Project Manager
Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
About the job
Job summary
In response to the tragedy of the Grenfell Tower fire, the Government established the Building Safety Programme to make sure buildings are safe – and people feel safe – now and in the future.
The Building Remediation Programme sits within the Safer, Greener Buildings portfolio and is one of the government’s major programmes, key to addressing safety concerns on high rise buildings. The Government has made over £5bn of funding available to building owners to enable them to undertake remediation of unsafe cladding on high rise buildings.
The role sits within the Programme Director’s division, reporting to the Programme Manager and will be responsible for delivering project / workstream level activities aligned to the objectives and outcomes of the programme.
In order to be eligible for this role, you must hold a project or programme management qualification at foundation level as a minimum, please confirm you hold at least one of the following qualifications
- PRINCE2 (PRojects IN Controlled Environments) Foundation
- APM Project Fundamentals Qualification
- Managing Successful Programmes Foundation
- Agile Project Management Foundation
We particularly welcome candidates from an ethnic minority background and other underrepresented groups to apply, as we work to continually improve our ability to represent the places and communities we support through our work.
Job description
The project manager will coordinate and drive forward the identification, approval and delivery of continuous improvement activities across the programme.
The role will lead on the reporting and resolution of issues relating to projects or workstreams including: fund eligibility, operational delivery and counter fraud, fund policy and interventions, social sector delivery and protection, communications and engagement, contract management, fund delivery and counter fraud and strategy and change.
The project manager will lead on improvement activities within the programme management team in line with the programme RACI, and support the programme manager in associated tasks. As a senior leader in the directorate, the role will have leadership, management, and corporate contribution objectives as agreed with the programme manager.
The Project Manager role is expected to encompass the following:
• Delivery: Create and lead the project to deliver the agreed outcomes within time, cost and quality constraints.
• Project Management: Day to day management and leadership of the project and the project team. Provide effective leadership and management controls and set project controls. Design the project structure and organisation appropriate to stage. Set appropriate delivery methodologies. Manage effective transition between project phases.
• Project Performance & Controls: Build, develop and maintain project plan and apply appropriate project principles to deliver stated objectives. Identify and set appropriate project controls. Track and report delivery against milestones.
• Budget and Resources: Develop the budget and track delivery within budget and identify skill requirements; and deploy and develop resources.
• Objective realisation: Deliver the agreed project level objectives & outcomes. Ensure appropriate realisation plan is in place and monitor longer term delivery of objectives against the programme business case.
• Change Management: Lead change activity, ensuring effective transition of continuous improvement and or policy / operating model changes into Operations.
• Stakeholder Management: Identify and manage stakeholder relationships and need for senior level support. Manage internal and external relationships as appropriate, including both internal DLUHC and cross government stakeholders and 3rd parties.
• Risk & Issues: Identify and monitor project risks and issues. Develop mitigating actions and escalate as appropriate to the programme team and PMO. Identify and work with related projects to manage interdependencies.
• Dependencies: Identify and manage project level dependencies and escalation to programme level dependency management.
• Governance: Support effective governance and decision making. Provide reporting and engage in mechanisms that hold you, as Project Manager, to account for delivery.
• Change Control: Ensure effective Change Control processes are in place to agree and document changes to deliverables as agreed with stakeholders.
• Business Case: Assist Programme and Business Management teams in creating and maintaining business cases.
• Leadership, Guidance and Support: Provide support, guidance and coaching for the project team. Show commitment to personal development. Promote effective personal and team performance.
Person specification
Essential experience:
• Should be a senior project / programme delivery professional with relevant knowledge and experience of delivering projects and programmes in complex environments. Will have proven project leadership capabilities.
• Extensive experience in driving project delivery in complex and challenging environments.
• Experience delivering projects and programmes for government departments.
• A relevant programme / project management qualification, for example:
• PRINCE2 (PRojects IN Controlled Environments) Foundation
• APM Project Fundamentals Qualification
• Managing Successful Programmes Foundation
• Agile Project Management Foundation
• Leading internal and external project teams and resource directly and indirectly.
Desirable experience:
• Ability to create, develop and maintain MSP plans.
Key Personal Attributes:
• Have the seniority for the responsibilities and accountabilities the role involves.
• Be proactive and visible as the driving force behind projects and the programme.
• Possess strong leadership and decision-making skills.
• Have the experience, character and personality that is right for the programme.
• Combine realism with openness and the clarity of expression to agree and communicate the project objectives and ultimately the programme’s vision and objectives effectively.
• Focus on delivery of the objectives and achievement of the end goal.
• Build productive relationships across the programme team.
• Have credibility with key stakeholders.
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £51,934, Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities contributes £14,022 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, Strengths, Experience and Technical skills.We are for everyone
At DLUHC we value diversity and inclusion and actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including those that are underrepresented in our workforce. We promote equality of opportunity in all aspects of employment and a working environment free from discrimination, harassment, bullying and victimisation.
We are for everyone
DLUHC want to bring in a diverse workforce at all levels.
Our application system is designed to remove as much bias as possible from the recruitment system – this means that a hiring manager does not know your name, your details, see your whole application in one go (or have your CV at review stage unless stated otherwise).
At application stage you will be asked to upload a CV document. Unless stated otherwise in the advert, your CV will not form part of the assessment but will be used for information purposes and only shared with the panel at interview stage.
Your answers are randomised and chunked up. This means that each assessor views sets of responses to questions for example all candidates’ responses to ‘Seeing the Big Picture’ rather than seeing a candidate’s full application. The science behind this is that recruitment can be subject to ordering and fatigue effects and we want to reduce this as much as possible.
Most of our campaigns utilise multiple assessors and so it is possible that each of your answers would be viewed by different assessors.
When writing your application, remember:
- The assessor won’t be reading your answers sequentially.
- Do not assume that the same assessors will have read all of your answers.
- If talking about something in your first answer, make sure that you write the second answer as if you had not written the first (and so on!)
At sift, we will be assessing
Technical (Lead Criteria): Drawing on your own experience in project management, what do you think are the fundamental components to consider when planning a project?
Behaviour: Changing and Improving
Behaviour: Making Effective Decisions
Experience: Tell us about a time when have you had to work with teams from different professions with competing priorities to drive delivery and completion of key project outcomes? How did you achieve this?
There is a 250 word limit per question.
In the event that we receive a large number of applications, we may conduct an initial sift using the lead criteria listed in the advert. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progress straight to assessment/interview
The interview will be of a blended nature consisting of the following success profiles elements:
Behaviours: Changing and Improving, Leadership
Experience
Technical
Strengths
The strength based questions will require natural responses from the candidates.
In the full campaign we will test the below Success Profile Elements:
Behaviours: Changing and Improving, Making Effective Decisions, Leadership
Experience: Yes
Technical: Yes
Strengths: Yes
We do not consider direct CV applications to our Recruitment mailbox – you must apply for this role via the application link on Civil Service Jobs
Please note that near miss offers may be made at the lower grade to candidates who do not meet the grade criteria for this campaign.
Grade 7 salary
- The salary for this role is £57,091 (London) or £51,934 (National).
- For existing civil servants, the usual policy on level transfer and promotion will apply and is non-negotiable. If you apply for a role that requires a transfer of location, for example if you are transferring from London to a National location, your salary will be adjusted in accordance with our policy on transfer between HQ pay ranges.
Please note that the average employer pension contribution is based upon the National minimum salary for this role. Should your agreed starting salary for this role be different, the average employer pension contribution will be calculated accordingly. If you are a Secondee, this will not apply as you will remain on your home organisation’s terms and conditions.
BENEFITS:
Transfers across the Civil Service on or after 4 October 2018:
Any move to DLUHC 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
For further information about the benefits available to DLUHC employees, please see the attached Candidate Pack.
GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION:
- Wolverhampton
- Darlington*
- London
- Manchester
There may be opportunities for candidates to work flexibly depending on the business needs. This will be discussed with the vacancy manager on a case-by-case basis if you are successful for the role.
*Please note: The Darlington Economic Campus (DEC) is a pioneering new cross-government hub which will bring together people across departments and public organisations to play an active role in the most important economic issues of the day. The work of the Campus will make a real difference to people both across the UK and internationally. There will be substantial career opportunities and exciting prospects - a career at the Campus means you will be working at the heart of Government, with access to the benefits and fantastic opportunities offered by the civil service.
For further information on the DEC, please take a look at the attached DEC candidate pack.
SIFT AND INTERVIEW DATES:
Sifting is envisaged to take place W/C 8th January 2024 with interview dates to be confirmed. All interviews are currently being held remotely via videocall.
Reserve List
In the event that we identify more appointable candidates than we currently have posts available, we will hold applicant details n a reserve list for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made. This may include roles at a lower grade. Candidates placed on a reserve list will be informed of this. Those candidates who do not wish to remain on the reserve list should contact recruitment@levellingup.gov.uk to be removed from the reserve list.
CTC (Counter-terrorism Clearance):
Important note
Successful candidates for roles based in our 2 Marsham Street building must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is counter-terrorist check and the process can take up to 8 weeks to complete.
Please note that successful candidates will need to pass the CTC security checks – this requires you to have been resident in the UK for the past 3 years. Please refer to the DLUHC Notes on Security Clearance section of our Candidate Pack for further information on Counter Terrorism Clearance (CTC). Thank you.
Candidates should also note that with effect from 1st August 2018 the department will also check all applicants who are successful at interview, against the Internal Fraud Database (IFD) held by the Cabinet Office. In accordance with the Civil Service Internal Fraud Policy, any applicant who is included on the IFD will be refused employment by DLUHC. Please see the Candidate Pack for further information on the Internal Fraud Database.
Candidate Pack Information
Please see attached Candidate pack for further information.
Before starting your application it’s very important to make sure that you are eligible to apply and meet the Civil Service nationality requirements. All candidates are expected to read the information provided in the DLUHC candidate pack regarding nationality requirements and rules
Internal Fraud Database
The Internal Fraud function of the Fraud, Error, Debt and Grants Function at the Cabinet Office processes details of civil servants who have been dismissed for committing internal fraud, or who would have been dismissed had they not resigned. The Cabinet Office receives the details from participating government organisations of civil servants who have been dismissed, or who would have been dismissed had they not resigned, for internal fraud. In instances such as this, civil servants are then banned for 5 years from further employment in the civil service. The Cabinet Office then processes this data and discloses a limited dataset back to DLUHC as a participating government organisations. DLUHC then carry out the pre employment checks so as to detect instances where known fraudsters are attempting to reapply for roles in the civil service. In this way, the policy is ensured and the repetition of internal fraud is prevented.
For more information please see- Internal Fraud Register
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
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.