Project Officer

Leeds City Council; Leeds; Hybrid; GBP 37,000 - 39,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

West Yorkshire Pension Fund

Flexible & hybrid working

Career development opportunities

Staff benefits

Job summary

Leeds City Council is seeking a Project Officer to help deliver change that improves services and outcomes for communities across Leeds. You will support boards and transformation projects, turning ideas and plans into successful outcomes that support the Community Safety Strategy.

The role goes beyond administration, focusing on delivery within Safer Stronger Communities. You will work with colleagues, partners and stakeholders to drive service improvement, innovation and better outcomes for

Qualifications

• Experience of supporting projects, programmes or service improvement initiatives.
• Experience of managing competing priorities and working to tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience of coordinating and supporting meetings, working groups and stakeholder forums, ensuring actions, decisions and key outcomes are effectively recorded and progressed.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to coordinate activities, manage competing priorities and meet deadlines.
• Experience of monitoring project performance, tracking progress and producing reports and updates.

Responsibilities

• Support and contribute to projects within the Safer Stronger Communities transformation programmes using project management methodologies.
• Support organisational and service process reviews and contribute to change initiatives.
• Assist with update, configuration, change management and version control of programme/project documents.
• Assist with project planning and the production of programme/project/workstream plans.
• Assist capture, monitoring and reporting of issues, risks, benefits for programmes and projects.
• Help prepare briefings, reports and materials for diverse audiences.

Job description

Job title: Project Officer

Salary: SO2 £37,280 - £39,152

Hours: 37 hours per week

Contract: 2 years fixed term

As a Project Officer, you’ll thrive on helping to deliver meaningful change that improves services and outcomes for communities across Leeds. Working across a range of services and agendas, you will support various boards and transformation projects. It’s not about simply providing administrative support, it’s about being at the heart of project delivery, helping teams across the service turn ideas and plans into successful outcomes which support the Community Safety Strategy.

Leeds City Council is one of the largest employers in the region with over 14,000 employees. We seek to recruit and develop talented individuals who embody our council values and ambitions.

About You

• Experience of supporting projects, programmes or service improvement initiatives.
• Experience of managing competing priorities and working to tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment
• Experience of coordinating and supporting meetings, working groups and stakeholder forums, ensuring actions, decisions and key outcomes are effectively recorded and progressed.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to coordinate activities, manage competing priorities and meet deadlines.
• Experience of monitoring project performance, tracking progress and producing reports and updates.

About the role

As our next Project Officer, you'll have the opportunity to support projects and programmes of work that contribute to the ongoing transformation of Safer Stronger Communities. Working alongside colleagues, partners and stakeholders, you will help coordinate and support the delivery a range of workstreams that improve service effectiveness, support innovation and contribute to safer, stronger communities across Leeds.

The role is integral to Safer Stronger Communities, which supports service improvement and partnership working. The team works collaboratively with services across the Council and external partners to deliver projects, manage funding opportunities and improve outcomes for residents and communities across the city.

What We Offer You

• a competitive salary and annual leave entitlement plus statutory holidays
• membership of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund with generous employer contributions
• flexible and hybrid working arrangements subject to service requirements
• a clear career pathway and continuing professional development opportunities
• a range of staff benefits to help you boost your wellbeing and make your money go further

We welcome applications from everyone and actively seek a diverse range of applicants from all backgrounds and cultures.

We particularly encourage applications from, but not limited to, women, carers, veterans as well as LGBT+, ethnically diverse, disabled and care experienced people.

This role is based in the UK. Home Office guidance states that candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK prior to commencing employment, either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa.

If you do not have the right to work in the UK, you must consider your own eligibility for sponsorship for a particular role through the Skilled Worker visa route before applying. To be eligible for sponsorship you'll usually need to be paid the standard salary rate of at least £41,700 per year or meet one of the other eligibility criteria. Please ensure you are eligible before applying.

Job Description Job Purpose

The role supports the successful delivery of major transformation programmes and projects that advance local and national priorities for Safer Stronger Communities, driving positive outcomes for residents, partners and stakeholders.

Working collaboratively across Council services and external partners, the role helps to enable organisational change, service development and the achievement of programme objectives. Through the provision of high quality project and administrative support, the post contributes to the effective planning, governance and delivery of key programmes and projects that support the Community Safety Strategy.

Responsibilities

• To support and contribute to projects within the Safer Stronger Communities transformation programmes, using appropriate project management methodologies
• To support and contribute to organisational and service process reviews
• To assist with the effective update, configuration, change management and version control of programme and project documents
• To assist with project planning, and the production of programme/ project/ workstream plans
• To assist the capture, recording, classification, monitoring and reporting of programme, project and workstream issues and risks
• To assist the identification, monitoring, tracking and capturing of programme, project and workstream benefits.
• To assist with the development and production of business cases and other programme/ project documentation, such as the business case, highlight, end stage, exception, end project and lessons learnt reports and risk register and issue log
• To assist in the preparation of briefings, reports, publicity and other materials, and the presentation of these in ways that meet the needs of different audiences
• To supervise the ordering and requisition of goods and services for the Service Development Team, maintaining budgetary records, expenditure details and information relating to purchases and orders
• To undertake line management as required
• To support meetings, including working groups, as required, including agenda planning and preparation, attendance at meetings and minuting where appropriate/required.
• To support effective communication, completing appropriate documentation as required
• To manage competing priorities, ensuring consistency of approach with a key focus on delivery and quality.
• To keep abreast of developments, internal and external, which have implications for Safer Stronger Communities, and the wider Council
• To carry out all assignments with minimum direct supervision and in accordance with specified work programmes, project briefs, and timetables
• To maintain a high level of confidentiality
• To work within all relevant policies, procedures and systems established corporately by the Council or locally by Safer Leeds and, in particular, to support the Council’s Equal Opportunities Policies
• To carry out duties in accordance with the Council Values and Culture
• The duties outlined are not meant as an exhaustive list and will also comprise any other duties within the spirit of the post commensurate with the job evaluation outcome for this post.

Qualifications

N/A

Essential requirements

• Experience of supporting a variety of projects or a number of workstreams within a major project relating to transformation and service improvement
• Experience of supporting organisational and service process reviews or experience of a supportive role in taking a service through a period of major change
• Knowledge of formal project management methodologies, e.g. Prince II or the Council’s APM
• Experience of working in a fast paced environment or a changing workplace using structured processes, documentation and protocol
• Ability to analyse, interpret and present business data
• Understanding of the transformation agenda for Community Safety issues
• Understanding of public sector and local government issues
• Understanding of service delivery issues
• Experience of supporting or contributing to change programmes that improve service quality/delivery and support a culture that drives up standards and
• Ability to analyse operational requirements and recommend improvements.
• Experience of working to tight
• Experience of managing competing priorities and adapting to changing circumstances and performance
• Ability to make swift decisions and judgements
• Ability to work to specified work programmes and timetables
• Ability to work on own iniative
• Ability to positively contribute to and support a range of meetings
• Commitment to self development
• Experience of working effectively with others to deliver projects
• Ability to work with a range of stakeholders, who may have competing priorities and negotiate the best way forward
• Ability to develop productive working relationships that inspire respect, trust, and confidence
• Ability to work effectively with other teams, services and departments to deliver projects
• Understanding of the importance of equal opportunities in both employment and service delivery
• Willing to abide by the Council’s Equal Opportunities Policy in the duties of the post, and as an employee of Leeds City Council
• Willing to abide by, and take personal responsibility under the Council's Health and Safety Policy

Essential behavioural and other characteristics

• Understand and embrace Leeds City Council values and behaviours and codes of conduct
• Committed to continuous improvement in all areas and work towards delivering the Leeds Ambitions of health and wellbeing, inclusive growth, thriving strong communities, and a resilient sustainable city
• Able to understand and observe Leeds City Council policies and procedures
• Carry out duties having regard to an employee’s responsibility under Health, Safety and Wellbeing
• Participate in appraisal, training and development activities to ensure up, to date knowledge and skills
• Be aware of and support difference and ensure equality for all working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding equality and diversity of Leeds City Council
• Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment, victimisation and any form of abuse, reporting any concerns to the appropriate person
• Flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required commensurate to grade.
• The Council has adopted a flexibility protocol and the role will be expected to work within these parameters

Desirable requirements

• Experience of writing reports and carrying out presentations
• Experience of risk management and benefits realisation as part of project or service improvement work
• Experience of communicating key issues effectively, clearly and succinctly both in writing and verbally to a range of audiences
• Experience of dealing with matters which are highly sensitive and confidential.
• Ability to communicate key issues effectively and appropriately, verbally and in writing, to a variety of audiences
• Ability to take forward initiatives from development to implementation.
• Experience of supervising and co-ordinating the work of staff, including regularly advising, instructing and checking work