Senior Programme Client
Department for Transport
Apply before 11:55 pm on Sunday 13th October 2024
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About the job
Job summary
We recognise the challenges that people with protected characteristics may experience on the job market and in their career progression. We are fully committed to being an inclusive employer and ensuring equal opportunities. We are keen to make our workforce as diverse as possible, and we hope to attract applications from underrepresented groups, including ethnic minorities, people with a disability, and people with gender diverse identities.
Are you seeking an opportunity to enhance your programme delivery skills?
Would you like an opportunity to work on one of the Government’s most high-profile railway enhancement programmes, supporting the regeneration of communities and regions across the north of England?
If so, we are looking for a highly motivated Senior Programme Client to monitor performance of our Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) programme, and we would love to hear from you.
Job description
The Government is committed to investing in the country’s infrastructure to grow the economy, improve productivity, and provide low carbon transport. As part of meeting these goals, we fulfil the client role for the development and delivery of railway enhancements.
TRU is a multi-billion-pound enhancement of the key east-west rail route between York and Manchester via Leeds and Huddersfield. This is one of the largest enhancement programmes on the rail network and is one of the Department for Transport’s (DfT) most significant live projects.
The TRU Enterprise brings together the DfT, Network Rail, regional Train Operating Companies (TOC), and the supply chain to ensure holistic, best-for-passenger decision making. Our DfT Client team sit outside of the TRU Enterprise, assuring programme performance on behalf of the programme’s Senior Responsible Owner (SRO), DfT ministers and other cross-government Departments.
As Senior Programme Client, you will collaborate with your counterparts within this integrated industry team to identify emerging risks and issues, analyse programme schedule and financial data for dissemination and presentation to senior leaders. You will also hold delivery partners to account to ensure best outcomes for the UK taxpayer.
In this role you will have the opportunity to work across the Department and wider government to understand and embed key lessons from other major programmes and to maintain an active network across government to ensure the Department’s role in supporting “best for programme outcomes.”
If you would like to find out more about what it's like to work at DfT Rail, please click here.
Your key responsibilities will include:
- Leadership: acting as the champion for the projects in the West of the route, working with industry partners to unblock any barriers to success. Leading by example and supporting the development of a high performing team culture and promoting effective individual and team performance.
- Clienting: ensuring the client’s requirements for the project are reflected in all engagement with the TRU Enterprise and working across teams to update them as appropriate through the project lifecycle.
- Governance and Assurance: applying effective application of portfolio and programme governance to support robust decision-making and updating and managing project and programme information to alert senior leaders of emerging risks and issues.
- Stakeholder Management: building and maintaining working relationships with key partners within the Department, other Government Departments, Network Rail, Train Operators, and other delivery organisations.
- Risks & Issues: identifying, monitoring, escalating and managing strategic risks and issues, and developing mitigating actions and escalations as appropriate.
- Communications: representing the Department’s priorities in the rollout of strategic communications for the programme and ensuring that the aspirations of ministers are understood and embedded into implementation plans and strategies.
- Line management responsibilities for one Programme Client.
Person specification
About you
You will display a broad programme or project delivery skillset and confidently utilise the project delivery tools and methodologies to successfully deliver a complex programme.
You will have excellent interpersonal skills, be confident and articulate, and comfortable building positive relationships with internal teams and external industry partners across the programme. You will be an engaging leader, with the credibility to influence and challenge effectively to gain consensus.
You will thrive in an evolving and complex environment where you can proactively take the initiative and develop proposals and solutions to support successful programme delivery.
Additional Information
A minimum 60% of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace, although requirements to attend other locations for official business, or carry out detached duty in another DfT workplace, will also count towards this level of attendance.
Regular travel to locations across the Manchester, York and Leeds route will be required.
Reasonable Adjustments
As a Disability Confident Leader employer, DfT is committed to ensuring that the recruitment process is fair, accessible and allows all candidates to perform at their best. If a person with a visible or non-visible disability is substantially disadvantaged, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.
Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need during the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at an interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.
If you need a reasonable adjustment so that you can complete your application, you should contact Government Recruitment Service via dftrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
For more information on the Project Delivery Capability Framework.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Seeing the Big Picture
- Communicating and Influencing
- Delivering at Pace
- Making Effective Decisions
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Project Delivery Capability Framework - Programme Manager/Director – Risks and issues
- Project Delivery Capability Framework - Programme Manager/Director - Communications and stakeholder management
Benefits
Please note, the above example is based on the National minimum salary. The employer pension contribution will be 28.97% of your specific salary.
Being part of our brilliant Civil Service means you will have access to a wide range of fantastic benefits. We offer generous annual leave, attractive pension options, flexible working, inclusive working environments and much more to support a healthy work/life balance.
Find out more about what it's like working at the Department for Transport.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
When considering your experience, please tailor your CV and personal statement (maximum word count 750) to provide evidence of the following experience:
- Working as a programme or project manager within the development and delivery of a medium or large-scale project/programme in a complex environment.
- Engaging with internal and external partners to identify risks and issues and generating solutions to ensure a project/programme was delivered timely and within budget.
- Leading a team or group to deliver a business objective.
The sift is due to take place from 14/10/2024.
Interviews/assessments are likely to be held from 30/10/2024.
We will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates will change. You will be provided with sufficient notice of the confirmed dates.
The selection process will be designed specifically for the role. As a result, your assessment will include:
- An interview.
This interview will be conducted online via Teams. Further details will be provided to you should you be selected for interview.
You’re encouraged to become familiar with the role profile, as you may be assessed against any of the criteria recorded within.
Reasonable Adjustments
As a Disability Confident Leader employer, we are committed to ensuring that the recruitment process is fair, accessible and allows all candidates to perform at their best. If a person with a visible or non-visible disability is substantially disadvantaged, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.
Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need during the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at an interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.
If you need a reasonable adjustment so that you can complete your application, you should contact Government Recruitment Service via dftrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
Document Accessibility
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.
This job advert contains links to the DfT Careers website. Our website provides useful guidance and information that can support you during the application process. If you cannot access the information on our website for any reason, please email DRGComms@dft.gov.uk for assistance.
Further Information
For more information about how we hire, and for useful tips on submitting your application for this role, visit the How We Hire page of our DfT Careers website. You can find detailed information about the recruitment process and what to expect when applying for a role.
Pre-employment Checking
Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.
A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5-year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.
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 : Rail Resourcing
- Email : RailResourcing@dft.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : dftrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Further information
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Visit the Civil Service Commission website Here
