Ministry of Justice

Directorate:  Property

Pay Band:   G7

Job Title:   Senior Project Manager

Location:   National

Successful applicants will be expected to be office based 3 days per week in any HMCTS Office (subject to business availability).

 This role requires regular travel to sites across the country, which may at times include overnight stays.

Term:         Permanent

Interview:  Video conference via Teams

Level of Clearance: To apply for this role, you will be required to successfully complete Security Clearance (SC) level as a condition of appointment. 

Important salary details:

New recruits to the Civil Service joining MoJ are expected to join at the band minimum.

Existing Civil Servants applying on promotion, will usually be appointed on the salary minimum of the new pay band, or receive an increase of 10 percent on the current base salary, whichever is higher (This is restricted to the pay maximum of the new band).

 Introduction:

These are exciting times at HM Court and Tribunals Service (HMCTS). As an agency of the MoJ, we support the judiciary across England and Wales to deliver justice by running courts and tribunals and processing outcomes, and we are looking for talented people to help us achieve our ambitions. It will be challenging, important and rewarding.

Please follow the link below for further information about HMCTS. www.gov.uk/government/organisations/hm-courts-and-tribunals-service

 About the role

PLEASE NOTE: we are seeking a reserve list as additional roles are soon to be announced. 

The role as a Senior Project Manager within the Capital and Major Projects Team in HMCTS Property Directorate offers a unique opportunity to assist in improving the justice system around the needs of all those who use it by delivering projects that deliver new and improved premises. The opportunities offered will enable you to access professional development including an enhanced and tailored development plan, and access to the unique Government Property Profession career framework, not to mention your participation in some of the country’s most ambitious projects.

As an experienced property project manager, you will be responsible for leading and managing a number of interdependent, large scale, complex or contentious projects. This will include the associated business change activities and establishing appropriate governance and assurance processes, monitoring progress, monitoring risks and issues and ensuring the business readiness for change. The role requires professional expertise in the effective use of project management methodologies and techniques. You will be responsible for the overall integrity and coherence of these projects. You will have effective leadership, interpersonal and communication skills.

Being accountable to a G6/Senior Civil Servant, you will manage projects which are high-profile, large scale or complex where the risks to be managed are significant. In this role you will have overall accountability for your projects, operating with considerable freedom. You will be comfortable working with infrequent management guidance.

 Delivery of results through others and effective negotiation at senior levels will be key. Senior Project Managers develop and maintain strategic partnerships and relationships and influence others where there may be divergent and conflicting views. This role requires significant leadership, management, representational and influencing skills both within the organisation and with external stakeholders. Work at this level can have a major impact on the achievement of departmental objectives or bear a significant risk for the department.

 Finally, you will be expected to coach and mentor junior team members across the wider profession to build professional capability.

 Your role as the Senior Project Manager encompasses several key aspects (but not limited to):

 Delivery (management and leadership)

Lead and be responsible for managing a number of interdependent, large scale, complex or contentious property capital projects where the risks to be managed are significant.

 Project Management (autonomy and own decisions)

Lead and manage the overall integrity and coherence of property capital projects. This includes the day to day management and leadership of the projects and the programme team. Provide effective leadership and management controls. Set project controls. Design the project structure and organisation appropriate to stage. Set appropriate delivery methodologies. Manage effective transition between project phases.

 Drafting Business Cases (impact and own decisions)

Provide expert support and guidance to enable development of the Business Case or Project Briefs, with input from specialists as necessary.

 Budget (impact)

Lead on developing, securing, and agreeing budget forecasts across a number of interdependent projects to enable delivery to be tracked against budget.

 Resources (management & leadership)

Use leadership knowledge and experience to understand skillset required to deploy and develop resources across a number of complex projects.  Direct line management of a medium sized team.

 Benefits Realisation (impact)

Develop and maintain Benefits Realisation Strategy, working alongside Finance colleagues to develop benefits models to ensure benefits can be tracked, and monitored to ensure the longer-term delivery of benefits against the business case. 

 Stakeholder Management (informing & advising and impact)

Develop and maintain strategic partnerships and relationships and influence others where there may be divergent and conflicting views.  Provide support and advice to project teams based on knowledge and previous experience taking ownership when required to ensure relevant outcomes are achieved.  Provide assurance to senior leaders on the effectiveness of stakeholder management arrangements.

 Risks & Issues (impact and own decisions)

Manage the risks in respect of high-profile, large scale and complex property capital programme/projects.  Taking accountability for ensuring appropriate mitigation is in place or is developed and risk are being actively managed.  Provide assurance to senior leaders that effective risk management is in place and escalation is controlled and managed effectively.

 Governance & Assurance (problem solving)

 Lead and be responsible for managing a number of interdependent, large scale, complex and contentious property capital projects ensuring the appropriate level of governance in place.  Dependency management is in place and being actively monitored and the governance lifecycle is being assured.  Implement a reporting structure to provide a mechanism to support delivery, highlighting potential problems at an early stage to enable mitigation, providing solutions and recommendations to Project Board.

 Change Management (informing and advising)

Lead on establishing and implementing protocols in respect of scope changes, including recommendations based on analysis of costs, benefits and timescales.  Flag up and determine any changes coming down the line and review change requests that are ready for movement into Boards to assess whether all impact assessments complete and we are comfortable to take to the Boards.

 Guidance & Support (informing & advising)

Provide support, guidance and coaching for the Project Team. Show commitment to personal development. Promote effective individual and team performance.

 Project Performance & Controls (problem solving and own decisions)

Provide expert guidance and insight whilst leading on developing and implementing project/programme controls on behalf of the Programme Director.  Ensure that a process in implemented that reports on project progress and status to appropriate bodies.  Identify common capabilities, opportunities for linking up and reuse and sharing of methods, process, assurance across projects/programme.  Develop and maintain the project plan, embedding new practices and lesson learned with the delivery teams.

 Key interactions will be with:

·       HMCTS, including colleagues within the wider Property Directorate, Finance and Operations

·       Ministry of Justice staff including Estates and Commercial

·       Project Senior Responsible Officers and Project Managers

·       Supplier Representatives

·       Local and Senior Judiciary

·       Stakeholders in the justice system.

·       Technical and cost consultants

 The post holder is required to work in a flexible way and undertake any other duties reasonably requested by line management which are commensurate with the grade and level of responsibility of this post.

 Person Specification

The ideal candidate for this position should demonstrate:

Essential Criteria:

·       Experience of working in the Government Property Profession in central government (or equivalent) with a track record of successful delivery.

·       Experience of leading large scale, complex or contentious property capital projects, programmes or portfolios with the ability to identify, profile and secure the resources required to deliver projects.

·       Knowledge and understanding of property capital project delivery practice including CDM 2015 Regulations and Government Soft Landings.

·       Excellent stakeholder management skills, including the ability to work across boundaries to influence and gain confidence of senior project delivery leaders and sponsors.

·       Experience of leading teams, with a strong, visible leadership to staff and stakeholders. With the ability to engage, motivate and coach others. To act as a role model, inspire and empower others.

 Desirable Criteria

·       Holds, or is working towards a Government Property Profession Core Accreditation for Property & Construction Project Management (or equivalent) (GPP Career Framework)

·       Professional project management qualification (PRINCE2 Practitioner, APM Practitioner, APM Registered Project Professional, Property Leadership Programme)

·       Extensive experience in Project Delivery, leading and delivering major property capital projects and/or substantial property capital maintenance programmes

 Application process:

 This role will be recruited using the Success Profiles framework during the sift and interview process:

·        Experience – As demonstrated in your application form and interview. A preliminary sift will be carried out against your CV. A full sift will then be carried on the Statement of Suitability for those who pass the first stage.

·        Presentation – If you are successful at sift you will be required to prepare a short 5-minute presentation at interview against the “Delivering at Pace” Civil Service behaviour, followed by questions from the panel. The presentation brief will be sent to you in advance.

·        Behaviours – You will be required to provide evidence of the following key behaviours at G7 Level.

·       Leadership

·       Making Effective Decisions.

• Level of Clearance - To apply for this role, you will be required to successfully complete Security Clearance (SC) level as a condition of appointment. To meet these requirements, you will normally need to have been resident in the UK for at least 5 years.

 Further information

Travel requirements

There will be a requirement to travel frequently in any HMCTS site in line with business needs.

Opportunities for development

HMCTS is committed to staff development and offers an extensive range of training and development opportunities, such as Government Property Profession Core Accreditation for Property & Construction Project Management (GPP Career Framework)

 Reserve List:

HMCTS run a Reserve List, where candidates who are unsuccessful at interview by only a few points, can be offered other roles, at the same band, for up to 12 months. You will be able to view your status via the application screen. If you have been added to the Reserve List, your status will show either Merit or Reserve list.