Principle Project Manager / Change Manager / Portfolio Manager(Ref: 6000)
Natural England
Apply before 11:55 pm on Sunday 3rd November 2024
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Job description
Do you have a passion for nature and the environment? Do you want to make a real difference and secure significant environmental gains in the present and the future? Do you enjoy working in a team? Can you see yourself advising communities and customers to maximise gains for the Natural Environment?
If this appeals to you, a career at Natural England offers rewarding opportunities to secure environmental improvements and play your part in creating a better future for people and nature.
The priority work Natural England is delivering includes:
- Establishing a Nature Recovery Network to help wildlife thrive.
- Monitoring environmental changes to identify and help reduce the effects of climate change;
- Working with farmers and landowners to develop greener food production methods;
- Advising on plans for new developments to maximise gains for nature, and
- Providing ways for people to better connect with nature, including green social prescribing.
We are the Government’s Adviser for the natural environment, playing a vital role in delivering the Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan, an ambitious vision which brings new opportunities to protect and enhance and to achieve real outcomes for the environment.
Find out more about the work of Natural England at: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/natural-england
This is an exciting time to be working for Natural England. We do so much for Nature and are ambitious to do even more.
We are looking for a skilled change / project manager and a portfolio manager.
Our priority work includes:
- Promoting change management best practice and growing the change capacity of the organisation
- Delivering bounded change projects to improve our internal alignment, ways of working and workforce development
- Setting Project Delivery policy, standards and processes and facilitating professional development in support of these
- Deploying Project Managers in support of initiation and back-to-green priorities
- Supporting delivery across the organisation through the effective running of the Managing the Organisation (MtO) portfolio
- Establishing clear governance frameworks and management practices aligned to the Management of Portfolios best practice
The Change Directorate is an important new team which is shaping how Natural England delivers organisational change. This is a high-profile role, shaping and delivering some of the most important projects affecting front line delivery for the whole organisation. You will be responsible for driving and overseeing the delivery of a distinct major project, ensuring that objectives, governance, timelines and costs are clear and managed.
These role(s) are essential leadership roles and will work with people across the organisation to ensure that projects deliver and that the identified outcomes can be achieved. This role will work closely with the Principal Programme Manager and other Principal Change and Project Managers in support of the priority projects.
The Organisational Change Programme focuses on delivery against four drivers for change:
- Ambitious Outcomes
- Thriving People
- Productive Working
- Powerful Relationships
The role will include regular Senior Leadership interaction and will be required to clearly and articulately present on project performance.
The successful candidate will be required to operate effectively across a complex internal stakeholder landscape, including across multiple Portfolios, navigating competing priorities and interests to ensure delivery of the best outcomes for the Organisation.
The success of this role will impact on teams across Natural England.
Job description
Principal Manager (Change) - Organisational Change Programme role:
The role of the Principal Manager (Change) (OCP) is to lead and manage a cross-Portfolio project on a day-to-day basis.
The Principal Manager is responsible for driving and overseeing the delivery and the change activities of the project to ensure that the objectives are clearly defined and achieved within the agreed time, cost and quality constraints.
The Principal Manager has a key role in project governance and working with stakeholders, to ensure the agreed project outputs are delivered to enable outcomes to be achieved and benefits to be realised. The Principal Change Manager is responsible for connecting the project team and broader stakeholder population impacted by the changes and providing strategic thought leadership and Change Management expertise to ensure Change best practice is embedded across the lifecycle of the Project.
The role will include regular Senior Leadership interaction and will be required to clearly and articulately present on the projects’ performance to the Portfolio Boards.
The role will be required to operate effectively across a complex stakeholder landscape, including cross multiple Portfolios, navigating competing priorities and interests to ensure delivery of the best outcomes for the Organization.
The outputs of the role will impact on teams across Natural England.
Responsibilities
- Day-to-day management and leadership of the project and the project 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
- The role will be responsible for co-ordinating change activities, including the development of the stakeholder engagement strategy in a complex stakeholder environment. This will involve regular interaction with Senior Leadership, acting as a visible advocate for change among colleagues impacted by the project.
- The role will also be required to manage multiple strands of change implementation, keeping plans on track through differing stages of development.
- Develop the plan, in line with directorate goals, to deliver the project. This will include managing assigned workforce resource by setting objectives, prioritising work, and managing delivery risks.
- Brief senior management, including Portfolio Committee, on risks and opportunities and make innovative recommendations on options which ensure the delivery of work meets organisational expectations.
- Establish strong collaborative working relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including with key members of NE’s Senior Leadership Team and the wider Defra Project Delivery and Change Profession.
- Develop and mentor colleagues, including those in other directorates, to upskill the organisation on Project and Change Management to ensure professional standards are established and followed.
- Influence culture change in the organisation by contributing technical knowledge, content ideas and participation in events for the NE Project and Change Management Network.
- Actively contribute to the successful delivery of the Project Delivery Function, Change Directorate and Business Management Group to maintain a team ethos enthusiastic to deliver our commitment to enable the wider organisation.
Skills and Experience
The experience required of the role are broadly aligned to the responsibilities, competencies and qualifications of a Change Manager 4 set out in Project Delivery Capability Framework (PDCF).
We are looking for the following essential experience:
- Proven experience in using change management processes, tools and techniques including, Change Impact Assessment, Stakeholder Mapping and Engagement, Benefits Identification and Management, and Business Readiness. (Essential)
- Experience of working on projects/programmes with knowledge of project planning methodology (essential).
- Experience of working on business cases, risk management and benefits management (essential).
- Experience in delivering / supporting delivery of change initiatives (essential).
- Highly developed communication skills. A track record of adapting language, and communication styles to engage and influence your audience, create a strong sense of purpose, and build credibility and trust with your stakeholders. (essential)
- Highly effective at building constructive relationships and collaborating effectively to bring in fresh perspectives and evidence that help deliver Natural England’s vision, mission and aims (essential).
- Practical experience of operating in a complex, fast-paced and dynamic environment while displaying sound judgement and effective risk management (essential).
- Ability to handle and interpret data responsibly to present compelling evidence-based recommendations. (essential)
- Ability to see the big picture, so you can set the strategic direction and priorities for the team within the context of the organisation's vision, mission and aims (essential).
- People leadership experience; being naturally inclusive, bringing the team, and others, with you by engaging, inspiring and empowering (essential).
Hold a recognised Change Manager Qualification or a minimum of 5 years direct change delivery experience e.g. one of
- APMG Change Management Qualification (essential)
- Management of Portfolios Foundation/Practitioner (desirable)
Principal Manager (Project Manager) - Organisational Change Programme role:
The role of the Principal Manager (Project Manager -OCP) is to lead and manage a cross-Portfolio project on a day-to-day basis.
The Principal Manager is responsible for driving and overseeing the delivery and the change activities of the project to ensure that the objectives are clearly defined and achieved within the agreed time, cost and quality constraints. The Principal Manager is responsible for connecting the project team and broader stakeholder population impacted by the changes and providing strategic thought leadership and expertise to ensure best practice is embedded across the lifecycle of the Project.
The Principal Manager has a key role in project governance and working with stakeholders, to ensure the agreed project outputs are delivered to enable outcomes to be achieved and benefits to be realised.
The role will include regular Senior Leadership interaction and will be required to clearly and articulately present on the projects’ performance to the Portfolio Boards.
The role will be required to operate effectively across a complex stakeholder landscape, including cross multiple Portfolios, navigating competing priorities and interests to ensure delivery of the best outcomes for the Organization.
The outputs of the role will impact on teams across Natural England.
Responsibilities
- Day-to-day management and leadership of the project and the project 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
- The role will be responsible for co-ordinating change activities, including the development of the stakeholder engagement strategy in a complex stakeholder environment. This will involve regular interaction with Senior Leadership, acting as a visible advocate for change among colleagues impacted by the project.
- The role will also be required to manage multiple strands of change implementation, keeping plans on track through differing stages of development.
- Develop the plan, in line with directorate goals, to deliver the project. This will include managing assigned workforce resource by setting objectives, prioritising work, and managing delivery risks.
- Brief senior management, including Portfolio Committee, on risks and opportunities and make innovative recommendations on options which ensure the delivery of work meets organisational expectations.
- Support effective governance and decision making. Provide reporting and engage in mechanisms that hold you, as Project Manager, to account for delivery.
- Identify and monitor project risks and issues. Develop mitigating actions and escalate as appropriate. Identify and work with related projects to manage interdependencies.
- Establish strong collaborative working relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including with key members of NE’s Senior Leadership Team and the wider Defra Project Delivery and Change Profession.
- Develop and mentor colleagues, including those in other directorates, to upskill the organisation on Project and Change Management to ensure professional standards are established and followed.
- Influence culture change in the organisation by contributing technical knowledge, content ideas and participation in events for the NE Project and Change Management Network.
- Actively contribute to the successful delivery of the Project Delivery Function, Change Directorate and Business Management Group to maintain a team ethos enthusiastic to deliver our commitment to enable the wider organisation.
Skills and Experience
The experience required of the role are broadly aligned to the responsibilities, competencies and qualifications of a Project Manager 3 set out in Project Delivery Capability Framework (PDCF).
We are looking for the following essential experience:
- Experience of working on projects/programmes with knowledge of project planning methodology (essential).
- Experience of working on business cases, risk management and benefits management (essential).
- Experience in delivering / supporting delivery of change initiatives (essential).
- Highly developed communication skills. A track record of adapting language, and communication styles to engage and influence your audience, create a strong sense of purpose, and build credibility and trust with your stakeholders. (essential)
- Highly effective at building constructive relationships and collaborating effectively to bring in fresh perspectives and evidence that help deliver Natural England’s vision, mission and aims (essential).
- Practical experience of operating in a complex, fast-paced and dynamic environment while displaying sound judgement and effective risk management (essential).
- Ability to see the big picture, so you can set the strategic direction and priorities for the team within the context of the organisation's vision, mission and aims (essential).
- People leadership experience; being naturally inclusive, bringing the team, and others, with you by engaging, inspiring and empowering (essential).
Hold a recognised Project Delivery practitioner level qualification or a minimum of 5 years direct project delivery experience e.g.
- APM Project Management Qualification or equivalent (essential)
- Management of Portfolios Foundation/Practitioner (desirable)
Principal Manager (Portfolio Approach) - Project Delivery Function role:
The role will line manage a small team of 4-5 colleagues within the Project Delivery Function (PDF) to set and embed standards and processes for the management of Portfolios to be used across the whole organisation. You will work closely with the Principal Manager of NE’s Project Delivery Centre of Excellence to provide leadership and consistency across the PDF.
This role will impact the way that Natural England manages Portfolios, Programmes and Projects and reach all parts of the organisation’s delivery. Specifically, the role will lead the relationship between the PDF and the six Portfolio Management Teams, the Planning and Performance Office and the Governance and Assurance Directorate, to align ways of working.
As part of this there is an expectation that those working in the PDF will actively promote and champion project delivery in Natural England including by engaging with the Project Management Network, to engage project managers across the organisation in the relevance of our work to theirs and to assist with the consistence raising of project delivery maturity.
Responsibilities
- The day-to-day management of the Portfolio Approach team, leading the delivery of the Portfolio Approach work in NE.
- Provide portfolio management knowledge, experience and leadership to set and embed standards for Portfolio Management, in line with organisational governance policy, Defra expectations, Government Project Delivery standards (GovS002) and the Teal Book.
- Develop the plan, in line with directorate goals, to deliver the Portfolio Approach work. This will include managing assigned workforce resource by setting objectives, prioritising work, and managing delivery risks.
- Brief senior management, including Portfolio Committee, on risks and opportunities and make innovative recommendations on options which ensure the delivery of work meets organisational expectations.
- Establish strong collaborative working relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including with key members of NE’s Senior Leadership Team and the Defra Project Delivery Profession.
- Develop and mentor colleagues, including those in other directorates, to upskill the organisation on Portfolio Management to ensure professional standards are established and followed.
- Feedback to the PDF lessons learnt and recommendations to keep the ways of working relevant, reflective of best practice and consistent with raising project delivery maturity.
- Influence culture change in the organisation by contributing technical knowledge, content ideas and participation in events for the NE Project Management Network.
- Actively contribute to the successful delivery of the Project Delivery Function, Change Directorate and Business Management Group to maintain a team ethos enthusiastic to deliver our commitment to enable the wider organisation.
Skills and Experience
The experience required of the role are broadly aligned to the responsibilities, competencies and qualifications of a Portfolio Manager 1 and/or Project Manager 3 set out in Project Delivery Capability Framework (PDCF).
We are looking for the following essential experience:
- A strong track record in displaying personal excellence and corporate responsibility; understanding the importance of good governance and role modelling the right behaviours to the teams with which you work (essential).
- People leadership experience; being naturally inclusive, bringing the team, and others, with you by engaging, inspiring and empowering (essential).
- Establishing clear governance frameworks and reporting regimes ideally aligned to the Management of Portfolios best practice (essential).
- Working with project teams to co-ordinate business case production by ensuring appropriate specialist input and timing of approval (desirable).
- Identifying and categorising new projects for a decision on entry to a portfolio. Providing updates on the pipeline to Portfolio Boards (desirable).
- Identifying and monitoring portfolio risks and implementing responses to them (desirable).
- Supporting the business to develop mechanisms for measuring and managing benefits (desirable).
Hold a recognised Project Delivery practitioner level qualification or a minimum of 5 years direct project delivery experience e.g. one of
- APM Project Management Qualification or equivalent (essential)
- Management of Portfolios Foundation/Practitioner (desirable)
Benefits
Wherever possible Natural England accommodates requests for both full-time and part-time hours and other flexible working patterns to help employees achieve a good work/life balance and maintain their health and wellbeing.
Natural England provides excellent opportunities for career progression, training and development tailored to your role. From induction to ongoing learning and development, everyone in Natural England is supported to develop their skills and capabilities. Everyone has 10 days to devote to personal learning and development, as well as an additional 3 days to volunteer.
You will have access to Civil Service Pension and benefits arrangements and generous leave allowances (33 day per year pro rata), as well as flexible working, to help you achieve a work-life balance that works for you and us.
You will have access to a range of benefits including discounts on shopping vouchers, cycle to work scheme, and childcare vouchers. You can also join the Civil Service Sport club which offer discounts on a range of sports and leisure opportunities as well as social events.
Natural England is a fantastic place to work, where difference is celebrated.
We’re committed to fairness and equality for all, so you feel valued for who you are and what you do. Our shared values help us work together to benefit the communities we serve. Our thriving employee-led diversity networks support our inclusive culture and contribute to our Diversity Action Plan.
Locations
Natural England is adopting hybrid working – which means our staff work from a flexible range of locations, encompassing home, offices (ours and our partners) and relevant sites. All new staff will be formally linked to one of our 25 offices across England and the expectation is that all new staff will be able to access their local office to be part of the community of staff in their geographical area. Full time staff are expected to attend their associated office for a minimum of one day a week. Staff members are required to carry out all their duties working in this way and cannot do so from an overseas location at any time. Travel expenses will be paid if work related travel is required but does not apply to travel between home and your associated office.
National team roles can be linked with any Natural England office while Area Team roles will be linked with an office in the relevant geographic area. View a map of our office locations here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/natural-england-office-locations
Pay
It is Natural England policy to employ at the entry point of the salary range.
You will become an active member of the relevant local leadership community, the group of senior Natural England staff in each of the localities across England who we ask to provide support and co-ordination for the local group of staff.
How to Apply
We welcome and encourage applications from all communities. Natural England is accredited to the Disability Confident Scheme, which denotes organisations which have a positive attitude towards disabled people. Disabled applicants who meet the minimum requirements for the role at the shortlisting stage are guaranteed an invitation to interview.
If you require a reasonable adjustment at interview, or there is anything else you would like the panel to take into consideration, you should notify us of this at application stage where possible, or well in advance of your interview.
This vacancy uses competency-based assessment. We'll assess you against the competencies below during the selection process:
When completing the application form you should present relevant examples using the STAR format. Give us an example of how you have demonstrated the competency (which can be work related or from another area of your life) and tell us about the Situation, the specific Task you had to undertake, the specific Actions you took, and the Result (both immediate and in a wider context) of your doing so.
Please note that STAR format is not required when answering the Technical Skills & Knowledge competency.
Examples should be given in no more than 250 words for each competency.
If we receive a significant number of applications, we reserve the right to evaluate applications on the first two competencies of Technical Skills and Knowledge and Leading and Managing People only.
If you are successful at the shortlisting stage, you will be invited to attend an interview via MS Teams or a suitable alternative, where you will be asked to give examples for all 5 competencies as set out in the Job Description.
Competencies
Competence 1
Professional competency
Detail Instance 1
Technical Skills and Knowledge (STAR format not needed for this competency):
Description Instance 1
- Appropriate project management qualifications (APM, Prince2, MSP, PP3, Agile) or a minimum of 5 years direct project management delivery experience (Essential).
• A track record in successful project delivery and simultaneous management of multiple complex projects with multiple stakeholders (Essential).
• Experience of working on business cases, risk management and benefits management (Essential).
• Experience of developing and maintaining a detailed programme of work, including key milestones, assumptions, dependencies and budget (Essential)
• Experience of leading organisational change projects (Desirable)
Competence 2
Professional competency
Detail Instance 2
Personal Effectiveness:
Description Instance 2
- Be ambitious, identify and adopt ways to make improvements in your team and your organisation and inspire others to act (Expert).
• Share expertise and knowledge with people and networks so that you can develop together (Expert).
• Act with integrity, addressing challenging issues and managing conflict through being open and objective (Practitioner).
Competence 3
Professional competency
Detail Instance 3
Work Delivery:
Description Instance 3
- See the big picture so you can set your team’s work within the context of the organisation’s vision, mission and aims, and help them understand how their work relates to and supports this (Expert).
• Manage and deliver your work to meet agreed targets and deadlines (Expert)
Competence 4
Professional competency
Detail Instance 4
Putting People at the Heart of the Environment
Description Instance 4
- Listen to and understand diverse partners and customers so that you achieve the best outcomes for them and your organisation (Expert)
Competence 5
Professional competency
Detail Instance 5
Leading and Managing People:
Description Instance 5
- Set clear plans and expectations for your team, explain reasons behind decisions, be clear on the outcomes to be achieved, and make things happen by sharing and delegating work to the right people (Expert).
• Develop an inclusive and trusting team environment that positively safeguards team members' physical and mental wellbeing (Expert).
• Encourage, inspire and support people to be ambitious, creative and innovative, and to reflect, celebrate and learn lessons from their work (Expert).
Person specification
Benefits
- Learning and development tailored to your role
- An environment with flexible working options
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
- A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
Things you need to know
Selection process details
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Nationality requirements
Working for the Civil Service
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
Diversity and Inclusion
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : Amy Hutchins
- Email : amy.hutchins@naturalengland.org.uk
- Telephone : 07771996312
Recruitment team
- Email : defra-recruitment-enquiries@gov.sscl.com
Further information
