About the job

Job summary

Based at the heart of national security, UK Security Vetting has an opportunity for a PMO Assurance Manager to play a pivotal role, driving and overseeing project delivery during a phase of business prioritisation and modernisation. You will be responsible for ensuring that project objectives are clearly defined and met within agreed time, cost and quality parameters, while also ensuring the realisation of anticipated benefits. Additionally, you will lead project assurance, ensuring that all projects adhere to best practices and standards, providing oversight to mitigate risks, and optimising project outcomes. This will form part of the Government Major Projects Portfolio reporting, risks and issues and benefits management using best practice programme management methodologies.

Job description

As a PMO Assurance Manager, your key duties will include:

Assurance

• Ensuring appropriate governance is in place and facilitates external reviews, for example, Gateway Reviews at appropriate points in the Programme life-cycle.
• Maintaining robust quality assurance processes to uphold project standards and compliance with regulatory requirements.
• Collaborating with project teams to identify and assess and manage project risks throughout the project life-cycle.
• Monitoring and evaluating project performance against predefined metrics and KPIs to ensure successful project delivery, value for money and lessons learned.
• Facilitating regular project reviews to assess progress, identify potential issues, and drive continuous improvement.
• Establish and operate project controls on behalf of the project manager, reporting on project progress and status to appropriate bodies.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Working and engaging with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders, managing expectations and conflicting demands.
• Coordinate project closure to distil good practice and ensure lessons learned are logged.
• Leading and task managing a small team of HEO Support.

Person specification

As the PMO Assurance Manager within UK Security Vetting, we are looking for people who have the following expertise and attributes:

• Strong leadership and team management skills, maintaining the overall direction in order to effectively manage change.
• Excellent interpersonal skills in group and one-to-one situations with strong negotiating, influencing and persuasion abilities.
• Ability to establish and maintain strong relationships and confidence in managing resistance and conflict.
• Analytical and critical thinking, with a focus on problem solving.
• Organised with a natural inclination for planning strategy and tactics.
• Commitment to upholding high standards of quality and compliance.
• Experience of working in a PMO or Project environment.
• Have a proven track record of excellent and persuasive interpersonal skills and working with a breadth of stakeholders, including senior and external stakeholders.
• Working knowledge of governance, assurance, requirements management and change control in a project or programme environment.
• Ability to work with data, quantitative and qualitative project information.
• Meticulous attention to detail and a commitment to driving best practice.

Additional information:

A minimum 60% of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace. Although requirements to attend other locations for official business will also count towards this level of attendance.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £40,850, Cabinet Office contributes £11,029 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

Application process

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV, 750 word personal statement as well as two 250 word behaviour statements. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the personal statement. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview. 

Selection process

During the blended interview you will be assessed against your experience and all three of the behaviours that are contained within this advert. 

Expected timeline (subject to change)

Expected sift date – w/c 18/03/2024
Expected interview date/s – w/c 08/04/2024
Interview location - Google Meets Video Conferencing

Further information

Please note terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Any move to Cabinet Office from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

Please note that this role requires SC clearance, which would normally need 5 years’ UK residency in the past 5 years. This is not an absolute requirement, but supplementary checks may be needed where individuals have not lived in the UK for that period. This may mean your security clearance (and therefore your appointment) will take longer or, in some cases, not be possible.

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service or Disclosure Scotland on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading. 

For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment. 

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

Reasonable adjustments

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes. 

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should: 

• Contact Government Recruitment Service via cabinetofficerecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs. 
• Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section in the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'contact point for applicants' section.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

Open to UK nationals only.

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.