Project Manager

Sheffield City Council; Sheffield; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous holiday entitlement

Flexible working

Job share

Reduced hours

Job summary

Sheffield City Council is seeking an experienced Project Manager to lead the SEND Transformation Programme, coordinating cross‑sector work across education, health and care services to implement reforms that improve outcomes for children, young people and families.

You will manage multiple workstreams, strengthen partnerships and ensure projects are delivered on time, within scope and with meaningful impact, involving stakeholders and co‑production with families and young people.

Qualifications

• Proven track record delivering complex projects and transformation programmes.
• Experience of leading change across organisational boundaries.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and relationship-building skills.
• Experience of working within education, SEND, health, local government or related public services.
• Excellent communication, presentation and influencing skills.
• Ability to analyse complex information and translate into practical solutions.
• Experience of programme governance, reporting and risk management.
• Understanding of the national SEND Reform agenda and related challenges.
• Commitment to co-production with families and partners.

Responsibilities

• Lead complex cross-organisational projects to deliver SEND Transformation Programme.
• Coordinate activity across education, health and care services and external partners.
• Monitor progress, manage risks and ensure delivery on time and within scope.
• Support governance, reporting and programme oversight arrangements.
• Engage with families, young people and stakeholders to co-produce solutions.

Skills

Project management

Cross-organisational leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Education/SEND sector experience

Communication and influencing

Analytical reasoning

Governance, reporting and risk

Co-production with families

Change management

Job description

We are seeking an experienced and highly motivated Project Manager to lead and coordinate key elements of this transformation programme. This is an exciting opportunity to play a pivotal role in shaping how services work together to deliver earlier intervention, improved inclusion, and better experiences for children, young people and families across the city. Working across education, health, social care and the voluntary sector, you will support the implementation of SEND Reform priorities, helping to develop sustainable systems, strengthen partnership working and ensure that change is delivered effectively and positively.

About the Role As Project Manager, you will lead complex, cross-organisational projects that support the delivery of Sheffield's SEND Transformation Programme. You will work closely with senior leaders, service managers, schools, health partners, parent carers and young people to coordinate activity, monitor progress and ensure that projects are delivered on time, within scope and achieve meaningful impact. A key focus of the role will be supporting the development and implementation of reforms aligned to the national SEND agenda, including:

• Development and implementation of Sheffield's Graduated Approach


• Early identification and intervention pathways


• Inclusive practice across education settings


• Partnership working across education, health and care services


• Service redesign and transformation activity


• Monitoring impact and outcomes of reform initiatives


• Stakeholder engagement and co-production with families and young people


• Supporting governance, reporting and programme oversight arrangements

You will be responsible for managing multiple workstreams, identifying and mitigating risks, coordinating resources and ensuring strong communication across a diverse range of stakeholders.

We are looking for someone who combines excellent project management skills with a passion for improving outcomes for children and young people. You will have:

• A proven track record of successfully delivering complex projects and transformation programmes


• Experience of leading change across organisational boundaries


• Strong stakeholder engagement and relationship-building skills


• Experience of working within education, SEND, health, local government or related public services


• Excellent communication, presentation and influencing skills


• The ability to analyse complex information and translate it into practical solutions


• Experience of programme governance, reporting and risk management


• An understanding of the national SEND Reform agenda and the challenges facing local SEND systems


• A commitment to co-production and working collaboratively with families and partners

Project management qualifications (PRINCE2, MSP, Agile or equivalent) are desirable.

Sheffield is embarking on an ambitious programme of SEND Transformation, driven by the national SEND and Alternative Provision Improvement Plan and our commitment to improving outcomes for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). This is a unique opportunity to contribute to one of the city's most important improvement programmes. You will join a dedicated team committed to creating a more inclusive system where children and young people receive the right support, at the right time, in the right place.

Our Sheffield Ambition At Sheffield City Council, we are committed to creating a city where everyone can thrive. Through our SEND Transformation Programme, we are working collaboratively with children, young people, families, schools, health partners and communities to build a more inclusive Sheffield.

This role directly supports the delivery of Sheffield's strategic ambitions by helping to:

• Improve outcomes and life chances for children and young people


• Reduce inequalities and ensure equitable access to support


• Strengthen inclusion within education settings and local communities


• Deliver services through partnership, co-production and collaboration


• Create a sense of belonging, where every child, young person and family feels valued, heard and supported


• Support Sheffield's vision of a fairer, healthier and more inclusive city

If you are passionate about system change, inclusion and making a lasting difference for children and young people, we would love to hear from you. We are investing in our workforce and are promoting opportunities to our under-represented groups. We value equality, diversity and inclusion and are focused on increasing the diversity of our workforce, particularly the number of Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic, Disabled and LGBTQ+ people, so that our teams reflect the communities in the city we serve. We are also supporting staff with unpaid caring responsibilities to work flexibly.

Full-time employees work 37 hours for 52 weeks of the year and we offer a generous holiday entitlement. We are open to discussions about a wide range of flexible working opportunities which benefit you and the Council, including reduced hour contracts, working part time or as a job share.

• generous holiday entitlement


• flexible working opportunities which benefit you and the Council, including reduced hour contracts, working part time or as a job share

If you are appointed to this role, your starting salary will be at the bottom of the grade. If you provide payslip evidence that your basic pay is greater than the bottom of the grade, we will consider starting you at the point of minimum advantage within the grade. Equality of pay is extremely important to us. All roles at Sheffield City Council are going through an evaluation process which may result in changes to some pay arrangements from 2026. Find out more on our

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all individuals, ensuring a safe and supportive environment for everyone and where appropriate to the role the successful applicant will be required to undertake relevant safeguarding checks.