Portfolio Lead & Senior Project Managers
Animal and Plant Health Agency
Apply before 11:55 pm on Tuesday 19th November 2024
Details
Reference number
Salary
Job grade
Contract type
Fixed term
Loan
Secondment
Length of employment
5xFTA/Loan/Secondments will be until 01/10/25 or 31/12/26 depending on contracts. All posts to be awarded in merit order with the longest going to the highest scoring candidates.
Business area
Type of role
Working pattern
Number of jobs available
Contents
Location
About the job
Job summary
APHA is a brilliant place to work where our people feel valued, have a voice and can be their authentic selves. We value difference and diversity, because it will help us be more innovative and make better decisions.
Would you like the opportunity to be a key contributor in supporting and delivering change within the agency?
Are you highly organised with excellent communication skills?
Are you ready to apply your project management skills and technical expertise to influence decision-making at the highest levels?
If so, we are seeking experienced, highly motivated Senior Project Managers and a Portfolio Lead to join our Project Delivery Team within the Animal & Plant Health Agency (APHA) and would love to hear from you!
Job description
We are seeking 5 Senior Project Managers and 1 Portfolio Lead to join our Project Delivery Team. We are currently offering
- 1 Portfolio Lead on a permanent contract.
- 4 Senior Project Managers on Fixed Term Appointment/Loan/Secondment until 31/12/26.
- 1 Senior Project Manager on Fixed Term Appointment/Loan/Secondment until 01/10/25.
All posts will be allocated in merit order with the highest scoring candidates being offered the longest contracts by role.
You will play a pivotal role in supporting the implementation of and embedding the APHA Sustainable Futures Strategy setting out its vision for the future. A key part of this vision is for APHA to become an organisation that is enabled and strengthened by its use of data that will ensure its ability to identify and respond to new and emerging threats, to manage risk and to deploy our people and resources effectively and sustainably.
Portfolio Lead
The Portfolio Lead is responsible for leading a collection of programmes or projects that contribute to the delivery of departmental or business area objectives. They are primarily responsible for the prioritisation and effective allocation of resources across the portfolio to ensure optimal delivery of departmental/business strategic objectives inline with Government priorities.
Senior Project Manager
The Senior Project Manager will lead / manage the projects and the project teams on a day-to-day basis for moderate to high complexity projects. You will be accountable for delivery of complex/large scale projects, ensuring that the objectives are clearly defined and achieved within the agreed time, cost and quality constraints. You will have a key role in project governance and working with stakeholders, to ensure the agreed project outputs are delivered to enable benefits to be realised.
For a more detailed list of responsibilities, please see the attachments at the bottom of this advert.
Person specification
We are looking for candidates who can demonstrate the following skills and experience:
- A proven ability in successfully delivering medium and large sized projects in a controlled way, which includes proactively managing risks, issues and dependencies and which ensures the delivery of required benefits.
- Accountability for maintaining momentum in the delivery of change initiatives by ensuring that a proactive approach is taken to finding solutions to potential barriers and delays.
- Able to work flexibly and sometimes under pressure in a fast-paced environment to deliver a range of different areas of work simultaneously to required standards and timescales.
- Skilled communicator with good interpersonal and presentation skills, able to effectively engages with a diverse range of contacts, including senior stakeholders (APHA‘s G6 cohort & Executive Team) utilising your interpersonal skills to develop positive working relationships, but also have the ability to be persuasive when required.
- Good negotiating, influencing, coaching and networking skills.
- Able to think strategically and ensure continuous improvement of project management processes, utilising your knowledge of wide delivery techniques, such as agile and more traditional waterfall techniques, and standards within the department.
- Able to drive innovation and introduce the latest ideas and learnings as well as building capability and professional development.
- Able to remain flexible and versatile when faced with adversity and effectively manage and embrace change.
- Experience of building, motivating, developing, and retaining high-performing teams, including experience of working within and leading multi-disciplinary and geographically dispersed teams.
- Experience of leading and managing change, programmes of work or projects.
- Experience of working in a complex customer driven delivery operation providing a quality service to customers.
- Experience of communicating complex data or information to senior leaders clearly and concisely where the level of understanding will vary and barriers to understanding will exist.
- Experience of assessing risks, scoping resource requirements, managing budgets and operating costs to ensure value for money and sustainable development of teams and services.
- An inspirational and engaging leader with the ability to set clear direction and build, lead, coach and develop a high performing team.
- Strong budget and performance management skills with the confidence to make timely and sometimes tough decisions.
- Excellent organisational skills, including team level business planning, prioritisation, delegation and delivery to time and quality standards.
- Resilient with the ability to work under pressure and prioritise competing demands in a fast-paced and complex environment.
- Ability to analyse and accurately interpret data from various sources to support decision making.
- Ability to apply original and innovative thought to complex issues and / or problems.
- Excellent ability with Microsoft applications, including Project, Excel, SharePoint .
- Excellent data analysis skills.
- Experience of budgeting and cost management.
- Experience of managing a complex portfolio of work.
- Experience of benefits management.
- An ability to prioritise work to meet targets and deadlines.
- The ability to work unsupervised and take initiative.
For a more detailed Person Specification, please see the attachments at the bottom of this advert.
Learning and Development
Everyone in APHA is supported to develop their skills and capabilities. When you join the Directorate, you will be welcomed into your new team through an induction programme that will provide you with helpful information on the civil service, our work and our policies. Your line manager will also work with you to establish your priorities for the year, developing a performance, learning and development plan tailored to you and your role.
In return for your dedication, we will support your ongoing personal development through appropriate training. Inclusion, support and the development of our people matter to us. We aim to support the career and personal wellbeing of everyone in APHA.
Workplace arrangements
Our Worcester County Hall office is temporarily closed. Candidates based at this location may be asked to work from home until further notice.
Qualifications
This role is aligned with the Government Project Delivery Capability Framework
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Changing and Improving
- Leadership
- Working Together
- Communicating and Influencing
- Making Effective Decisions
We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:
- Changing and Improving
- Leadership
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- You will be required to deliver a presentation on how you would set up and direct a project. The details surrounding the specific brief will be provided if you are invited to interview.
Benefits
Further benefits offered also include:
- 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 tailored to your role.
- Access to a range of retail, travel and lifestyle employee discounts.
- Staff bonuses and recognition, salary sacrifice benefit options, and an employee discount scheme.
- Making it work for you - With so many flexible options, most people can find a work schedule to suit their circumstances.
These are just a few of our benefits we offer. To find out the full range of what we offer refer to the Information Pack attached for more detail.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
Application Process
After submission of the first stage of your application you will be invited to complete a Civil Service Verbal Test and Civil Service Numerical Test. If you successfully pass the test, you will be invited to complete the final stage of the application.
Please complete the online tests as soon as possible (within 24-48 hours is recommended), the closing date for the tests is 23:55 on 19th November 2024. If you fail to complete the online test before the deadline your application will be withdrawn. Guidance for the test will be available when you are invited to take the test. The tests are administered online and accessed via the CS Jobs website.
You will also be required to complete the following as part of your application:
- CV, outlining your full job history, previous experience, and qualifications.
- A Personal Statement of 750 words.
- Two behaviour statements of 250 words each for the lead behaviour, Changing and Improving and for Leadership.
Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
Sift
Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the CV and behaviour statement for the lead behaviour, Changing and Improving. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview.
Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.
Interview
If successful at application stage, you will be invited to interview where you will be assessed on your experience, behaviours, technical skills, and strengths.
A presentation will also be assessed.
Your interview will either be conducted face to face or by video. You will be notified of the location if you are selected for interview.
Reserve List
A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.
Near miss
Candidates who are judged to be a near miss at interview may be considered for other positions in Defra which may be at a lower grade but have a potential skills match.
Merit Lists
The permanent post will be offered to the highest scoring candidate in merit order.
The remaining FTA contracts will be offered with the longest contracts being offered the remaining highest scoring candidate in merit order.
Salary
New entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band.
Location
As part of the pre-employment process for this post, successful candidate(s) will be able to agree a contractual workplace from those locations listed in this advert. The agreed contractual workplace is then the substantive and permanent place of work for the successful candidate(s).
Where the location is ‘National’ the successful appointee should discuss and agree an appropriate contractual location in line with both Defra’s location policy and site capacity, prior to proceeding with pre-employment processes.
Successful applicants currently employed by the hiring Defra organisation for this post may choose to remain in their current contractual location or may choose to change contractual location to one of those listed above. This should be discussed and agreed prior to proceeding with pre-employment processes.
The agreed amount of time spent at a workplace for this post will reflect the requirement for Civil Servants to spend at least 60% of their working time in an organisation workplace with the option to work the remaining time flexibly from home. Working time spent at a workplace may include time spent at other organisational locations including field-based operational locations, together with supplier, customer or partner locations. This is a non-contractual agreement which is consistent with common Civil Service expectations.
Travel costs to non-contractual workplaces will be subject to departmental travel and subsistence policies. Travel costs to contractual workplaces are the responsibility of the employee.
The successful candidate is required to carry out all their duties from a UK location, and cannot do so from an overseas location at any time.
Defra includes the core department, APHA, RPA, Cefas and VMD.
Visa Sponsorship Statement
Please take note that Defra does not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker License sponsor and are unable to sponsor any individuals for Skilled Worker Sponsorship.
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 Government Recruitment Service via defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as 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.
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.
Criminal Record Check
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/ Disclosure Scotland on your behalf. However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.
For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk
Internal Fraud Database Check
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.
Loan and Fixed Term Appointments
Existing Civil Servants and applicants from accredited NDPBs are eligible to apply but will only be considered on loan basis (Civil Servants) or secondment (accredited NDPBs). Prior agreement to be released on a loan basis must be obtained before commencing the application process. In the case of Civil Servants, the terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant. This includes grade on return.
The Fixed-term Appointment as a Project Manager on the Project Delivery team is because the post is not permanent. It is time limited due to a fixed funding period or as part of a specific project. The fixed-term will end when the funding or the project expires.
Your responsibilities will include those shown on the Responsibilities section of the advert. This post will therefore begin from the agreed start date and end on 01/10/25 or 31/12/26 depending on the role and the post awarded in merit order.
Childcare Vouchers
Any move to Defra from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. 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
Medical
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 : Recruitment Hub Team - Kay Edwards
- Email : recruitment.sdd@apha.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Further information
Government Recruitment Services via email: defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Click https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/contact-us/ to visit Civil Service Commission.
