Project Support Officer

Essex County Council; Chelmsford; Hybrid; GBP 26,000 - 32,000; Full time

Job summary

A notable public sector organization is seeking a Project Support Officer to assist with a major programme reform in Children’s Social Care and Education. The candidate will support project management activities, maintain documentation, and monitor progress. Ideal for someone with experience in a project support role within complex organizations. The position offers a full-time hybrid working environment and recognition from industry awards.

Qualifications

• Experience in a project support role in a large, complex organisation.
• Ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience of working within a public sector setting.

Responsibilities

• Maintain effective planning and scheduling of projects.
• Assist in maintaining project controls and producing reports.
• Manage programme/project file documentation and version control.
• Serve as a point of contact for external information requests.
• Monitor project spend and assist in budget updates.
• Share insights and escalate issues to project managers.

Skills

Organizational skills

Communication

Interpersonal skills

Stakeholder engagement

Education

GCSE or equivalent

Job description

Project Support Officer

Fixed Term, Full Time

£26,951 to £31,706 per annum

Location: Chelmsford

Closing Date: 13th November 2025

Project Support Officer - Children's Social Care and Education Reform

This is a 12-month fixed term contract role (full-time and hybrid working), with potential for extension.

Essex County Council is delivering a major programme of reform across Children's Social Care and Education Services. We are seeking a highly organised and proactive Project Support Officer to assist in the delivery of key projects within this transformation programme.

Working primarily alongside the Programme Manager and Project Manager, you will play a vital role in enabling the smooth running of programme and project activity. You will support the coordination of business management tasks, maintain documentation, and assist with reporting and monitoring progress across specific projects and workstreams.

You may also be asked to oversee small projects or discrete pieces of work under direction, contributing to the successful implementation of change, including the Families First Partnership Programme and the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill.

Hosted within Essex County Council's Transformation Team, the Project Support Officer will apply the Council's established change methodology, standards, and governance to ensure consistency and quality in programme delivery.

The ideal candidate will be highly organised, able to manage competing priorities, and possess strong communication and interpersonal skills. You will be comfortable engaging with stakeholders at different levels across Essex County Council and partner organisations, and confident in supporting delivery within a complex and fast-paced environment.

You’ll be joining an award-winning team, recognised in the APM Project Management Awards, winning ‘Public Sector Organisation of the Year Award 2023’.

You can find out more about this and the teams achievements in our blog.

Accountabilities

• Support the teams by maintaining appropriate systems to ensure effective planning and scheduling of projects or programmes.
• Support the team by assisting them in maintaining project controls and producing project reports to ensure adequate and regular monitoring of project progress.
• Responsible for programme/project file management using robust version control and organising programme/project boards and meetings, together with providing support to ensure efficient operation of day-to-day activities.
• Supports the programme/project teams by being a main point of contact for responses to external requests for information and engaging with both internal and external contacts.
• Supports the teams by monitoring programme/project spend and contribute to the compilation of budget updates whilst also ensuring updates of other tasks, such as, maintaining risk and issue logs and clearly documenting decisions.
• Supports the team by sharing any insights or escalating issues to ensure Programme and Projects Managers are kept up to date.
• Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework.

The Experience You Will Bring

• Educated to GCSE or equivalent by experience
• Evidence of continuing professional development and knowledge in relevant professional area.
• Experience and evidence of working in a project support role in a large, complex organisation
• Curious and inspired to work in an agile environment where you can learn and develop
• Experience of engaging with others to build good working relationships and communicating effectively
• Experience of working with a broad range of individuals at different levels within the organisation and engaging with them.
• Experience of working within a political environment with knowledge of a public sector setting and involvement in a large, complex environment
• Evidence of adopting a structured and planned approach

To read more about us please visit: Corporate Services