Hours: 37
Contract: Temporary
Location: Farnley Hall and Home Working
INTERNAL ONLY VACANCY. This post is open to existing Leeds City Council employees only. Applications will not be considered from external candidates.
As a Senior Project Officer focusing on the Leeds Ash Dieback Programme, you’ll thrive on leading the development of key aspects of this new and innovative programme that will enable truly long-term proactive management of trees that are infected with Ash Dieback and the timely mitigation of potential risks to people and property. The role will involve seeking new opportunities and partnerships to ensure that Leeds has a full understanding of the spread of this disease and its potential impacts. Central to this is the continued development of our in-house Ash Dieback Management System which, built into ArcGIS and the associated Field Maps App, will provide real-time data collection and editing to ensure accurate tree locations, height and condition, as well as recommended actions, including provision (where required) of Traffic Management, together with a full range of estimated costs. This system is being designed to allow access by a developing multidisciplinary team, including surveyors and contractors, and is currently being trialled as an integral part of a ‘Pilot’ contract. You will possess the knowledge and skill to manage this ‘Pilot’ phase of the Management System and support colleagues and contractors in its use and development.
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
* Drive, energy, resilience, and self-management skills as well as integrity, openness, and awareness of others in delivering non-complex projects.
* An ability to employ a range of project management tools and techniques which focus on achieving results in terms of outcomes for staff and customers.
* Excellent communication skills with the ability to influence and negotiate to form positive relationships with a variety of stakeholders.
* Degree or relevant demonstrable skills or experience.
* Excellent management skills of people, teams, and projects.
About the role
* This role forms an exciting position within the new Ash Dieback Programme, utilising groundbreaking technology to develop a fully sustainable proactive programme of work.
* An exciting opportunity to develop and promote a GIS-based Management System.
* Work in partnership with a broad spectrum of Council colleagues, plus external consultancies, Forestry Commission, and Network Rail.
* Work with a knowledgeable, dynamic, and passionate team.
* Diverse and requires flexibility and excellent communication skills to work with a range of partners, elected members, teams, and the public.
* Contribute to the Best City ambitions for Zero Carbon and delivery of the Leeds Parks and Green Spaces Strategy.
As our new Senior Project Officer (Ash Dieback), you’ll use this opportunity to showcase your abilities by managing a new approach to proactive tree management. You’ll be a friendly, organised, approachable member of a great team in the Green Spaces Service. The position is critical to the successful development and delivery of the proactive management of a major tree disease, to ensure that risks to people and property are minimised and a roadmap for affordable, sustainable management is realised.
The role is integral to the emerging Ash Dieback Project team, and you will report to the Project Manager and form part of the Ash Dieback Programme Board which is chaired by the Chief Officer Climate, Energy and Green Spaces.
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
How to apply
Please complete the online application form. Read our guidance for further advice. Please check your information carefully and ensure you complete all sections before submitting your application.
If you have any queries or would like an informal chat about the role, please contact Glenn Gorner (Project Manager (Ash Dieback) Call 0113 3788156 or email glen.gorner@leeds.gov.uk).
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults.
We promote diversity and want a workforce that reflects the population of Leeds and the communities we serve. Leeds City Council is recognised in Stonewall’s Workplace Equality Index 2024. We are also an Age-friendly Employer, a Mindful Employer, and a Disability Confident Leader.
All new Leeds City Council appointments are made subject to the satisfactory completion of a six-month probationary period.
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, candidates must consider their own eligibility for sponsorship for a particular role through the Skilled Worker route before applying. To be eligible for sponsorship, you'll usually need to be paid the 'standard' salary rate of at least £38,700 per year or meet one of the other eligibility criteria. For more information visit Skilled Worker visa on the government website. Please ensure you are eligible before applying.
Job Description
Job Purpose:
We are at the forefront of the council’s strategy for a sustainable city. Since declaring a climate emergency, Leeds City Council has invested hundreds of millions of pounds on our plans to end the city’s contribution to climate change and to improve the city’s resilience against future climate hazards.
Working as part of the Climate & Energy team, you will live and model values and behaviours to help us achieve our ambition to become the best city council in the country.
Your role will be important in supporting the achievement of our Best Council ambitions to: be efficient and enterprising; become more financially sustainable and resilient, safeguarding public funds while achieving value for money; have a modern, efficient, sustainable estate; promote a more competitive, less wasteful, more resource-efficient, low carbon economy.
The post holder will be responsible for leading limited complexity projects and supporting professional and management functions in respect of projects and sub-projects of complex projects, as well as supporting the authority to meet a range of statutory and regulatory undertakings in relation to, for example, procurement, planning, and highways and supporting the provision of advice to elected members and directorates on related commercial or other activity.
The Senior Project Officer will be able to demonstrate relevant skills and experience in project management and will be responsible for leadership functions of non-complex projects, or the management of a sub-project within a complex project in most competence elements of project management.
Further responsibilities also include supporting the management of projects on behalf of the council, utilising and coordinating resources from across the Council and contributing to innovation in project development.
Responsibilities:
* Support and deliver non-complex projects or complex sub-projects, planning, organising, coordinating, delivering and monitoring sub-projects and workstreams to ensure agreed outcomes within a context of budget pressures and funding restrictions.
* Support the management of projects and the application of project management tools, techniques, and controls, ensuring the delivery and improvement of services which meet the needs of our communities and stakeholders.
* Provide advice on project matters across the authority to senior officers and other stakeholders.
* Contribute to effective joint working within the council. Provide direction and support to colleagues, clients, and immediate line reports, creating an organisational culture of shared accountabilities, learning, and continuous improvement.
* Contribute to new ways of working and to partnership working and relationships with key clients both internal and external to the council, to improve corporate priority outcomes and to ensure that developments and improvements remain focused on delivering outcomes for local people.
* Promote and support positive solutions to achieve diversity and equality of opportunity in all aspects of service delivery, community engagement activity, and human resource areas.
* Support effective consultation and communications with colleagues, clients, councillors, partners, and other stakeholders in accordance with council policy.
* Support open, responsive, and accountable government, ensuring good governance compliance with financial and procurement procedures.
* Manage all aspects of risk and be responsible for the safety of staff, clients, and contractors in accordance with all statutory obligations and relevant health and safety policies.
* Manage non-complex projects and/or sub-projects of complex public sector projects, contributing to key project documentation and effective project decision-making, data analysis, reporting, governance, and delivery.
* Support the matrix management of resources within projects across the council.
* Advise colleagues and internal clients on the project delivery of non-complex projects including coordinating associated commercial input and interfaces with other professions such as legal, finance, and technical.
* Manage and lead the identification and mitigation of risks and issues in all projects.
* Provide advice to the council on standards for the delivery of non-complex projects and complex project sub-projects through the development of project initiation/pre-procurement documentation for the feasibility, project initiation, expression of interest, and outline business case stages of a project, including undertaking options appraisal and developing pre-procurement strategies for the presentation of projects to the market.
* Lead the development and implementation of project management tools and techniques including developing business cases.
* Support the identification and pursuit of relevant funding opportunities, completing applications and supporting the development of bids to external bodies to support the council’s objectives.
* Act as a mentor for the council in disseminating project ideas and best practices to clients and other project management professionals.
* Implement standardised project management methodologies including managing the organisation of projects, development of objectives, benefits realisation, risk, issues, actions, configuration logs, scope, resources, programming/planning, costs, reporting, and change.
* Support the undertaking of stakeholder consultation, developing communications and stakeholder plans in relation to the council’s projects.
* Support the delivery of complex multi-competing workstream projects (e.g. complex public sector procurements) in accordance with the council’s governance and management arrangements.
* Provide support to the formulation of bids to Government agencies in relation to complex public sector projects in accordance with the council's asset management priorities.
* Ensure compliance with statutory undertakings.
* Ensure safety and safeguarding requirements are complied with.
Qualifications:
The following are essential:
* Degree or relevant demonstrable skills or experience.
* Relevant demonstrable skills or experience at a level equivalent to IPMA Level C and/or APMP.
* Experience of supporting complex multi and competing workstream projects.
* Experience of managing non-complex projects or sub-projects within large scale multi-disciplinary projects, and coordinating the associated commercial approach.
* Demonstrate drive, energy, resilience, and self-management skills as well as integrity, openness, and awareness of others in delivering non-complex projects.
* Ability to present complex information in a clear and concise manner using a variety of presentational forms.
* Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary project environment and coordinating inputs from across a project team.
* Experience of supporting a multi-disciplinary and occasionally geographically dispersed project team.
* Experience of successful management of change programmes which reflect service needs, provide value for money and maintain quality.
* Ability to find and implement creative and innovative solutions to complex problems in a project environment.
* Excellent communication skills with the ability to influence and negotiate to form positive relationships with a variety of stakeholders.
* Ability to employ a range of project management tools and techniques which focus on achieving results in terms of outcomes for staff and customers.
* Experience of delivering a high level of customer satisfaction through leading non-complex projects.
* Knowledge, understanding, and experience of performance management and programme/project management to drive service improvement.
* Understanding and practical experience of complex public sector projects and commercial approach from feasibility to service delivery.
Essential Behavioural & other Characteristics:
* Committed to continuous improvement in all areas and work towards delivering the Best City Ambition of Health & Wellbeing, Inclusive Growth, and Zero Carbon.
* Able to understand and observe Leeds City Council equality and diversity policies.
* Carry out all duties having regard to an employee’s responsibility under Health and Safety Policies.
* Willingness to actively participate in training and development activities.
* Flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required commensurate to grade.
* Participate in appraisal, training, and development activities.
* Be aware of and comply with Leeds City Council policies and procedures.
* Be aware of and support difference and ensure equality for all working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding equality & diversity policies 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.
* The Council has adopted a flexibility protocol and the role will be expected to work within these parameters.
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