Programme Manager – Blue Light Collaboration
Salary: Grade 10 – £47,665 to £51,871 TBD
Hours: 36.25 (Monday to Friday)
Contract: 2 Year FTC (Green Book)
Location: Hybrid Working – Office working split: GMFRS HQ / GMP HQ / NWAS HQ
Closing date: 2nd September 2022 at 23:59
Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service is one of the largest Fire and Rescue Services in the UK with over 2,000 employees and 41 fire stations. Our purpose is to ensure that we save, protect, and improve the quality of life of the people in Greater Manchester. We do that in many ways but supporting our culturally diverse communities of over 2.5m GM residents is at the heart of the service that we deliver, and it is a service that we are really proud of.
The Opportunity
Our Service Excellence Directorate is looking for a Programme Manager to join the Project Management Office (PMO) function to ensure the delivery of our Blue Light Collaboration Programme with our key partner agencies GMP and NWAS. The success role holder will be the key conduit between GMFRS, GMP and NWAS driving the delivery of this strategic programme.
We are looking for a confident, self-motivated individual who can join our team and provide the drive needed to deliver this collaborative programme. You will be the kind of proactive professional who can build excellent working relationships and make an impact on the team right from day one. You will be working in a fast-moving, pressurised environment where experience and cooperation really matter. But more than that, you will be delivering a key programme of work that supports collaborative working in relation to leadership and development, recruitment, estates, and operational opportunities.
Who we need
We are looking for individuals with extensive experience of working cross-functionally in a similar programme / project based role or environment, with a good understanding of key processes, governance, and production of associated documentation. Proven experience of programme / project management, including successfully managing projects through their lifecycle on time and to budget, ensuring key benefits are realised and aligned to strategic aims.
The ideal candidates will bring strong co-ordination skills, be self-motivated with a can-do approach. Have the confidence to challenge decisions and hold people to account. Excellent communication and relationship building skills are essential, alongside a strong knowledge of projects and project governance.
Main Responsibilities include:
- Overseeing the planning and successful delivery of the programme, embedding a robust approach to programme governance, compliance with corporate processes and procedures, assurance, and reporting.
- Provide leadership and direction across the programme to ensure alignment with strategic priorities set out in GMFRS’s Fire Plan commitments, GMFRS Annual Delivery Plan, and HMICFRS improvement activities. GMP’s Police and Crime Plan, GMP’s Planning Our Future, and NWAS’s Our Strategy.
- Build and maintain strong and effective working relationships with senior leaders and relevant stakeholders, proactively managing stakeholder needs and expectations in relation to the programme and projects across the three services.
- To provide specialist advice, support, and challenge to the services on all technical aspects of Programme and Project Management, managing and continuously monitoring the projects within the programme to ensure satisfactory progress, and consistent delivery, aligned to the agreed funding, outputs, and timescales.
- Responsible for undertaking a matrix management approach, co-ordinating, and managing project teams to ensure effective delivery of projects and the programmes across the three services.
- To advise on the appropriate resources, skills and experience required to ensure delivery of planned activity to scope, quality, time, and cost.
- Supporting programme related activities, to ensure outcomes are achieved on-time, to quality standards and within agreed timescales in line with agreed methodology.
- To support and contribute to relevant meetings as required including presentations, producing high quality reports, and capturing actions, as required.
- To produce / support the production of programme / project documentation as required in line with the requirements for the overall programme of work ensuring that it is up to date and can be easily accessed and reviewed.
- Ensure that stakeholder communication strategies are in place for designated programme / project activities and that stakeholders are kept abreast of progress.
- To ensure risks and issues are logged, analysed, and addressed and identify and manage any interdependencies that exist across the programme.
- Manage and oversee all aspects of programme / project governance, planning, documentation development, coordinating meetings and reporting requirements.
- Secure the necessary approvals (via due governance) and assurance consistent with GMFRS / GMP / NWAS practices and procedures, and negotiate through the appropriate process.
- Ensure effective benefits management is in place across the programme and projects to monitor delivery against required improvements, efficiencies, and outcomes.
What you will need:
Education & Qualifications we need you to hold:
Essential
- Graduate level qualification in relevant field/or equivalent substantial experience.
- Programme / Project management practitioner qualification, such as APMG, MSP PRINCE 2 or equivalent with demonstrable experience of programme / project management.
Knowledge & Experience we need you to have includes:
Essential
- Proven experience of successfully managing and delivering a wide range of complex transformation projects within a diverse workload to a structured project management process such as APMG, MSP, PRINCE 2 or equivalent.
- Knowledge and experience of successfully applying programme and project management principles, processes, and procedures.
- Experience of managing successful programme / project teams and working with senior leaders and managers, including building effective strategic relationships across a range of stakeholders to persuade, negotiate and influence at all levels.
- Experience of working cross-functionally and cross-organisationally, beyond one’s own professional areas of specialism.
- Experience of compiling clear and concise technical and non-technical reports and communication materials for a range of political, professional, and lay-person audiences.
- Understanding of business analysis, process change, requirements definition, and alternate service delivery models
Desirable
- Experience of working effectively in a political environment, working with elected members, and in cooperation with public sector, third sector and private sector partners and stakeholders.
- Experience of delivering programmes / projects within a Blue Light Service
Behaviours we need you to display include:
Essential
- Highly developed interpersonal skills including a high level of integrity, discretion, tact, and diplomacy, with the ability to influence at senior levels to deliver effective results.
- Proven ability to motivate project teams to successful outcomes, and work both independently, and within a wider team.
- Proven ability to define outcomes and schemes of work, developing and or coordinating, programme / project activity within a complex policy environment.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, combined with attention to detail to produce high quality materials such as reports and presentations.
- Excellent organisational and administrative skills, working within recognised procedures to effectively organise own workload, managing multiple activities, and making decisions where required.
- Ability to work effectively to meet deadlines, preparing in advance and prioritising accordingly.
- Ensuring high professional standards are maintained and compliance with appropriate procedures and statutory requirements.
- High attention to detail in administration and data management processes, i.e. document control and management, forms design, scheduling tasks, including the secure processing of data.
- Effectively and efficiently dealing with highly confidential and sensitive information.
- To be willing to work flexibly as occasional evening and weekend working may be required
- Willingness and ability to travel across GM when required, within a reasonable time to meet the role demands (individuals providing their own vehicle for use will be eligible for casual car user rate.
In return for your efforts we can offer a fantastic working environment with a motivated team who are committed to delivering an excellent service.
We value the diversity of our employees, and aim to recruit a workforce which reflects our diverse communities across Greater Manchester. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified individuals, irrespective of people’s age, disability, Trans status and Non-binary identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. We have guidance in place to ensure that all applicants are treated fairly and consistently at every stage of the recruitment process, including the consideration of reasonable adjustments for people who have a disability.
To find out more about working for us please click here: https://www.greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk/
Our offer:
In return for your hard work, we offer our employees a competitive package as part of our offer.
Employees on the redeployment register will be given priority for any vacancies in the first instance. If employees are identified as a match from the register then the vacancy may be withdrawn or put on hold pending an outcome.
Safeguarding Policy and Procedure
This post requires Non-Police Personnel Vetting.
Applicants must have a minimum of 3 years UK residency for Non-Police Personnel Vetting. If an applicant does not have the minimum residency required eligibility would be considered on a case by case basis using all information that can be obtained following a successful application.
The College of Policing’s Code of Practice for Vetting must be followed. This information is available from the College of Policing website. For further details please see below:
Vetting | College of Policing
https://assets.college.police.uk/s3fs-public/Vetting-APP-2021.pdf
To apply for the Programme Manager role please complete the online application form and we will be in touch in the near future.