About the job

Job summary

The Social Mobility Commission (SMC) is a non-departmental public body that is sponsored by the Cabinet Office. We are independent of the Government and have a responsibility to monitor the Government's progress on social mobility, to improve and advocate social mobility. 

The Commission has an ambitious work programme and we would like the successful candidate to manage the delivery of our work programme on time. This will involve creating project plans; managing coordination across the team for inputs into monthly management information reports; overseeing the publication process and schedules so that timeframes are strictly adhered to. You will work closely with the whole of the secretariat to support the delivery of the work programme. 

The Commission has a statutory remit to produce a monitoring report on social mobility each year before 31 March. This will be a priority for the Project Manager, to manage and oversee the delivery of the report. The successful candidate will receive a unique insight into the creation of a ‘watchdog’ report created by an arms-length body.

The Secretariat is made up of five teams: Senior Leadership; Evidence and Analysis; Policy, Government & Parliament; Stakeholder Management and External Affairs; and Operations. The Project Manager is part of the Operations Team.  

The Project Manager reports to the Head of Operations. 

The role includes the delivery of the Commission’s goal of improving socioeconomic diversity and inclusion within the UK and the Commission achieving statutory responsibility. 

The role requires strong organisational skills and someone with a demonstrable track record of understanding and experience in matrix management and agile project management. Along with this, the role possesses excellent communication skills both written and oral. Plus the ability to work very tight deadlines and coordinate multiple projects simultaneously.

Job description

As the Project Manager, your role will require you to:

• Project Management – Day-to-day management and input to all programme outputs and project managing the annual Commission’s monitoring report on social mobility, which involves interacting with the whole secretariat and external suppliers. 
• Programme Management - Develop centralised programme and project management processes, practices and templates by using project management software. Responsible for tracking work programme milestones to ensure they are being met timely. Along with making sure all steps of the project lifecycle are completed for all projects from scoping, business cases, implementations and evaluation
• Stakeholder Management – Identify, record and manage key stakeholders and develop effective relationships 
• Contract Management – Oversee contracts which are part of the projects which the role holder oversees and ensure quality of delivery against the requirements in the contract
• Plan on a page Management - Create, maintain and update the plan on a page
• Risks & Issues – Identify and monitor project risks and issues. Develop mitigating actions and escalate as appropriate
• Governance – Provide key monthly management information reports and support effective governance and decision-making.  Along with leading monthly meetings with the Senior Leadership Team on the progress of the work programme
• Configuration management – Set, control and ensure effective configuration and change control is applied to all documentation and records 
• Change Management – Ensure effective Change Management processes are in place covering aspects from document changes to deliverables as agreed with stakeholders 
• Training – Develop and train the secretariat on project and programme management practices, templates and software.

Person specification

The Social Mobility Commission is an open and inclusive team that seeks to reflect the society we live in. We encourage applications from people from all backgrounds. Diversity is a strength, and we seek to work as inclusively as we can to harness it. In our team, your potential matters more than your qualifications.

As the Project Manager at the Social Mobility Commission, we are looking for someone with the following expertise and attributes:  

• Experience and excellent skills in project management and the ability to adapt to a hybrid project management style of waterfall and agile ways of working. 
• Experience working closely with the Senior Leadership and team leads and smooth day-to-day programme execution, which will include the monitoring of milestones deadlines and project budgets and flagging action points.
• Excellent communication and networking skills with the ability to persuade and influence others, establishing positive relationships with a wide range of stakeholders
• Ability to collaborate with a range of roles within the secretariat, including Analysts, Policy, Communications and Operations.  
• Manage multiple priorities at pace and respond flexibly to complex demands.
• Proactive and adaptable with a growth mindset interested in continuous improvement both of the programmes and as a professional.
• Strong management and decision-making skills, being able to oversee high-profile areas of work with little oversight.
• Ability to identify risks and be able to problem solve to find relevant solutions. 
• Understanding of civil service mechanisms, including grade structures, inter-departmental staffing differences, and the role of key stakeholders (i.e. Cabinet Office, the Chief People Officer, social mobility networks, social mobility champions and arm’s length bodies).
• A keen interest in improving social mobility in the UK.

At this level, the candidate is expected to hold one or more of the following qualifications or has a willingness to work towards the qualification in their first 6 months in the role. 

• PRINCE2 Practitioner
• Agile Project Management Practitioner
• APM Project Management Qualification

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, Experience and Technical skills.

Application process

Applicants are required to complete a CV and 750-word personal statement demonstrating their evidence against the responsibilities detailed above. 

Selection process

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.

Interview questions using the behaviour success profiles and technical skills of project delivery. 

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Leadership
• Communicating & Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions 
• Working together

Expected timeline (subject to change)

Expected sift date – w/c  1 January 2024

Expected interview date/s – w/c 15 January 2024 

Interview location - Virtual via Google meet

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 at: cabinetofficerecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
• Complete the ‘assistance required’ section in the ‘personal information’ page of your application form to provide information we should be aware of that will enable us to support you further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at an interview, or if you're deaf, a Language Service Professional.

Further information

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

Please note that this role requires BPSS clearance. 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.

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

Any move to the 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

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

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 /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

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

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.

Existing Civil Servants and applicants from accredited NDPBs are eligible to apply, but will only be considered on loan basis (Civil Servants) or secondment (accredited NDPBs). Prior agreement to be released on a loan basis must be obtained before commencing the application process. In the case of Civil Servants, the terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant. This includes grade on return.

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

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.