Senior Project Manager

Job summary

At the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) we are looking for Senior Project Managers to join us in our critical work to protect the nation from health threats. Successful candidates will be assigned to one of our diverse range of projects or programmes with opportunities for you to work on multiple initiatives such as:

• Supporting delivery of a major change programme within UKHSA’s Portfolio, aligned to the organisation’s strategic objectives.

• Health protection projects or other health initiatives.

• Technology programmes or projects.

• Infrastructure programmes or projects.

• Organisational change / transformation programmes or projects.

• Leading the set up and delivery of new projects and programmes.

We are looking for candidates with previous project management experience, particularly those with experience of transformational delivery, Government operations reform, and/or infrastructure project experience.

We pride ourselves as being an employer of choice, where Everyone Matters promoting equality of opportunity to actively encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce.

UKHSA ethos is to be an inclusive organisation for all our staff and stakeholders. To create, nurture and sustain an inclusive culture, where differences drive innovative solutions to meet the needs of our workforce and wider communities. We do this through celebrating and protecting differences by removing barriers and promoting equity and equality of opportunity for all.

Please visit our careers site for more information https://gov.uk/ukhsa/careers

Job description

As Senior Project Manager you will lead on the day to day running of a project(s) that are typically moderate to high in complexity. These are likely to influence the UKHSA long term outcomes, goals or in year strategic objectives.

You will:

• be responsible for overseeing the delivery of the project, ensuring that the objectives are clearly defined and achieved within the agreed time, cost, and quality constraints
• have effective leadership, interpersonal and communication skills and will play a key role in project governance, working with stakeholders to ensure the agreed project outputs are delivered to enable benefit realisation.

This role is a government project delivery profession role and part of UKHSA’s project delivery resource model. It is aligned to theProject Delivery Capability Framework (PDCF) career pathway Project Manager G7.

The main responsibilities for this role are as follows:

• Lead the day-to-day running of the project, with ownership and accountability for delivering agreed outcomes within time, cost, and quality constraints.

• Provide effective leadership and line management to the project team.

• Develop and maintain project plans and determine appropriate delivery methodology. Setting project controls, managing performance and report progress to sponsors.

• Design the project structure and organisation appropriate to the stage, effectively managing the transition between phases.

• Develop and draft the business case, seeking input from specialists as necessary.

• Lead the development of the budget and track project spend.

• Identify skills requirements and deploy suitable resources.

• Deliver the agreed business case benefits and outcomes. Monitor the longer-term delivery of benefits against the business case, ensuring an appropriate Benefits Realisation Strategy is in place.

• Identify key stakeholders, internal and external, and effectively manage these relationships.

• Identify and monitor project risks and issues. Develop mitigating actions, escalating as appropriate. Identify and work with related projects to manage interdependencies.

• Support effective governance and decision making. Provide project reports, engaging in processes that hold you accountable for delivery.

• Engage with assurance reviews and support recommended action. Co-ordinate project assurance processes and gateway reviews.

• Set up effective change management processes, including documenting agreed changes to the project deliverables.

• Use digital tools and data insight to make informed decisions to improve efficiency and better project delivery outcomes.

• Role model commitment to personal development, promoting individual and team performance through support, guidance, and coaching.

• Be an active member of the UKHSA Project Delivery Profession Community.

Please be advised this list is not exhaustive.

The job holder will be supported to work towards achieving Government Project Delivery Accreditation where they do not already hold this.

Person specification

Essential role criteria:

• Experience of successfully managing several low or medium complexity change projects covering planning, scheduling, budget management, resource management, risk and issue management. (Lead criteria)

• Detailed knowledge and experience of project methodologies and frameworks, governance, assurance, planning, requirements management and change control in a project delivery environment.

• Working knowledge of project/programme business case development, benefits management, and commercial and procurement processes.

• A visible leader with experience of promoting diversity, inclusion and equality of opportunity, respecting differences.

• Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to develop effective relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, collaborating across boundaries

• Excellent communication skills demonstrated through the ability to influence and challenge effectively at a senior level.

• Ability to use digital tools to manage, interpret and utilise data to make informed decisions and improve outcomes.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £56,185, UK Health Security Agency contributes £16,276 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

Stage 1: Application & Sift

This vacancy is using Success Profiles and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

At sift stage you will be assessed against the 7 Essential Criteria listed in the job advert.

You will be required to complete an:

• Application form (‘Employer/ Activity history’ section on the application)

• Up to 1000 word supporting statement

This should outline how you consider your skills, experience and knowledge provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential criteria.

You will receive a joint score for your application form and statement. (The application form is the kind of information you would put into your C.V –please be advised you will not be able to upload your CV. Please complete the application form in as much detail as possible)

Healthjobs UK has a word limit of 1500, but your supporting statement must be no more than 1000 words. Any words above this limit will not be considered by the panel.

Longlisting: In the event of a large number of applications we may longlist into 3 piles of:

• Meets all essential criteria
• Meets some essential criteria
• Meets no essential criteria

Only those that meet all essential criteria will be taken through to shortlisting.

Shortlisting: If we receive a large number of applications an initial sift will be conducted against the lead behaviour- Experience of successfully managing several low or medium complexity change projects covering planning, scheduling, budget management, resource management, risk and issue management.

Please note feedback will not be provided at this stage.

Stage 2: Interview (success profiles)

You will be invited to a remote interview via MS Teams.

This vacancy is being assessed using Success Profiles. During the interview we will assess you against the below:

Behaviours:

• Leadership
• Working Together
• Communicating and Influencing

Technical and Experience:

• Project Delivery technical knowledge and experience

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Eligibility Criteria

Option 1 – External: Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including internal applicants).

Security Clearance Level Requirement

Successful candidates will require Basic Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) as a minimum with willingness and capability to work towards Security Check (SC)

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.

For meaningful National Security Vetting checks to be carried out individuals need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time. You should normally have been resident in the United Kingdom for the last 5 years as the role requires Security Check (SC) . UK residency less than the outlined periods may not necessarily bar you from gaining national security vetting and applicants should contact the Vacancy Holder / Recruiting Manager listed in the advert for further advice.

Salary Information

If you are successful at interview, and are moving from another government department, NHS, or Local Authority, the relevant starting salary principles for level transfers or promotions will apply. Otherwise, roles are offered at the pay scale minimum for the grade, but in exceptional circumstances there may be flexibility if you are able to demonstrate you are already in receipt of an existing, higher salary. Pay increases are through the relevant annual pay award for the role and terms.

Grade 7

• £56,185- £66,581 (National)

• £58,340- £68,574 (Outer London)

• £60,494- £70,566 (Inner London)

Hybrid any Core HQ

This role is being offered as hybrid working based at any of our Core HQ’s. We offer great flexible working opportunities at UKHSA and operate using a hybrid working model where business needs allow. This provides us with greater flexibility about how and where we work, to get the best from our workforce. As a hybrid worker, you will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of your contractual working hours (approximately 3 days a week pro rata, (averaged over a month) working at one of UKHSA's core HQ’s (Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, and London). Most of our core HQ offices are modern and newly refurbished with excellent city centre transport link and benefit from benefit from co-location with other government departments such as the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC).

Future location

UKHSA is investing in a new state-of-the-art National Biosecurity Centre in Harlow, Essex, which will eventually bring together teams currently based at Canary Wharf, Colindale and Porton Down. For more details, please see: Huge biosecurity centre investment to boost pandemic protection - GOV.UK.

The new facilities will start becoming operational in the mid-2030s, with full completion by 2038. Staff will move in phases as facilities become available. If you're appointed to a role currently based at Canary Wharf, Colindale or Porton Down, please note that we'll continue investing in these sites for the next decade. As we get closer to the transition, we'll provide full information about relocation support available to staff.

Reasonable Adjustments

The Civil Service is committed to making sure that our selection methods are fair to everyone. To help you during the recruitment process, we will consider any reasonable adjustments that could help you. An adjustment is a change to the recruitment process or an adjustment at work. This is separate to the Disability Confident Scheme. If you need an adjustment to be made at any point during the recruitment process you should contact the recruitment team in confidence as soon as possible to discuss your needs.

You can find out more information about reasonable adjustments across the Civil Service here: https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/reasonable-adjustments/

International Police check

If you have spent more than 6 months abroad over the last 3 years you may need an International Police Check. This would not necessarily have to be in a single block, and it could be time accrued over that period.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Link below:

Artificial intelligence and recruitment , Civil Service Careers

Internal Fraud check

If successful for this role as one aspect of pre-employment screening, applicant’s personal details – name, national insurance number and date of birth - will be checked against the Cabinet Office Internal Fraud Hub and anyone included on the database will be refused employment unless they can show exceptional circumstances. Currently this is only for External candidates to the Civil Service.

Careers website

Please visit our careers site for more information https://gov.uk/ukhsa/careers

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

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

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.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Project Delivery Resourcing Team
• Email : ProjectDeliveryResourcing@ukhsa.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : Recruitment@ukhsa.gov.uk

Further information

The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles.

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact UKHSA Public Accountability Unit via email: Complaints@ukhsa.gov.uk

If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Visit the Civil Service Commission website: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk