Development Project Manager (Education Civils and Buildings)

Essex County Counci; Chelmsford; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 61,000; Full time

Job summary

Essex County Council is hiring a Development Project Manager (Education Civils and Buildings) to lead small to medium capital projects up to £25m. Based in Chelmsford with hybrid working, you will ensure governance, delivery of milestones and value for money within time and cost constraints.

A driving licence and mobility are essential for site visits. The role requires qualifications in project management and experience within the public sector environment, delivering complex NEC3/NEC4 or JCT

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent; commitment to CPD.
• Project management qualifications such as APM Practitioner, Prince2, NEC3/4.
• Experience delivering NEC3/NEC4 PM or JCT/Employer's Agent roles.
• Experience leading cross‑functional teams in large, complex organisations.

Responsibilities

• Manage small to medium sized, complex projects to quality, time and cost constraints.
• Oversee project teams and contractors to align with objectives and governance.
• Develop robust business cases and project execution plans in line with Council expectations.
• Monitor delivery against budget, scope and programme; report to senior managers.

Skills

Stakeholder engagement

Leadership

Governance & assurance

Risk and change management

Public sector experience

Contract governance

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

Tools

APM Practitioner

Prince2

NEC3/NEC4 Accredited PM

Job description

Development Project Manager (Education Civils and Buildings)

Permanent,Full Time

Up to £55,129 per annum

Location:Chelmsford*

Closing Date: 29th November 2026

*This is a hybrid-working role contractually based in Chelmsford. You will work from the Chelmsford office at least one day a week and across our operational area on other days, depending on business need.

Visa sponsorship is not available for this role, so applicants must have current, unrestricted right to work in the UK.

The Capital Investment and Delivery team develop and deliver the capital Programme for Essex County Council. The team’s focus is on developing opportunities for capital investment in order to secure financial returns to support the Council’s strategic priorities.

The Project Manager role is accountable for managing a number of small to medium scale civil and/or building projects (up to £25m construction value) which contribute to the delivery of Essex County Council’s (ECC) strategic aims and is responsible for driving and overseeing the delivery of project objectives ensuring they are clearly defined and can be delivered within the agreed timelines.

As an experienced manager, familiar with working in a project environment, robust project management procedures are in place, and that projects are underpinned by governance and assurance processes. Influencing and collaborating with stakeholders is also essential to ensure agreed project outputs are delivered to enable benefits to be realised.

Accountabilities

• Responsible for managing small to medium sized, complex projects to latest industry, legislation, and contract standards, contributing to ECC’s strategic aims to deliver agreed outcomes within quality, time, and cost constraints.
• Responsible for efficient management of projects and project teams, including contractors, ensuring capability aligns with project objectives, to ensure successful delivery of project outcomes and develop innovative and improved ways of working.
• Responsible for providing expertise and specialist knowledge to develop robust substantiated business cases and project execution plans, that align project deliverables to the Council’s expectations and maintain this throughout project delivery.
• Responsible for monitoring project delivery, ensuring alignment with the agreed budget, scope, specification, and Programme and reporting to senior managers. Clearly setting out and managing project resource to safeguard project deliverables.
• Responsible for warranting stakeholder agreement of quantified benefits to be realised.
• Responsible for coordinating, chairing, and accurately recording meetings with internal and external stakeholders and contractors.
• Responsible for designing and actively managing the project plan to ensure outcomes are delivered, and implementing metrics required to monitor impact to project plan.
• Responsible for overseeing risk management including highlighting project risks and opportunities, ownership, mitigation, and escalation as appropriate.
• Responsible for managing effective change management processes, supporting contract administration, and capturing and overseeing stakeholder Reviewable Design Data.
• Responsible for developing an effective governance and assurance framework which supports decision making and ensure regular reporting through pro-active engagement with project sponsors and other professional resources. Work collaboratively with and manage,internal stakeholder and external partner relationships.
• Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework.

The Experience You Will Bring

• Educated to RQF level 6 (bachelor’s degree) or equivalent by extensive experience.
• Evidence of commitment to continuing professional development (CPD) and up to date knowledge in relevant professional area.
• Project Management qualification or accreditation such as, APM Practitioner, Prince 2, NEC3/4 Accredited Project Manager.
• Evidence of having successfully completed several projects in a similar role, specialty and experience contributing to a range of other projects and/or Programmes.
• Experience of delivering the full range of duties required of a either an NEC3/NEC4 Project Manager or JCT Contract Administrator / Employers Agent.
• Experience of working with a diverse range of individuals at varying levels within a number of complex organisations and engaging with them, finding ways to overcome obstacles.
• Experience of working within a political environment with knowledge of a public sector setting and involvement in a large, complex environment.
• Good leadership and behavioral skills, with the ability to influence and motivate professional staff, building diverse teams, to achieve shared objectives.

Please note that the job role requires you to be mobile throughout an operational area. Therefore, the post holder will need to have a driving licence and access to a vehicle,or the ability to meet the mobility requirements of the role through other means.

To read more about us please visit: Policy, Economy, Investment and Property - Working for Essex

Why Essex?

Essex County Council has a location to be proud of. Our 1,300 square miles stretch from Constable Country to the Thames Estuary, from the dynamic M11 corridor to the traditional seaside resorts of Clacton and Walton. England’s oldest town, Colchester, and two of its newest – Basildon and Harlow – are right here. Along with the City of Chelmsford, the county town, they form our major population centres. It means real choice and makes Essex the ideal place for your career. Read more about us here.

Greater Essex has been accepted on to the devolution priority programme, where we will work towards establishing a Mayoral Combined County Authority. You can read more about these changes, and what this may mean for this role, on our careers site.

Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We’re committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process. We’re also committed to interview allveteransandcare leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.

Once you’ve secured your role within Essex County Council you will receive many great employee benefits, including support for unpaid carers and flexible working arrangements to accommodate their needs.

At Essex County Council, we value integrity and ethical behaviour. We kindly ask that you embrace our code of conduct and the Nolan principles, including throughout the recruitment process. Your commitment to these standards helps us maintain a positive and respectful workplace for everyone.

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. Further details can be found on our careers page.

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