Project Officer - Children's Services | £36,581 - £39,481

Barnsley; Barnsley; Hybrid; GBP 37,000 - 39,000; Full time

Job summary

Barnsley Council is seeking a proactive Project Officer to join the Children’s Services Directorate. You will support senior leaders, drive improvement projects and coordinate programmes such as Families First and SEND reform, while promoting governance, efficiency and innovative digital solutions.

You will work across services to streamline processes, gather data for decision-making, and help implement AI-enabled tools to reduce bureaucracy and free staff time for children and families.

Qualifications

• Highly organised and motivated, able to manage competing priorities.
• Experience of supporting projects, programmes or service improvement.
• Strong communication and analytical skills with stakeholders.
• Experience with digital transformation, automation or AI-enabled tools is an advantage.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate the Children's Services Forward Plan and governance.
• Support transformation and improvement programmes.
• Improve systems, reporting and tracking for accountability and delivery.
• Coordinate Cabinet Briefings and senior leadership priorities.
• Support Directorate Management Team meetings and programme coordination.
• Coordinate staff communications, events and newsletters.
• Identify challenges and implement practical process improvements.
• Develop digital, automation and AI-enabled approaches to improve efficiency.
• Gather, analyse and present information to support decisions.

Skills

Organised

Communication skills

Analytical skills

Stakeholder engagement

Project support experience

Tools

AI-enabled tools

Automation tools

Job description

Position reference:50141412

Directorate:Children's Services | Service:Children & Family Social Care

Salary: £36,581 - £39,481

Working Arrangements: 3 days office/onsite - 2 days hybrid

Hours per week: 37

Contract type: Permanent

We are happy to talk flexible working arrangements with you, please get in touch .

See our range of Employee Rewards:

Closing date: 30/10/2026a t 23:59

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.

When applying, please ensure you are prepared to start work with all the necessary legal documents, such as a valid visa, relevant to the type of work you will be undertaking. 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 Children & Family Social Care 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.
• There's so much happening in our thriving borough and your talent and skills will help us make .
• 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:

We're looking for a proactive and enthusiastic Project Officer to join our Children's Services Directorate Management Team. This is an exciting opportunity to work at the centre of Children's Services, supporting senior leaders to drive improvement, transformation and innovation. You'll help deliver projects that improve outcomes for children, young people and families, including major programmes such as Families First, SEND reform and wider service transformation. You'll collaborate across the directorate to coordinate projects, strengthen governance, and improve the way we work. You'll also help us use digital innovation, automation and AI-enabled tools to reduce bureaucracy and free up staff time to focus on children and families. This role is ideal for someone who enjoys solving problems, improving processes and making things happen.

What you’ll do

• Coordinate the Children's Services Forward Plan and support directorate governance and decision-making.
• Support key transformation and improvement programmes across Children's Services.
• Improve systems, reporting and tracking arrangements to strengthen accountability and delivery.
• Coordinate Cabinet Spokesperson Briefings and support senior leaders with strategic priorities.
• Support Directorate Management Team meetings, action tracking and programme coordination.
• Coordinate staff communications and engagement, including events and newsletters.
• Work across services to identify challenges, improve processes and implement practical solutions.
• Help develop digital, automation and AI-enabled approaches that improve efficiency and service delivery.
• Gather, analyse and present information to support improvement and decision-making.

About you

You’ll be highly organised, motivated and able to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment. You'll have experience of supporting projects, programmes, service improvement, or organisational change, and be confident working with a wide range of stakeholders. You'll bring strong communication and analytical skills, a solutions-focused mindset, and a genuine passion for improving services for children and young people. Experience of digital transformation, automation or AI-enabled tools would be an advantage.

Please use the documents below to help support you with your application form.

Job Profile:

Vacancy Exposure Profile:

Please ensure you view the job profile for this role, as you will need to demonstrate in your application formhow you meet the required criteria.

We welcome the opportunity to have a chat about the role and are happy to address any questions you may have about flexible working arrangements, including as a result of caring responsibilities.

We're committed to creating a workplace where differences are valued and everyone truly feels able to be themselves. If you have any support needs during the recruitment process, please let us know.

CV's are not accepted for this role.

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