Programme Manager (Building Safety)

Transport for London; London; Hybrid; GBP 67,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a Programme Manager to lead efforts in enhancing building safety across London. This pivotal role involves managing a dedicated team, overseeing substantial funding applications, and ensuring compliance with rigorous standards. As part of a friendly and inclusive team, your contributions will directly impact the safety and well-being of Londoners. You'll engage with various stakeholders, navigate complex challenges, and drive projects that aim to make homes safer. If you're passionate about making a difference and have a strong background in project management and team leadership, this opportunity is perfect for you.

Benefits

30 days annual leave

Interest-free season ticket loan

Interest-free bicycle loan

Career average pension scheme

Qualifications

• Experience in project or programme management with financial risk.
• Ability to motivate and lead teams effectively.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team managing funding applications for building safety projects.
• Governance responsibilities for high-profile funding programmes.

Skills

Project Management

Team Leadership

Problem Solving

Stakeholder Management

Planning and Organising

Education

Degree Level Qualification

Professional Qualifications (e.g., RICS)

Job description

Organisation

Building Safety Team

Job

Position Type - Full Time

Job title: Programme Manager, Building Safety

Requisition ID: 047277

Salary: £66,063 per annum

Grade: G11

Location: City Hall

Contract type: 3 permanent roles

Closing Date: Wednesday 8th January at 23:59

Team: Building Safety

Directorate: Housing and Land

Housing and Land

The Housing and Land directorate is responsible for the Mayor’s plans to deliver new and improved homes and strong communities. Working closely with boroughs and partners, we manage the Mayor’s housing investment programmes and land and property assets to support the building of affordable homes, job creation and regeneration.

About the team

The Building Safety Team is responsible for delivering the government’s high-rise cladding remediation funds in London. London is in the midst of a housing crisis with many Londoners living in unsafe homes and facing unaffordable remediation costs. Our objective is to make homes in London safe as quickly as possible. We are a friendly and inclusive team who welcome applications to join from everyone.

About the role

We are recruiting for three Programme Manager roles. In this role, you’ll lead a team of caseworkers to manage funding applications for approximately 30-40 building safety projects with an expected value of up to £200m. You’ll be expected to support your team to engage with a variety of funding applicants and to take action to progress their projects while managing risks to the taxpayer.

Your role will include governance responsibilities for individual projects on a complex and high-profile funding programme. You will also be expected to act as the lead for the GLA on one or more areas of the programme, working closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government as the lead Government department. You’ll need to identify trends and changes within the construction, housing and fire safety policy areas, and consider changes necessary to ensure the funding programmes can continue to meet the Mayor’s objectives. Helping your team to develop their expertise and further their career will be an important priority for you, and you’ll also need to make a wider corporate contribution towards maintaining the GLA as an inclusive employer and a high-performing organisation.

This role is based at City Hall, in the Royal Docks (Kamal Chunchie Way, London, E16 1ZE). Colleagues in the Building Safety Team are also able to work from the GLA’s office at London Fire Brigade HQ, Union Street, Southwark.

What your day will look like

• Discussing projects with your team, including helping to solve problems and assessing project performance.
• Assessing your team’s projects against the funding programme’s criteria.
• Making decisions on projects according to the fund’s governance, including presenting projects for funding approval to MHCLG and negotiating funding agreements.
• Working with the GLA’s external suppliers and MHCLG to refine and improve programme delivery.
• Working with others in the Building Safety Team management team to support leadership of the team.

Skills, knowledge and experience

To be considered for the role you must meet the following essential criteria:

• Experience of project or programme management in a context of significant financial or delivery risk.
• Able to motivate and lead a team (Managing and Developing Performance).
• Able to assess complex problems, develop options and make recommendations which best achieve objectives (Problem Solving).
• Able to prioritise a busy and evolving workload for yourself and a team (Planning and Organising).
• Able to build productive relationships with different stakeholders with conflicting objectives (Building and Managing Relationships).

How to apply

If you would like to apply for the role you will need to submit the following:

Please note all applications for this vacancy must be submitted via our online recruitment system. We do not accept CVs alone for this role.

• Personal statement, which can be a document with a maximum of 1500 words. Your statement should address how you demonstrate the 5 essential criteria listed above.

Please ensure your CV and Personal Statement have a maximum file size of 1.5MB each and upload your Personal Statement to the ‘Additional Documents’ section of the form, ensuring you address the essential criteria in your Personal Statement.

Word or PDF format preferred and do not include any photographs or images. Please ensure your CV and Personal Statement are saved with the job reference number as part of the naming convention (E.g. “CV – applicant name - 012345).

Applications submitted without a Personal Statement will not be considered.

If you have questions about the role

If you wish to talk to someone about the role, the hiring manager James Hewlett would be happy to speak to you, including if you wish to discuss reasonable adjustments at assessment or in post. Please contact them at [e-mail]

If you have any questions about the recruitment process, contact the [e-mail] who support the GLA with recruitment.

We will be holding a live one hour session on MS Teams which will provide the opportunity for applicants to find out more about the role. This will be held on:Thursday 2 January at 2pm. Please contact [e-mail] for joining details.

Assessment process

Once you have submitted an application, your details will be reviewed by a panel. If shortlisted, you’ll be invited to an interview/assessment.

The interview/assessment date is:week commencing 27th January.

Equality, diversity and inclusion

London's diversity is its biggest asset, and we strive to ensure our workforce reflects London's diversity at all levels. We welcome applications from everyone regardless of age, gender, gender identity, gender expression, ethnicity, sexual orientation, faith or disability.

We particularly encourage applications from Black, Asian and Minority ethnic candidates and disabled candidates who are currently underrepresented in our workforce.

We are committed to being an inclusive employer and we are happy to consider flexible working arrangements. We would welcome applications from candidates who are seeking part time work as this role is open to job share.

Please note we are a Disability Confident Employer so for candidates who wish to be considered under the scheme and meet the essential criteria, they will automatically be invited to interview.

Please note, should you require any adjustments through the process, we will accommodate as much as possible. Please contact the recruitment team for further information if required.

GLA staff are hybrid working up to 3 days a week in our offices and remotely depending on their role. As part of this, you will need to split your time between home working and coming into the office.

In addition to a good salary package, you will be paid every four weeks, providing frequent salary payments. We also offer an attractive range of benefits including 30 days’ annual leave, interest free season ticket loan, interest free bicycle loan and a career average pension scheme.

Additional Information

Please note, all candidates will need to confirm that the information provided in this application form is true and correct. Should a candidate deliberately give false information, including the use of AI software, they understand that this would disqualify them from consideration.

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record (DBS) check but some roles may require additional security screening.

Job description can be found below:

Job purpose

To lead a team focused on making London buildings safer. To lead on the provision of expert advice and guidance on cladding remediation in London to the Mayor and his advisers. To lead the implementation of, and influence any ongoing redesign of, the Government’s building safety investment programmes. To take overall responsibility for ensuring grant is provided in line with rigorous legal and technical processes, including supervising the negotiation and agreement of funding agreements with building owners. To manage the GLA’s relationships with other stakeholders and partners involved in cladding remediation.

Principal accountabilities

• Maintain a broad overview of issues related to building safety, seek to anticipate and identify emerging trends, risks, new developments and innovations that may impact on the Mayor’s strategy and policies, and provide written and oral briefings, high level advice and specialist reports for the Mayor and advisers on these issues.
• Design and refine appropriate legal and technical processes for the building safety investment programmes and ensure projects comply by providing close and effective supervision of the application, assessment and approval processes.
• Develop and maintain excellent working relationships with officials at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and Homes England, working closely with them to ensure GLA recommendations on applications and associated issues are seen as credible, consistent with the programme principles and/or reflective of the Mayor’s position and to ensure technical and legal compliance.
• Deputise for the Senior Manager and take responsibility for managing and motivating a team.
• Lead the development, negotiation and agreement of the individual funding agreements with building owners in partnership with the relevant Senior Programme Officer, legal and technical consultants and central Government.
• Provide professional and technical advice, guidance and support to enable the Building Safety team to fulfil its functions in line with its investment programme criteria and associated legislation.
• Regular and accurate reporting of building safety investment programmes, including outputs, budgets and risks, including approval/update papers for internal and external stakeholders.
• Provide rigorous contract management of the GLA’s appointed technical and legal consultants to ensure they provide services in line with the specification and contract.
• Realise the benefits of London’s diversity by promoting and enabling equality of opportunities and promoting the diverse needs and aspirations of London’s communities.
• Take a flexible approach to undertaking the duties and responsibilities of the job and participate in multi-disciplinary, cross-department and cross-organisational groups and project teams as required.

Accountable for: Staff and resources allocated to the post, including line management of up to five Senior Programme Officers.

Principal contacts: GLA housing teams, building owners, central Government, Homes England, London Boroughs and external consultants.

Person specification

1. Technical requirements/experience/qualifications

• Appropriate Degree level qualification and/or appropriate professional qualifications/membership (e.g. RICS) and/or demonstrable and relevant experience and skills.
• Understanding of, and experience in, negotiating and managing funding agreements.
• Experience of undertaking legal and financial due diligence in relation to projects involving residential property and/or complex structures (including joint-ventures etc.).
• Detailed project management experience, including demonstrable past experience in managing a complex, high-profile programme autonomously.
• Appropriate experience of managing a team in a performance-oriented culture and an understanding of the GLA’s commitment to equality and diversity.

Building and Managing Relationships

is developing rapport and working effectively with a diverse range of people, sharing knowledge and skills to deliver shared goals.

Stakeholder Focus

is consulting with, listening to and understanding the needs of those our work impacts and using this knowledge to shape what we do and manage others’ expectations.

Problem Solving

is analysing and interpreting situations from a variety of viewpoints and finding creative, workable and timely solutions.

Planning and Organising

is thinking ahead, managing time, priorities and risk, and developing structured and efficient approaches to deliver work on time and to a high standard.

Organisational Awareness

is aware of the changing needs of Londoners, anticipating resulting changes for work agendas.

Responsible Use of Resources

is taking personal responsibility for using and managing resources effectively, efficiently and sustainably.

Managing and Developing Performance

is setting high standards for oneself and others, and guiding, motivating and developing them, to achieve high performance and meet the GLA’s objectives and statutory obligations.