Project Manager London, England
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About the job
Job summary
The Department for International Trade (DIT) is the Government’s exports and trading department, focusing on drawing inward investment to the U.K. and supporting U.K. businesses to operate overseas. DIT has four key priority outcomes now that we have delivered the exit from the European Union and are beginning to construct our future trading and export relationship across the globe:
- Secure world-class free trade agreements and reduce market access barriers, ensuring that consumers and businesses can benefit from both.
- Deliver economic growth to all the nations and regions of the UK through attracting and retaining inward investment.
- Support UK business to take full advantage of trade opportunities, including those arising from delivering Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), facilitating UK exports.
- Champion the rules-based international trading system and operate the UK’s new trading system, including protecting UK businesses from unfair trade practices.
DIT focuses on providing and promoting the future of the United Kingdom as an independent trading nation. As part of that, we are seeking to mature and provide greater stability across our organisational structures, developing ourselves to provide a greater platform for success. We are united by a common set of values and expectations for our staff to be expert, engaged, enterprising and inclusive. We value diversity in all its forms.
Project Delivery in DIT
Almost all government policy is delivered through projects or programs. Thousands are carried out each year to improve the UK’s infrastructure, transform public services, safeguard national security and boost international trade. In DIT, we use projects and change programs to further DIT’s objectives and to make DIT a great place to work for our people.
This is an exciting opportunity for experienced and talented Project Delivery professionals to become part of DIT’s Flexible Resource Pool (FRP) which was established in 2021 to support the delivery of DIT’s critical projects and programs.
The aim of the Pool is to:
- provide PD and Change support to priority programmes within DIT.
- ensure DIT has the right capability inhouse to deliver key projects, reduce recruitment issues and reliance on contingent labour.
- provide PD&C Professionals better access to career development and progression.
The Offer
The Pool will offer successful applicants’ exposure to a range of challenging projects across DIT to build capability, experience and technical skills. We will also provide access to a range of informal professional career development opportunities and continuous professional development (CPD).
We also expect to have a number of other G7 PM roles available over the next year and so we will hold a reserve list of candidates to fill roles that are the same or very similar roles for 12 months. Please note that once on the reserve list, you will be removed from it subsequently if you refuse the offer of 2 roles.
Job description
As a member of the Project Delivery & Change Pool, you will work on a variety of projects up to 12 months at a time. During this time, you could be required to take on some of the following roles:
Delivery – Creating and leading the project to deliver the agreed outcomes within time, cost and quality constraints. This will also involve devising strategy, analysing issues and gather and evaluate evidence as the team looks to deliver a proposed solution.
Project Management – Day to day management and leadership of the project and the project team. Providing effective leadership and management controls. This involves:
- Designing the project structure and organisation appropriate to stage.
- Setting appropriate delivery methodologies for projects.
- Managing effective transition between project phases.
- Using a mixture of strategic skills set/traditional project delivery methodologies to work with the stakeholders and the team to provide quantitative and qualitative evidence required to break down the problem and deliver a solution.
Project initiation – in terms of identifying and facilitating discussions with key stakeholders to initially establish the scope of the project, agree a plan and manage delivery of the work.
Business Case – Develop and draft the Business Case, with input from subject matter experts as necessary.
Budget – Develop the budget and track delivery within budget.
Benefits Realisation – Deliver the Business Case benefits and outcomes. Ensuring an appropriate Benefits Realisation Strategy is in place and monitor longer term delivery of benefits against the Business Case.
Stakeholder Management – Carry out stakeholder mapping to identifying stakeholders for the project. Develop a stakeholder engagement strategy to plan how you will manage and communicate with different stakeholders. Work closely with internal and external stakeholders to achieve project deliverables. Seek feedback to monitor the effectiveness of your stakeholder engagement.
Risks & Issues – Identify, monitor and proactively manage project risks and issues that impact on delivery. Develop mitigating actions and put in place a process to monitor risks and issues regularly, including a clear escalation route. Work closely with risk owners and stakeholders to ensure risks and interdependencies are managed. Flag any risks or issues that could impact on delivery to senior management/relevant Board with options on what more could be done to reduce their impact on the project timelines.
Governance – Supporting effective governance and decision making. Providing reporting and engage in mechanisms that hold you, as Project Manager, to account for delivery.
Assurance – Engage with assurance reviews and support action on recommendations. Organise assurance processes such as gateway reviews, as required.
Change Management – Ensure effective Change Management processes are in place to agree and document changes to deliverables as agreed with stakeholders.
Guidance & Support – Providing support, guidance, and coaching for the project team. Showing commitment to personal development. Promoting effective individual and team performance.
Project Performance & Controls – creating and maintaining project plan identifying and setting appropriate project controls, managing performance and reporting progress to sponsors. At this level, the Senior Project Manager will cascade the project vision and translate into delivery objectives for the team. They will also engage with and proactively organise assurance reviews and act on recommendations.
Hybrid Working
The role will be based in either London or Darlington. You will be asked to express a location preference during the application process.
Please be aware that this role can only be worked from within the UK and not overseas.
Informal hybrid working arrangements will be available as agreed with the vacancy manager and in line with the requirements of the role.
Appointments will be made to candidates in merit order based on location preferences.
Most DIT employees will be working a hybrid pattern, spending 2-3 days a week (pro rata) in an office, on average. If your office location is London, you will be eligible to receive London weighting.
For this role, the Department will not consider sponsoring a visa or issuing a Certificate of Sponsorship. Please note we are unable to offer advice on any Visa and Immigration cases.
Support in applying for our vacancies is available by joining a virtual Candidate Support Session. These sessions include helpful tips and advice on the recruitment process, from application to interview which will be held on Tuesday 14th March 2023 2pm - 3pm.
Support in applying for our vacancies is available by joining a virtual Candidate Support Session. These sessions include helpful tips and advice on the recruitment process, from application to interview.
The link for the candidate support session is below:
https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_OTBkZjNmZTUtODg1NS00OTFhLTllZjktOTNiYmJiZTllYmE4%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%228fa217ec-33aa-46fb-ad96-dfe68006bb86%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%226ec1d4f1-dfb9-4dca-861d-c72c0f9c6e92%22%7d
Person specification
Essential Criteria
- You will have previous experience working on a project or in a programme management environment.
- You will need to be flexible and willing to move between different projects in DIT.
- You will have previous experience of managing stakeholders to deliver project outputs.
- You will hold a formal project management qualification(s) at Practitioner level (e.g. Association for Project Management or PRINCE2).
- You will have had have experience of setting up Governance on projects in terms of clearly defining roles, responsibilities and accountabilities and establishing controls to monitor progress and compliance.
Desirable Criteria
- Experience of the benefits management cycle and business case development
Personal Attributes & Skills
- It is essential that the successful candidate has a good experience of delivering either complex or high-risk projects within time, cost and quality constraints.
- You will have achieved this using your knowledge of project management tools and methodologies and be capable of designing a project structure and organisation to meet the requirements of the project according to its point in the life cycle.
- You will have a proactive approach to developing productive relationships with internal and external stakeholders, bringing people together to benefit projects.
- There will be opportunities to line manage colleagues so an ability to engage, motivate and coach others as well as acting as a role model, to inspire and empower others.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Delivering at Pace
- Managing a Quality Service
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Presentation on an aspect of project delivery leadership
Benefits
- 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 average employer contribution of 27%
Things you need to know
Selection process details
This recruitment is continuing as usual, but candidates should be aware that following a Government announcement on the changes to some civil service departments, roles will be located in the new Department for Business and Trade.
Interviews for this vacancy will be conducted virtually. We will, however, consider in-person interviews by exception.
Please ensure that you check your emails regularly as all updates from us will be sent to you this way.
Sift will take place week commencing 27/03/2023.
Interviews will take place week commencing 03/04/2023.
As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete a CV and Personal Statement. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
Please align your CV with previous skills and experience. Maximum of 2 A4 pages.
In your personal statement, please explain your motivation for applying for this role and the extent to which you satisfy the essential and desirable requirements of the role. Maximum word count of 500 words.
In the event that there is a high volume of applications, a short sift will be conducted based on CV only. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.
If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.
In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring ServiceI on your behalf.
However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing [email protected] stating the job reference number in the subject heading.
New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.
Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.
A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5-year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.
Please note – the successful candidate will be expected to remain in post for a minimum of 18 months before being released for another role.
The Department for International Trade embraces and values diversity in all forms. We welcome and pride ourselves on the positive impact diversity has on the work we do, and we promote equality of opportunity throughout the organisation.
Please note – harmonised terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.
Further Information
A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.
Any move to the Department for International Trade from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk
Reasonable Adjustment
If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.
If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:
- Contact Government Recruitment Service via [email protected] as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs
- Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at an interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.
Vetting Requirements
All security clearances require you to provide evidence of your UK footprint where you have been physically present in the UK.
The requirement for SC clearance is to have been present in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5 years.
Failure to meet the residency requirements will result in your security clearance application being rejected.
If you require SC clearance you will need to provide evidence of the below requirements.
Checks will be made against:
- Departmental or company records (personnel files, staff reports, sick leave reports and security records)
- UK criminal records covering both spent and unspent criminal records
- Your credit and financial history with a credit reference agency
- Security Services records
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).
Nationality requirements
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
- UK nationals
- nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with settled or pre-settled status or who apply for either status by the deadline of the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
- relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
- relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
- certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals
Working for the Civil Service
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).
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
Recruitment team :
Further information
If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should in the first instance contact DIT by email: [email protected].
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission, which regulates all Civil Service recruitment.
For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages: Click here to visit Civil Service Commission/Complaints
