Project Leader

Job Title: Project Leader

Salary: PO4 £47,665 - £50,908

Hours: 37 hours

Contract: Fixed Term for 12 months

Location: Merrion House, Leeds

An exciting opportunity has arisen within the Commissioning and Governance Service, Children and Families Directorate, for a Project Leader (PO4) on a 12 month fixed term contract, with the potential for extension.

You’ll will be part of our Ofsted ‘Outstanding’ rated Children and Families service and employed by Leeds City Council where we have a culture of excellence and are continually striving to drive up standards.

Unlike a traditional commissioning role, this position sits within the Commissioning and Governance Service and focuses on transformational, practice-led commissioning. The role is centred on improving outcomes for children and young people, securing value for money, and delivering sustainable cost improvements through innovation, collaboration and responsive commissioning in a dynamic market environment.

Leeds City Council is one of the largest employers in the region with over 14,000 employees. We seek to recruit and develop talented individuals who embody our council valuesand ambitions.

About you

You will bring to the role:

• Excellent leadership qualities and experience
• Experience in commissioning and/or project management and/or front line working with children and families with transferable skills.
• Flexibility to lead on all aspects of commissioning, contract management and quality assurance across the Children and Families Directorate.
• A passion for learning with the ability to challenge and drive change.
• A restorative mind-set, focussed on improving outcomes for children and young people.

About the role

This is an exciting opportunity to join the Children and Families Commissioning & Governance Service. This specific role sits within the central team of the White Rose Partnership. The partnership works in a consortium with 15 Local Authorities and Providers across the Yorkshire and Humber Region to commission high quality services which provide positive outcomes for children and young people through our 3 EMP’s:

• Independent Fostering (IFA)
• Independent Children’s Homes and Independent Schools (Residential)
• Colleges for Children and Young People with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)

The role is critical to the development of a regional collaborative approach to ensure that we meet the vision and 5 priorities of the Partnership:

• Partnership - To work in partnership with Local Authorities, Partners, Providers and Children and Young People to commission the best possible services.
• Sufficiency - To develop regional sufficiency to meet local need.
• Cost - To improve value for money though regional frameworks, market shaping and regional working.
• Quality - To improve quality assurance mechanisms and approaches across the region.
• Innovation - To identify and encourage opportunities for innovation and to work with all partners to drive service improvement

Regardless of your previous experience all successful candidates will be required to undertake continuous professional development. You will gain or strengthen best practice knowledge of various aspects of children’s service delivery, technical commissioning skills including commercial acumen and value for money techniques. As a core service in Children and Families, you will be integral to decision taking.

This is a senior role within the Commissioning & Governance Service. We are keen to recruit the right person that has the ingredients to develop into an exceptional commissioner. There will be a full induction to develop the person who can demonstrate the right knowledge and aptitude.

Regardless of your previous experience the successful candidate will be required to undertake continuous professional development. You will gain or strengthen best practice knowledge of various aspects of children’s service delivery, technical commissioning skills including commercial acumen and value for money techniques. As a core service in Children and Families, you will be integral to decision taking.

What we offer you

We take pride in offering the best employee experience, with benefits including:

• a competitive salary and annual leave entitlement plus statutory holidays
• membership of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund with generous employer contributions
• flexible and hybrid working arrangements subject to service requirements
• a clear career pathway and continuing professional development opportunities
• a range of staff benefits to help you boost your wellbeing and make your money go further

How to apply

For an informal discussion regarding this post, please contact Michelle Smith or Felicity Nichols on WhiteRoseRegionalCommissioning@leeds.gov.uk

Please complete the online application form.

Please upload your CV and complete a personal statement of no more than 500 words.

Read our guidance for further advice on completing your application.

A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check against the Children’s or Adults’ barred list as applicable will be carried out on preferred candidates. Read our recruitment of ex-offenders policy.

We welcome applications from everyone and actively seek a diverse range of applicants from all backgrounds and cultures. We particularly encourage applications from, but not limited to, women, carers, veterans as well as LGBT+, ethnically diverse, disabled and care experienced people.
This role is based in the UK. Home Office guidance states that candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK prior to commencing employment, either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa.

If you do not have the right to work in the UK, you must consider your own eligibility for sponsorship for a particular role through the Skilled Worker visaroute before applying. To be eligible for sponsorship you'll usually need to be paid the standard salary rate of at least £41,700 per year or meet one of the other eligibility criteria. Please ensure you are eligible before applying.

Job Description

Job purpose

• To undertake, lead and contribute to the successful delivery of major transformational projects and programmes, in response to the local and national transformation agendas for Children’s Social Care services.
• To deliver major service improvements with our partners across the Yorkshire and Humber Region.
• To ensure that project objectives are delivered on time, within budget and to expected levels of quality.
• To engage with partners and other stakeholders to gain agreement and commitment to delivering change, co-operation and resources to successfully deliver service improvements.

Responsibilities

• To manage and contribute to projects within the transformation programmes, using appropriate project management methodologies. This will include project initiation, scoping, planning, implementation and review.
• To undertake and contribute to organisational and service process reviews.
• To contribute to the delivery of change through analysing current practice and recommending improvements.
• To manage competing priorities, ensuring consistency of approach with a key focus on delivery and quality.
• To prepare briefings, reports, policy documents, publicity and other materials, and to deliver these in ways that meet the needs of different audiences.
• To lead, contribute to and support meetings, including working groups, as required, including agenda planning and preparation, attendance at meetings and minuting where appropriate/required.
• To manage and support effective communication, completing appropriate documentation as required.
• To undertake line management of project and administrative officers as required.
• To work in partnership, and build good working relationships, with other Council departments and external bodies as required.
• To keep abreast of developments, internal and external, which have implications for Children’s Social Care services, the Council as a whole and the White Rose Partnership.
• To carry out all assignments with minimum direct supervision and in accordance with specified work programmes, project briefs, and timetables.
• To maintain a high level of confidentiality.
• To work within all relevant policies, procedures and systems established corporately by the Council and, in particular, to support the Council’s Equal Opportunities Policies.
• To carry out duties in accordance with the Council Values and Culture

All other duties considered commensurate with the post

Qualifications: Educated to degree level, or able to demonstrate equivalent knowledge and experience within a relevant service area. Possession of a recognised project management qualification, such as PRINCE2 or APM.

Essential requirements Candidates will only be shortlisted if they can demonstrate that they meet all the following essential requirements.

Project Management

• Experience of leading, managing and contributing to a variety of projects relating to transformation and service improvement, and delivering them on time, within budget and to agreed quality standards.
• Experience of using formal project management methodologies, e.g. Prince 2 or APMto take forward projects from concept to implementation and completion.
• Experience of undertaking and contributing to organisational and service process reviews, and of reporting recommendations in a variety of formats.
• Experience of identifying, quantifying and realising benefits as part of projects or programmes
• Experience of identifying and managing risks associated with projects or programmes
• Experience of leading or contributing to multiple projects and pieces of work, while maintaining a focus on delivery and quality.
• Experience of writing reports and delivering presentations to a very high standard.
• Experience of communicating key issues effectively, clearly and succinctly both in writing and verbally to a range of audiences.

Business Analysis

• Experience of delivering change through analysing current practice and recommending improvements
• Experience of analysing, interpreting and presenting business data to support the case for change.

Working in a local government environment

• Good understanding of the transformation agendas for Children’s Social Care.
• Understanding of public sector and local government issues.
• Understanding of service delivery issues.

Innovation and delivering change

• Experience of analysing operational requirements, recommending improvements and implementing change.
• Experience of contributing to change programmes that improve service quality/delivery and support a culture that drives up standards and performance.
• Experience of working on projects that have delivered customer focussed outcomes

Personal effectiveness

• Experience of dealing with matters which are highly sensitive and confidential
• Ability to work to specified work programmes and timetables.
• Ability to make swift decisions and judgements.
• Ability to work on own initiative
• Experience of taking forward initiatives from development to implementation.
• Experience of managing competing priorities whilst delivering on a range of projects and adapting to changing circumstances and priorities.
• Experience of communicating key issues effectively and appropriately to a high standard, verbally and in writing, to a variety of audiences.
• Ability to facilitate workshops, chair and contribute to a range of meetings.

Working with others

• Experience of contributing to partnership working involving various stakeholders to achieve positive outcomes.
• Experience of working with a range of stakeholders, who may have competing priorities and negotiating the best way forward.
• Ability to develop productive working relationships that command respect, trust, and confidence.
• Ability to work effectively with other teams, services and departments to deliver cross-cutting projects
• Ability to motivate, inspire and develop staff.

Essential behavioural and other characteristics

• Understand and embrace Leeds City Council Values and Behaviours and codes of conduct
• Committed to continuous improvement in all areas and work towards delivering the Leeds Ambitions of health and wellbeing, inclusive growth, thriving strong communities and a resilient sustainable city
• Able to understand and observe Leeds City Council policies and procedures.
• Carry out duties having regard to an employee’s responsibility under Health, Safety and Wellbeing
• Participate in appraisal, training, and development activities to ensure up to date knowledge and skills.
• Be aware of and support difference and ensure equality for all working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding equality & diversity of Leeds City Council.
• Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment, victimisation, and any form of abuse, reporting any concerns to the appropriate person
• Flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required commensurate to grade.
• The Council has adopted a flexibility protocol, and the role will be expected to work within these parameters.

Desirable requirements Candidates are not required to meet the desirable requirements however these may be used to distinguish between candidates.

• Project Management accreditation desirable
• Experience of line management in a project team environment.