/or programmes.
22. 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.
23. Experience of working within a political environment with knowledge of a public sector setting and involvement in a large, complex environment
24. Good management skills in leading and managing a team and evidence of developing others
Confidentiality of information must be maintained at all times during and after your employment. This means that you must not divulge information of a confidential, sensitive or commercial nature gained during the course of your employment for any purpose. The full confidentiality clause is contained within your contract of employment.
In February 2025, Greater Essex was accepted onto the Government’s devolution priority programme, which will see local authorities in Essex work towards establishing a Mayoral Combined County Authority by May 2026. You can read more about on our careers site
Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We’re committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process. We’re also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.
Once you’ve secured your role within Essex County Council you will receive many great employee benefits, including support for unpaid carers and flexible working arrangements to accommodate their needs.
At Essex County Council, we value integrity and ethical behaviour. We kindly ask that you embrace our code of conduct and the, including throughout the recruitment process. Your commitment to these standards helps us maintain a positive and respectful workplace for everyone.
Please note that Essex County Council has determined that the off-payroll working rules will not apply to this assignment.