Programme Officer

Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council; Barnsley; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 56,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Professional development

Generous holiday allowances

Job summary

Barnsley Council is recruiting for a place-based programme manager within the Economic Development team to help shape Barnsley’s Local Plan. The role focuses on coordinating planning policy with regeneration and delivery, ensuring milestones and dependencies are tracked, and providing governance and assurance to senior stakeholders.

You will work across planning, policy and development teams, translating complex information into clear narratives, and supporting procurement, budgeting and

Qualifications

• Exceptional organisational ability and attention to detail.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Experience of programme or project planning, governance, performance reporting, and managing risks.
• Ability to interpret complex quantitative and qualitative information.
• Proactive work ethic with collaboration and continuous improvement.
• Desirable qualification: MSP or equivalent experience.

Responsibilities

• Apply programme-management skills to maintain an integrated Local Plan programme.
• Coordinate Local Plan activity across Economic Development, Planning and other services.
• Use Programme Management Office controls for governance, reporting, risk and decision logs.
• Monitor milestones, dependencies and risks and escalate where needed.
• Provide concise performance information and recommendations to senior leaders.

Skills

Programme management

Governance

Risk management

Stakeholder coordination

Planning policy

Local Plan development

Job description

Directorate: Place| Service:Economic Development

Working Arrangements : A gile Working

Contract type: Permanent

This post requires a Basic Criminal Record Check

Prospective employees will be required to give a reasonable account of any significant periods (6 months or more in the past 3 years) of time living abroad.

Please be aware that our organisation does not possess a Home Office license and, as a result, is unable to provide sponsorship for anyone seeking a visa as a skilled or temporary migrant worker.

Pensions Regulations have provisions to reduce pension payments in certain circumstances of those who return to work within local government service. If you are in receipt of a pension upon commencing employment with the authority, this may affect your pension entitlements and you should therefore seek advice from the relevant Pensions Authority.

At Barnsley Council you can start a career that makes a real difference to people’s lives, helping our council and residents to be the best they can be.

We’re an award-winning council and one of the biggest employers in the borough, supporting around 243,000 people. We put people at the heart of everything we do, and that includes our employees. As part of the team, we offer lots of benefits and rewards to support you to thrive and grow, like flexible working, employee discounts, support for your health and wellbeing, and opportunities for training and development to grow your career and develop your skills.

There’s so much happening in our thriving borough, and now’s the perfect time to join our excellent Economic Development team as we work to make Barnsley the place of possibilities.

• We’re an award-winning team and one of the biggest employers in the borough supporting around 243,000 people.
• Working at Barnsley Council means being part of a team that makes a real difference to people’s lives, where you can develop the skills you need to make change happen.
• If you join the team you’ll receive great pay alongside an excellent pension scheme. With flexible working we’ll also support your work/life balance, helping you to adjust your hours and take time off when you need it.
• We’ll help you to develop your career and grow your skills with opportunities for training and development.
• Key to our success is working with our residents, partners, businesses and organisations and building these partnerships to bring about change in Barnsley.

About the Post:

Based in the Programme & Place Management team within Economic Development, this place-shaping role will contribute to some of the Council’s most important regeneration programmes. The Programme Management Office coordinates and assures activity including the Goldthorpe Towns Fund, Principal Towns and Local Centres, Pride in Place, the Seam Digital Campus and Health on the High Street, connecting place strategy, investment and delivery through strong programme governance.

The post holder will apply programme management skills and learning to support delivery of the new Local Plan. It will connect planning policy with economic development, infrastructure, investment, environmental priorities and community needs, helping specialist teams work together through clear plans, governance, assurance and reporting.

The new Local Plan is a major place-shaping programme that will guide where development takes place and how growth is supported across Barnsley. It will provide the statutory framework for housing, employment, infrastructure and environmental protection across the borough. The current Plan, adopted on 3 January 2019, guides development to 2033.

Preparing and maintaining an up-to-date Local Plan is a statutory council responsibility. Its delivery brings together specialist workstreams covering evidence, engagement, sustainability appraisal, and formal consultation. The postholder will help coordinate this complex programme of work so that milestones, dependencies, risks and decisions are managed effectively. The resulting Plan will support sustainable, inclusive growth.

Working in partnership with the Planning Policy team within Planning, Policy & Building Control, the postholder will complement specialist planning knowledge with strong programme-management skills, governance and delivery support.

Through the Programme Management Office, the postholder will help coordinate Local Plan workstreams across organisational and professional boundaries. Strong oversight and assurance will support accountability and evidence-based decisions, with effective management of milestones, resources, risks, dependencies and engagement. These controls will keep the programme focused on statutory delivery and outcomes for communities.

This is a career-graded role. Appointments will be made at Level 1 or Level 2 according to the applicant’s knowledge, experience and ability to meet the relevant job-profile criteria.

• Level 1: Suitable for candidates developing their programme-management experience. The postholder will undertake defined activities with guidance, supporting programme planning, reporting, governance, risk management and stakeholder coordination.
• Level 2: Suitable for experienced candidates able to work with greater autonomy. The postholder will lead significant workstreams, provide programme assurance, manage complex risks and dependencies, advise senior stakeholders and support delivery against statutory milestones.

Applicants must clearly state which level they are applying for and demonstrate how they meet that level’s criteria in the relevant job profile.

Your role:

• Apply programme-management skills and learning from regeneration programmes to maintain an integrated Local Plan programme covering evidence, policy development, infrastructure and investment dependencies, engagement, statutory consultation, examination and adoption.
• Coordinate Local Plan activity across Economic Development, Planning and other council services, bringing together specialist contributions and ensuring that interdependencies, responsibilities and deadlines are clearly understood.
• Use effective Programme Management Office controls, including governance schedules, highlight reporting, risk and issue management, change control and decision logs, to support consistent and assured delivery.
• Monitor statutory and corporate milestones, identify emerging delivery pressures and support timely escalation, recovery planning and informed decisions.
• Provide programme boards and senior leaders with concise performance information, analysis and recommendations to support effective decisions on Local Plan delivery.
• Coordinate contributions from planning specialists, regeneration colleagues, consultants, infrastructure providers, public bodies, developers, businesses, communities and other stakeholders, building shared ownership of place-based outcomes.
• Apply programme-planning skills to help ensure that consultation and engagement activity is inclusive, properly sequenced, well documented and aligned with the wider Local Plan programme.
• Transfer relevant experience from regeneration and other complex programmes to support procurement, budget monitoring, resource planning and contract management where required.
• Maintain a clear audit trail of evidence, decisions, consultation and programme changes, supporting transparency, assurance and independent examination.
• Translate complex planning, regeneration, technical and performance information into clear narratives for elected members, senior leaders, partners and communities.
• Apply a systems-based, outcome-focused approach that connects planning policy with regeneration, delivery, investment and community priorities, captures learning and improves programme standards.

Your impact

This role will turn the council’s strategic ambitions into a coordinated framework for shaping Barnsley’s places. By joining up planning, economic development, infrastructure, investment and engagement, you will help manage competing priorities and maintain a shared focus on long-term social, economic and environmental outcomes. Strong programme controls will support the council’s statutory responsibility to deliver a sound, evidence-led and effective Local Plan.

What we offer:

• A supportive and inclusive work culture where your contributions are valued and your ideas are heard.
• Opportunities for professional development and advancement, with access to training programmes and mentorship initiatives.
• A competitive salary and benefits package, including flexible working arrangements and generous holiday allowances.

Requirements:

• Exceptional organisational ability and attention to detail, with the capacity to manage multiple priorities, workstreams and deadlines effectively.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build productive relationships across Economic Development, Planning and other internal and external stakeholders.
• Experience of programme or project planning, governance, performance reporting, and managing risks, issues and dependencies, appropriate to the level applied for.
• The ability to interpret complex quantitative and qualitative information and present clear, concise advice to a range of audiences.
• A proactive work ethic and positive mindset, with a commitment to collaboration, continuous improvement and driving positive change within the community.
• It is desirable for applicants to hold a recognised qualification in programme or project management, such as Managing Successful Programmes (MSP), or to demonstrate equivalent relevant experience.

At Barnsley Council, we believe in second chances and value diversity. Our recruitment process is inclusive, and we welcome applicants with past convictions. We're committed to fairness and do not discriminate. Join us in building a future where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. #InclusiveHiring #SecondChances"