Project Support Officer

Job Title: Project Support Officer 

Contract: Permanent  

Working Hours: 37 hours per week* 

Salary: £33,366 – £36,124 

Location: Service Headquarters, Kelvedon Park  

Closing Date: Friday 16th May 2025, 12pm 

*We are open to discuss working arrangements including flexibility over hours and location 

The Role 

Exciting Opportunity: Project Support Officer 

Are you passionate about supporting multiple projects and driving meaningful change? We’re looking for a proactive and detail-oriented Project Support Officer to join our dynamic Innovation & Change Team. In this role, you’ll provide essential support across a range of projects within the Service’s Change Portfolio, helping to ensure successful planning and delivery. If you’re highly organised, a great communicator, and eager to make a real impact, we’d love to hear from you! 

What You Will Be Working On 

Assisting in planning, managing, and tracking projects using Prince2/Agile principles. 
Provide administrative support, including reports, minutes, and presentations. 
Ensure accurate documentation and reporting, keeping records up to date. 

Analyse data, generate reports, and support the successful delivery of project milestones. 

What Are We Looking For?

We’re seeking a highly organised and proactive Project Support Officer with experience in project support and administration, and a good understanding of project management principles. Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills are essential, along with the ability to interpret and present data effectively. Proficiency in Microsoft Office and other project management tools is desirable. You’ll need to be adaptable, collaborative, and able to manage multiple tasks efficiently, while maintaining a professional and diplomatic approach. A willingness to travel and work flexibly is also required. 

Eligibility  

Level 3 standard of education.   
A professional project management, benefits management, or equivalent role relevant qualification, i.e., Prince 2 or Agile.   

This process may also identify candidates to be offered future opportunities within Innovation & Change Department that arise within a reasonable timeframe (up to 18 months). These may be permanent or fixed term opportunities.   

How to apply  

You will be required to submit a CV detailing a minimum of five years employment and / or education history, along with a supporting statement of no more than 750 words that demonstrates how you meet the essential criteria detailed in the Person Specification. 

You may submit this either as a word document, pdf, or an mp3 (voice note) or mp4 (video), however the word count of your supporting statement should not exceed 750 words no matter which format you choose to present your application.  

You may attach separate documents (such as qualifications) should you wish. Your CV and additional documents will be referred to in shortlisting to confirm eligibility (e.g., your current role and any existing qualifications). 

Assessment and selection:  

The assessment and selection approach will be: 

Stage 1 

Application & shortlisting (assessment of your supporting statement will be made against the essential criteria of the Person Specification)

Stage 2  

Role Specific Interview 

Assessments will be made against positive indicators taken from the Code of Ethics and the NFCC Leadership Framework).  

You can see the NFCC Leadership Framework here: NFCC_Leadership_Framework_Final.pdf (nationalfirechiefs.org.uk)  

And guidance around the Code of Ethics here: 

Core Code of Ethics England Guidance May 21 V0.pdf (ukfrs.com) 

Should you wish to have an informal discussion with regards to the role, please contact Lisa Pearce – lisa.pearce@essex-fire.gov.uk.  

Our Culture and Benefits 

Here at Essex County Fire and Rescue Service we are committed to prioritising and promoting the wellbeing of our employees.  

You can find out more about our benefits at https://www.essex-fire.gov.uk/recruitment/benefits 

Safeguarding 

Essex Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Fire and Rescue Authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment. 

It is our policy to require all applicants for employment to disclose if you are currently being investigated by any regulatory body or have any decisions or sanctions pending or in progress in respect of your suitability to work for the Service. 

You agree to inform the Service within 24 hours if you are subsequently investigated by any agency or organisation in relation to concerns about your behaviour towards children, young people or vulnerable adults. 

The information you provide will be treated as strictly confidential and will be considered only in relation to the appointment for which you are applying. 

This role will be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.  

Disability Confident 

We are an equal opportunity, Disability Confident, employer who welcomes applications from everyone and values diversity in our workplace. A commitment to promoting diversity and developing a work environment where all staff are treated with dignity and respect is central to our recruitment process and all applications will be considered solely on merit. 

As part of our offer to support all our candidates to perform to the best of their abilities during our recruitment and selection processes and we would like to let you know about a couple of support options you can access, should you wish to, including our employee forums, who are keen and willing to support all of our potential colleagues.  

Our employee forums and partners include:  

Asian Fire Services Association (AFSA), BEING (our LGBTQ+ employee support network), Christian Fellowship, Ethnic Minority Forum, Men’s Forum, and our Women’s Forum. In addition, we also have a female firefighter’s operational group.  

Further to the above, the Service has a Digital Accessibility Inclusion Group (DAIG) that supports all colleagues to improve their digital skills and provides additional support and guidance to colleagues with neurodivergent strengths and struggles as a result of dyslexia, ADHD, Autism, dyspraxia etc. We want everyone to thrive at work, and so we encourage and enable people to access digital tools to help them perform at your best. The DAIG is a group of colleagues from across the Service that unite to support others as a result of their lived experience and desire to make a difference. They support people with a range of visible and invisible disabilities to identify and access digital workplace adjustments and solutions and may be able to assist with your application too.  

Should you wish to discuss support, or access further information, from one of these groups, please contact Equality.Diversity@essex-fire.gov.uk  

You are also able to raise any queries or requests for support, including any adjustments you may require, at any stage of the process by email to recruitment@essex-fire.gov.uk 

You can find out more about Essex County Fire & Rescue Service via www.essex-fire.gov.uk and about our vacancies and application processes via www.essex-fire.gov.uk/join-essex-fire