Construction Project Manager Southeast and London (excluding NE London)
Department for Education
Apply before 11:55 pm on Wednesday 27th November 2024
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About the job
Job summary
We are looking for Construction Project Managers to be responsible for supporting school building projects across the listed areas, after they have been selected to join the pipeline for the school rebuilding, free schools, FECT or other DfE centrally delivered construction programmes. This could include supporting pre-feasibility work on approved projects to resolve or address complex site and project specific issues around ownership, viability, and logistics to allow them to move through the feasibility and procurement stages quickly. When projects have been formally launched, with support from a team of technical advisers, you will support the development and end-to-end delivery of a group of projects, managing the delivery of a feasibility study and contractor procurement, then overseeing construction.
The kind of projects we’re currently working on include:
- Whole new build schools.
- Refurbishment and remodelling of listed buildings.
- Relocation of schools to new sites including school mergers and school expansions.
- Provision of emergency temporary accommodation at short notice.
- Overseeing the delivery of work where DfE is working with schools to remove Reinforced Autoclave Aerated Concrete.
Alongside our work redeveloping school sites and buildings, we also work with other parts of DfE to ensure that proposed rebuilding or construction projects fit with the Department’s wider strategic aims. In particular, this includes working with regional teams around local demographics to understand and ensure the current and continued need for the school places secured via our investment in sites. There is also wider work to support the requirements of the Government Major Project Portfolio (GMPP). This may include briefing Ministers on projects and issues both in person and via written briefings and submissions, drafting clear, balanced advice, in layman’s terms.
In addition our directorate has a fantastic L&D offer with a chance to really enhance your career progression. This includes opportunities to work towards a relevant and supported Property Accreditation, all fully funded.
Job description
Job Responsibilities:
A part of the role will be to help feedback on new processes as we move to a single process for all delivery across the divisions and support the development of SEO assistant project managers. These are “remote based roles”. This means that most of the time (around three days per week on average) you, will need to be out attending school sites, meeting contractors, technical advisers, local authorities and other key stakeholders. The remaining time, you will be home based, unless there are meetings which require you to be present at a DfE office. Vacancies are being advertised across various regions. Please only apply for regions you live in, or close to, to ensure that you are able to fulfil the above requirements of the role. This is not a home based role which can be fulfilled from anywhere in the country. Please see attached Candidate Information Pack at the bottom of this vacancy. There will be a candidate engagement session for further information on the role on Tuesday 19th November at 11am and Monday 25th November at 9.30am. The Teams link to join these session is in the Candidate Information Pack. |
Person specification
Essential Criteria
We are looking for individuals to demonstrate they have the skills to:
- Qualified construction professional (architect, surveyor, engineer, etc) or a member of a relevant professional body, and/or have extensive experience in the delivery or project management of infrastructure projects.
- Deliver a number construction projects simultaneously, preferably in the education sector.
- Identify risks and issues that threaten programme delivery, escalating programme delivery.
- Manage risks and issues that threaten delivery and escalation appropriately.
- Build and retain relationships internally and externally to solve problems.
- Negotiate, influence and persuade within and outside the organisation to achieve desired outcomes.
- Find opportunities for improving the delivery of the programme and work effectively with others to continually review these in the light of changing policy.
- Work with others in an inclusive way to solve problems and share good practice.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Communicating and Influencing
- Delivering at Pace
- Making Effective Decisions
- Seeing the Big Picture
Benefits
Applicants currently holding a permanent post in the Civil Service should note that, if successful, their salary on appointment would be determined by the Department’s transfer / promotion policies.
As a member of the DfE, you will be entitled to join the highly competitive Civil Service Pension Scheme, which many experts agree is one of the most generous in the UK.
You will have 25 days leave, increasing by 1 day every year to a maximum of 30 days after five years’ service. In addition, all staff receive the King’s Birthday privilege holiday and 8 days’ bank and public holidays.
We offer flexible working arrangements, such as job sharing, term-time working, flexi-time and compressed hours.
Travel to your primary office location will not be paid for by DfE, but costs for travel to an office which is not your main location will be covered.
As an organisation, which exists to support education and lifelong learning, we offer our staff excellent professional development opportunities.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
Application
To apply for this role, you will be required to provide a CV and Statement of Suitability (statement max word count 1000 words).
We will use your CV and statement to assess your suitability for the role against the essential criteria listed in the person specification section above.
To confirm, the maximum word count for the Statement of Suitability is 1000. Please adhere to this limit as anything over 1000 words will not be taken into account.
You will be required to provide a 250 word example demonstrating how you meet the behaviours Communicating and Influencing, Delivering at Pace, Making Effective Decisions and Seeing the Big Picture.
Interview
At interview you will be asked questions to assess your experience in line with the essential criteria listed above.
At interview you will be asked questions around the behaviours Communicating and Influencing, Delivering at Pace, Making Effective Decisions and Seeing the Big Picture.
Other Information
In your application, please don’t include personal information that identifies you.
This means we can recruit based on your knowledge and skills, and not background, gender or ethnicity - it's called name blind recruitment (opens in a new window).
Please ensure that you remove from your application, all references to your:
- name/title
- educational institutions
- age
- gender
- email address
- postal address
- phone number
- nationality/immigration status
We understand that you might use AI and other resources for your application; however, please ensure all information you provide is factually accurate, truthful, and original and doesn’t include ideas or work that isn’t your own. This is so that your application is authentically and credibly your own.
We reserve the right to raise the minimum pass mark in the event of a high volume or strong field of candidates.
Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK from the location options provided and not from overseas.
The government is committed to supporting apprenticeships, enabling people to learn and progress in a role whilst earning. We want to monitor the number of people who have completed apprenticeships who are now applying to progress further in their career and are asking this question to all candidates, on all vacancies. You will be asked a question as part of the application process about any previous apprenticeships you have completed. Your response to this question will not affect your application and it is not a requirement of the role to have completed a previous apprenticeship.
If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check maybe carried out.
In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf. However, we recognise in exceptional circumstance some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Department of Education of your intention by emailing Pre-Employment.Checks.DFE@education.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.
Department for Education do not cover the cost of travel to your interview/assessment unless otherwise stated.
A reserve list may be held for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made.
Candidates will be posted in merit order based upon location preference. Where more than one location is advertised you will be asked to state your preferred location.
New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.
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.
Terms and conditions of candidates transferring from ALBs and NDPBs
Bodies that are not accredited by the Civil Service Commission and are not able to advertise at Across Government on Civil Service jobs will be treated as external new starters and will come into DfE on modernised terms and conditions with a salary at the band minimum.
Bodies that are accredited by the Civil Service Commission but do not have civil service status will be offered modernised terms and will not have continuous service recognised for leave or sickness benefits. Salaries should be offered at band minimum, but there is some flexibility where this would cause a detriment to the individual.
Bodies that are accredited by the Civil Service Commission and do have Civil Service status will be treated as OGD transfers. Staff appointed on lateral transfer will move on to pre-modernised DfE terms (unless they were on modernised terms in their previous organisation). Staff appointed on promotion will move on to modernised DfE terms. Staff will transfer over on their existing salary (on lateral transfer) and any pay above the DfE pay band maximum will be paid as a mark time allowance. Staff moving on promotion will have their salaries calculated using the principles set out in the attached OGD transfer supplementary information.
Reasonable adjustment
If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes. If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:
Contact Department of Education via centralrecruitment.operations@education.gov.uk soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.
Any move to Department for Education (DfE) will mean you will no longer be able to carry on claiming childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/
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 : Luke Kennedy
- Email : luke.Kennedy@education.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : Centralrecruitment.operations@education.gov.uk
Further information
