Project Support (Maternity Cover) – West Midlands Fire Service

National Fire Chiefs Council Limited.; West Midlands; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading fire service organisation in the West Midlands is seeking a Strategic Planning Officer to support project governance and strategic initiatives. The role involves developing project processes, engaging with senior stakeholders, and fostering collaboration for community safety. Strong project management skills and experience with Microsoft Office 365 are required.

Qualifications

• A strong understanding of project and programme management principles and processes.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to influence and engage senior stakeholders.
• Experience in project governance, benefits realisation, and risk management.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities, with a data-driven approach to decision-making.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain robust project governance processes.
• Provide guidance to senior officers and project teams to drive consistency.
• Monitor and report on programme benefits.
• Support integration of project and risk management across the organisation.
• Build relationships with leaders to promote collaboration.
• Contribute to the design of WMFS project management systems.
• Identify opportunities for continuous improvement.
• Support wider Strategy team initiatives.

Skills

Project management principles

Excellent communication skills

Experience in project governance

Analytical abilities

Proficiency in Microsoft Office 365

Job description

Project Support (Maternity Cover) – West Midlands Fire Service

West Midlands Fire Service (WMFS) is the second largest fire and rescue service in England, serving an area of 902km square and a population of more than 2.9 million people.

Our vision is ‘Making the West Midlands safer, stronger and healthier’.

This vision and the strategic goals outlined in ‘Our Strategy’ are what drives the people, professionalism and pride with which we serve our communities.

Do you thrive on turning strategy into action? Are you motivated by helping complex organisations deliver measurable outcomes and continuous improvement? West Midlands Fire Service (WMFS) is seeking a highly skilled and proactive Strategic Planning Officer to join our Governance and Strategic Performance team.

This is a pivotal role at the heart of WMFS, supporting the delivery of our strategic priorities and ensuring projects and programmes are effectively planned, governed, and aligned to organisational objectives. You will work closely with senior leaders, project managers, and teams across the Service, embedding best practice in programme management, risk oversight, and benefits realisation.

With a strong focus on innovation and continuous improvement, you will be helping WMFS to not only achieve but exceed its ambitions, ensuring our communities remain safer, stronger, and healthier.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain robust project governance processes, including planning, milestones, scope definition, financial controls, and change management
• provide guidance, tools, and assurance to senior officers and project teams to drive consistency and efficiency in project delivery
• monitor and report on programme benefits, demonstrating measurable impact and alignment with strategic goals
• support integration of project and risk management across the organisation, maintaining oversight of corporate risk registers
• build strong relationships with leaders and teams to promote collaboration, innovation, and best practice in strategic project delivery
• contribute to the design, development, and enhancement of WMFS project management systems and methodologies
• stay informed of emerging trends and tools in programme and portfolio management, identifying opportunities for continuous improvement
• support wider Strategy team initiatives to ensure corporate objectives are delivered effectively.

Experience and skills

We are looking for someone with:

• A strong understanding of project and programme management principles and processes
• excellent communication skills, with the ability to influence and engage senior stakeholders
• experience in project governance, benefits realisation, and risk management
• strong analytical and problem-solving abilities, with a data-driven approach to decision-making
• proficiency in Microsoft Office 365 applications, particularly Planner, Excel, Word, and PowerPoint