Project Sponsor (Highways) - Working for Essex

About the role

Project Sponsor (Highways)

Permanent, Full Time

Up to £47,287 per annum - pay award pending

Location: Chelmsford

Closing Date: 28th March 2023

The Role

Essex County Council (ECC) is one of the largest and most dynamic local authorities in the UK, serving a population of 2 million residents, and has a very successful track record of delivering transformational change. ECC anticipated change was needed in the public sector and has worked to deliver better quality at lower cost. We have an ambitious transformation agenda – one with the scope to reach every part of the council. We are changing the way we think, the way we work, and the ways in which we deliver our services. We are committed to becoming a place where individuals, partners and communities feel proud to play their role and genuinely want to belong. We’re immensely proud of our flexible working options.

Job Purpose

The Infrastructure Delivery team will develop and deliver the capital programme for Essex County Council. The team will focus on developing opportunities for capital investment in order to secure financial returns to support the Council’s strategic priorities.

Responsible for the overall strategy, direction, co-ordination, implementation, execution, control and completion of specific projects within budget and to strict deadlines; whilst ensuring consistency with business strategy, commitments and goals.

With professional accreditation or a deep understanding of project management methodologies and the ability to demonstrate this in the delivery of projects/programmes. This role will also have experience of developing and maintaining project plans, setting key milestones and deploying and managing resources to meet these.

Accountabilities

Responsible for contributing to the development of strategies and plans to effectively manage stakeholder expectations.
Ensuring successful delivery of quality project outcomes within agreed constraints, in support of function Business Plans.
Work in collaboration with senior leaders and stakeholders to define and agree project scope, critical success factors and deliverables in support of wider strategic goals.
Develop and deliver the project control documentation and agree reporting requirements with the client. Ensuring currency and compliance of project documentation, in line with agreed guidelines, to enable audits to be carried out.
Develop strategies to manage progress of the project plan, identifying risks, changes in scope and potential issues. Devise contingency plans to mitigate risks and escalate as necessary.
Deliver progress reports to the Portfolio Manager and/or Business Owner and Project Board, advising if project tolerances are being exceeded, informing and shaping decisions, presenting options and challenges as required.
Manage and monitor progress of the project budget, identifying opportunities for efficiency savings and value for money benefits, producing accurate forecasts and reports.
Work collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders to deliver work streams and projects to agreed quality criteria and parameters. Quality assuring standards and challenging as required.
Contributes to the revision/updating of project governance and management processes to reflect industry best practice and adhere to the Council’s policies. Gains an understanding of new and emerging methodologies, associated tools and techniques.
Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework.

The Experience You Will Bring

Educated to degree level in a relevant subject or professional qualification, or equivalent by experience.
Evidence of continuing professional development and expert knowledge in relevant professional area.
Professional accreditation or deep understanding of project management methodologies e.g. Prince 2, or demonstration through experience.
Demonstrates theoretical knowledge and understanding of the technical, behavioural and contextual elements of project management and an ability to evaluate value to projects/programmes.
Good understanding of Change Management theories and experience of practical application.
Experience of developing and maintaining an agreed project plan, including key milestones with evidence of planning and managing the deployment of resources to meet project milestones.
Ability to build strong relationships and partnerships which encourage collaboration and engender delivery.
An appreciation of NEC ECC contracts
Experience of delivering organisational change in a complex environment.

To read more about us please visit: Economy, Investment and Public Health

Please note that the job role requires you to be mobile throughout an operational area. Therefore, the post holder will need to have a driving licence and access to a vehicle, or the ability to meet the mobility requirements of the role through other means.

Why Essex?

Essex County Council has a location to be proud of. Our 1,300 square miles stretch from Constable Country to the Thames Estuary, from the dynamic M11 corridor to the traditional seaside resorts of Clacton and Walton. England’s oldest town, Colchester, and two of its newest – Basildon and Harlow – are right here. Along with the City of Chelmsford, the county town, they form our major population centres. It means real choice and makes Essex the ideal place for your career. Read more about us here.

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.

What you should do next

If you are interested in finding out more about this role, we would love to hear from you. Please apply via the Working for Essex website.

As part of employment with Essex County Council (ECC) should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate. This is an annual subscription, and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained. For further information on the DBS update service please go to https://www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

If you would like to be kept up to date on other relevant opportunities, blogs, news, events and industry related news at Essex County Council, please join The Essex Talent Community here .

If you have queries on this role or require anything further, please email resourcing.team@essex.gov.uk

Downloads

Pay and Reward | Our Ways of Working | About Us | Organisation Behaviours