Delivery Hub Senior Project Manager

at  Department for Science Innovation Technology

JOB SUMMARY

At DSIT we’re all about improving people’s lives by maximising the potential of science & technology.
We accelerate innovation, investment and productivity through world-class science, research and development.
We use technology for good by ensuring new and existing technologies are safely developed and deployed across the UK, with the benefits more widely shared.
We are driving forward a modern digital government which gives citizens a more satisfying experience and their time back.
We do all this to enable the Government’s 5 national missions: kickstarting economic growth, making Britain a clean energy superpower, taking back our streets, breaking down barriers to opportunity and building an NHS fit for the future.
Above all, we focus on improving people’s lives. Whether it’s researching new treatments for disease, developing better batteries, reducing burdens through better public services, keeping children safe online, and much more, outcomes for citizens are at the heart of what we do.

JOB DESCRIPTION

The Matrix Programme is a transformation initiative involving 9 Departments (listed at end). It is a unique cross-government collaboration that will unlock simpler, better, and more joined up working by bringing together the systems, processes, and ways of working for key government functions such as HR, Finance or Procurement, commonly known as Shared Services.
The Programme is part of the Shared Services Team, a fantastic team passionate about improving the existing shared services experience for DSIT and its partners whilst working to deliver the strategic objectives of the new Government Shared Services Strategy!
We will deliver the Government’s three overarching objectives for shared services:
1. Better experience for all users - intuitive systems that are easy to use and mobile-enabled.
2. Efficiency and value for money - better systems and services which support productivity and seek to reduce costs.
3. Standardised processes and data - support interoperability, making it easier to understand and compare corporate data.
Departments forming the Matrix Programme: Cabinet Office (CO), Department for Science Innovation and Technology (DSIT), Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS), Department for Business Trade (DBT), Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), Department for Education (DfE), Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC), Attorney’s General Office (AGO) and His Majesty’s Treasury (HMT).

SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

Required:

• A strong background of working in high-pressure, demanding project delivery environments
• Proven experience of excelling in risk-based decision making, whilst operating in a limited-information environment
• Ability to make and implement independent decisions at pace
• Excellent communication and engagement skills; building and maintaining relationships with colleagues at all levels and across teams, articulating constructive challenges when required
• Candidates will have strong reporting skills, with a keen eye for detail, ensuring effective and efficient reporting of activity whilst suggesting mitigations for obstacles and blockers
• Confidence to challenge complex organisational processes, and identifying un-necessary complications
• Candidates will be adaptable, and have experience of working in a changing environment, where continuous improvements to processes and reporting methodology are sought and encouraged
• Candidates will have strong interpersonal skills, influencing others to provide the information and activity required to ensure the project is on track
• Prioritisation skills – the ability to dynamically manage multiple work activities and to change priorities swiftly
• Ability to develop, produce and improve appropriately targeted reports for use by clients and senior colleagues
• Motivating a team in a fast-paced environment, managing distractions to ensure focus whilst retaining adaptability

Desirable:

It would be desirable to hold one of the following qualifications:

• APM Project Management Qualification
• Prince2/ MSP qualification

TECHNICAL SKILLS

We’ll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Governance

Benefits
Alongside your salary of £54,415, Department for Science, Innovation & Technology contributes £15,764 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology offers a competitive mix of benefits including:

• A culture of flexible working, such as job sharing, homeworking and compressed hours.
• Automatic enrolment into the Civil Service Pension Scheme, with an employer contribution of 28.97%.
• A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by 1 day per year up to a maximum of 30.
• An extensive range of learning & professional development opportunities, which all staff are actively encouraged to pursue.
• Access to a range of retail, travel and lifestyle employee discounts.
• Project Delivery Profession Allowance - £3135 - Subject to proof of a relevant in date qualification, further information can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/project-delivery-capability-framework-for-civil-servants

NATIONALITY REQUIREMENTS

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Short Summary:
Working in the Matrix Delivery Hub you will be at the delivery end of the programme, collaborating with the external system integrator, as well as working with multiple government departments. Focused on project delivery, you will provide leadership to a team of project professionals acting as the catalysts for agile decision making and issue resolution, along with reporting internally and to programme stakeholders.
You will have a confirmed background in PPM methods with an eye for detail to make sure things happen when needed. You will need excellent interpersonal skills for presenting updates to different audiences. You will need drive and tenacity; and if you thrive in periods of transformation, then this is an exciting opportunity for you!

Key Responsibilities include but not limited to:

• Work in conjunction with Head of Delivery Management, prioritising workload to deputise for them as required
• Provide leadership of the function, overseeing all delivery hub activity
• Anticipation, identification and mitigation of risks and issues, constantly horizon-scanning to stay ahead of blockers
• Create and motivate a matrix-managed team, providing cross-programme leadership
• Lead collaboration with colleagues in the Transition Office to ensure efficiency and alignment of plans
• Form a critical link between the Delivery Hub and Cutover Leads, managing information flow between the two areas and providing assurance of alignment of plans
• Lead a team of Delivery Managers to ensure effective and efficient reporting of activity, providing mitigations for obstacles and blockers
• Develop, maintain and continuously improve reporting methodology for internal and external stakeholders.
• Implement and drive the use of effective tooling to streamline processes and reporting
• Build strong and effective relationships with external suppliers and internal teams to facilitate effective working at pace.
• Ensure successful delivery against key commercial milestones
• Drive scheduling of delivery management activity, ensuring engagement with relevant stakeholders is balanced with timeline and progress management.
• Governance – Support effective governance and decision making. Provide reporting and engage in mechanisms that hold you, as Project Manager, to account
• Assurance – Engage with assurance reviews and support action on recommendations. Organise assurance processes such as gateway reviews, as required