Project Support Officer Swindon, Wiltshire, South West England, England
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About the job
Job summary
Background: The UK Space Agency:
The UK Space Agency (UKSA) is an executive agency of the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology (DSIT) and provides technical advice on the government’s space strategy, supporting the UK space sector to deliver the government’s vision.
Space is a part of everyday life. Satellites underpin our national economy, from agriculture and banking to aviation and shipping, and support our national security. Space science provides critical data to understand and address global challenges such as climate change, while missions to explore our solar system unite nations and advance humanity’s horizons.
We support a thriving space sector in the UK, which generates an annual income of £16.5 billion and employs 47,000 people across the country.
Through our portfolio of programmes and projects, we encourage the development of national space capabilities and are an early-stage investor in space research and development. We also promote the UK space sector’s interests and achievements; make connections to join up industry and academia; and represent the UK in international space programmes
We have a powerful global voice, partnering with institutions across the world, including the European Space Agency.
More information about the Agency is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-space-agency
To discover more please watch this film https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbZZ-o0IkVU
Our Inclusive Environment
We have an inclusive culture to make UKSA a brilliant place to work where our people feel valued, have a voice and can be their authentic selves. We value difference and diversity, not only because we believe it is the right thing to do, but because it will help us be more innovative and make better decisions.
We offer first-class flexible working benefits, excellent employee well-being support and a great pension. We are fortunate to have a range of excellent staff networks and are proud to be a Disability Confident Leader employer. We will support talented people from all backgrounds to build a career and thrive.
We actively welcome applications from anyone who shares our commitment to inclusion.
Job description
Context
The Spaceflight Programme is a high priority within the UKSA and across government. Working closely with colleagues from the Department for Transport (DfT) and others, it aims to enable businesses to offer new services from UK’s first spaceports: launching small satellites and offering sub-orbital space flights for research and tourism.
The programme aims to unlock significant new benefits from these services, including a share of the estimated £15bn small satellite launch opportunity by the end of the decade, new local economic activity around spaceport site(s), and new highly skilled jobs in space science and technology.
Establishing launch capability in the UK is an exciting and challenging task. Our success will depend on the effective delivery of a complex programme of work involving a diverse stakeholder community. This requires effective management and planning, for which the post holder will be a key enabler.
More information about the programme can be found in our ‘Launch UK’ prospectus here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/launchuk-prospectus
Purpose, Aims and Objectives
The Project Support Officer role covers a diverse range of activities to support the delivery of the programme’s objectives. The purpose of the role is to support the smooth running of the Spaceflight programme by supporting the Project Managers and wider Programme Management Office (PMO) to deliver effective programme management processes with a particular focus on reporting, finance and supporting production of the Full Business Case for the second phase of the Spaceflight Programme.
The programme team includes resources from the Department for Transport; as well as having interfaces with many other departments. The post holders will have an important role to play in ensuring that coherence is sustained across the team.
The role requires detailed engagement and close working across the programme, in particular supporting the benefits monitoring and management, project management and detailed scheduling and planning capability for a number of projects. In addition, working with the wider PMO team to ensure the effective delivery of programme boards, maintenance of the project and MSP programme plans, Plan On A Page (POAP), risk and issue registers etc., and underpinning both programme and project level governance, in particular the Full Business Case.
The post holder will report to the Project Support Officer and will be based in one of the UK Space Agency locations in London, Swindon or Harwell; with travel to the other UK Space Agency locations and potentially travel to other parts of the UK as required.
Key Responsibilities:
The post holder, working closely with the other members of the Programme Management Office and relevant project teams, will:
- Support the effective management of the programme, working closely with members of the PMO and Project Teams to drive the delivery of this complex programme.
- Support the management of effective management approaches across the programme – including benefits monitoring and management, governance, planning, reporting, risk management, benefits tracking and financial controls. This includes providing secretariat functions for the project and programme boards and producing accurate governance forward looks.
- Support the development and maintenance of high quality, accurate and useful project and programme artefacts to inform the management and assurance of the programme and support effective decision making. This will include project plans, RAID logs, management information and reports, contributing to briefings and supporting the programme manager with central PMO functions.
- Be a PMO team champion for specific areas of expertise such as Finance or Reporting. Oversee and continually improve current systems to align with best practice and add value. Engage with wider agency transformation centres of excellence representing the programme and feeding in expertise and opinions. Identifying, applying and sharing best practices for programme and project management with teams and across the UKSA.
And additionally
- Maintain relationships across the programme and with third parties as required
- Bring skills to bear in the broader programme on an ad-hoc basis when required, according to the workload across the team.
- Develop and maintain competence in programme and project management, including the use of IT enabled tools for schedule and risk management.
- Identify opportunities for continued learning and development.
- Contribute more broadly to the aims of the UK Space Agency through wider corporate contribution on an ad-hoc basis as opportunities arise.
Person specification
Essential Skills, Knowledge Experience and Qualifications:
- The post holder should have experience of working within project delivery teams and be competent with the tools and techniques associated with project and programme planning and management. Specifically, the programme uses MS Project for planning and the MS Office suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint) regularly, which the successful applicant will need to be able to use with confidence.
- Professional qualification(s) in project and programme management, such as Prince 2 Practitioner, APM PMQ, MSP Practitioner.
- Experience of working within a PMO.
Technical Competencies
- Risk and issue management, the ability to systematically identify and monitor risks & issues, planning how to mitigate / respond to those risks and issues and implementing the responses.
- Governance, the ability to clearly define roles, responsibilities and accountabilities and establish controls and approval routes appropriate to each stage of the project to monitor project progress and compliance.
- Stakeholder engagement, the ability to systematically identify, analyse and communicate with stakeholders, using appropriate channels, to ensure all those impacted by the change are engaged, taking account of their levels of influence and particular interests.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Seeing the Big Picture
- Working Together
- Delivering at Pace
- Making Effective Decisions
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Risk and Issue Management
- Governance
- Stakeholder Engagement
Benefits
UKSA offers a competitive mix of benefits including:
- A culture of flexible working, such as job sharing, homeworking and compressed hours.
- Automatic enrolment into the Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 27%.
- A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by 1 day per year up to a maximum of 30.
- An extensive range of learning & professional development opportunities, which all staff are actively encouraged to pursue.
- Access to a range of retail, travel, and lifestyle employee discounts
- A generous maternity/paternity and adoption leave package.
- This job role may be suitable for hybrid working, which is an informal, non-contractual and voluntary arrangement, blending a balance of attendance in the workplace (your permanent duty station which is based on business assessment of where the work is best done) and working from home, or elsewhere, as a personal choice (if the role is suitable for this). If you are successful, any opportunities for hybrid working will be discussed with you prior to you taking up your post.
- The internal roles rules apply to existing Civil Servants, i.e., level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
The UKSA Agency is currently going through a transformation programme, and we are putting the following wording under things you need to know section “Please note that UKSA is currently undergoing a transformation programme and it is likely that some posts may be affected during this process which could lead to changes to the job description, team or line manager for this role as a result.
As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV, personal statement and a number of behavioural statements and technical skills examples.
Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
Please use your personal statement (in no more than 500 words) to provide details of how you meet the experience and skills outlined above.
Please note - the CV incorporated into the application form is for information purposes only and will not be scored.
The Sift will be assessed on behaviours, personal statement and technical skills.
Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead behaviour - Seeing the Big Picture.
Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview.
The Interview will be assessed on Behaviours and Technical Skills.
Sift and interview dates
Expected Timeline subject to change
Sift dates: w/c 03/04/2023
Interview dates: w/c 24/04/2023
Interview Location: MS Teams.
Candidates are asked to note the above timetable, exercising flexibility through the recruitment and selection process.
Further Information
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 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.
If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check maybe carried out.
Any move to UK Space Agency 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 https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/
A reserve list will be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.
Please note terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.
New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.
In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf. However, we recognise in exceptional circumstance 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.
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.
Feedback
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
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).
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Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
Recruitment team :
Further information
If you are not satisfied with the response that you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission. 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
