Programme Assurance Manager

Permanent, Full Time

£50,087 to £58,927 per annum

Location: Chelmsford

Closing Date: 25th August 2026 (23:59)

Please note that visa sponsorship is not available for this role. Applicants must have a current, unrestricted right to work in the UK.

The Capital Investment and Delivery team oversee the development and delivery of the capital programme for Essex County Council. The team will focus on developing and delivering opportunities for capital investment to support the Council’s strategic priorities and secure appropriate financial returns where applicable.

The Programme Assurance Manager is a crucial role responsible for overseeing and reporting on the successful delivery of capital projects within the organisation. The role involves providing expert challenge, advice and guidance to project teams, senior management, and stakeholders, to ensure that projects are effectively planned, executed, and monitored. The Capital Programme Assurance Manager works closely with many stakeholders such as commissioners, project managers / sponsors, financial teams to optimize the use of resources and highlight potential risks and opportunities throughout the project lifecycle.

Educated to degree level desirable, with experience of programme management and evidence of delivery assurance. An ability to track the progress of projects (deliverability and financially), identifying risks and opportunities is essential to success. This role requires strong leadership, relationship building and influencing skills, attention to detail and the ability to deliver change.

To read more about our business area, please visit Policy, Economy, Investment and Property

Accountabilities

Project Governance: Maintain effective project governance structures, ensuring clear lines of responsibility and accountability. Oversee project governance processes and ensure compliance with relevant policies and procedures.
Performance Monitoring: Maintain, develop and implement monitoring mechanisms to assess project performance against defined objectives, timelines, and budgets. Identify deviations and work with project teams to develop corrective action plans.
Quality Assurance: Maintain, enhance and implement quality assurance processes to ensure that all projects adhere to best practices. Conduct regular audits and reviews to assess compliance and quality of project deliverables.
Stakeholder Management: Foster positive relationships with key stakeholders, including senior management and project teams. Collaborate with stakeholders to address concerns, resolve issues, and maintain open communication channels.
Reporting and Communication: Prepare regular reports for senior management and other relevant stakeholders on the status of a portfolio of projects, highlighting key performance indicators, risks, issues, opportunities, cost pressures at the earliest time. This includes identifying when a project is at risk of overspending through good financial management, progress reporting and financial reconciliations.
Continuous Improvement: Identify areas for improvement in project delivery processes, tools, and methodologies. Implement changes to enhance efficiency and effectiveness across capital projects.
Team Player: Work with and support the programme assurance team, providing guidance, mentorship, and support. Foster a positive and collaborative team culture.
Budget Setting: Analyse financial data, project plans, risks and issues to aid the budget setting process, this includes identifying trends which enables evidence based challenge.
Constructive Challenge and Assurance: Provide independent, evidence-based challenge to project teams and stakeholders, ensuring decisions, assumptions, forecasts and delivery plans are robust, realistic and supported by appropriate evidence.

The Experience You Will Bring

Must be an analytical thinker with excellent attention to detail and financial management skill.
Must have the ability to interrogate financial information, identify inconsistencies or inaccuracies and provide effective challenge to project forecasts, financial performance, funding strategies.
Must have an inquisitive nature and pro-active approach, with the confidence to challenge the status quo by questioning assumptions, identifying emerging risks, issues and opportunities and analysing data to drive informed decision-making.
Must have exceptional communication skills, with the ability to share knowledge, influence stakeholders and work constructively to improve project outcomes.
Must have a collaborative working style, with experience of building effective relationships across disciplines, services and stakeholder groups at all levels.
Experience in providing delivery assurance across a large and complex portfolio of capital projects within a multifaceted organisation focused, balancing cost reduction and service delivery improvements with competing objectives and constrained resources.
Experience of supporting the production of robust capital business cases for inclusion within the capital programme.
Advanced user of advanced Excel and Word, with experience of Power Point, Oracle applications and finance systems for budget monitoring, reporting and producing forecasts using information from various sources.
Knowledge of project and programme management methodology e.g. OGC Gateways, Prince2, ISO. Professional qualification in Programme and project management, such as MSP Practitioner and Prince 2 accreditation desirable.
Educated to degree level or equivalent by experience.

Why Essex?

As one of the largest and most dynamic UK local authorities, Essex offers a stimulating public service environment. Covering over 1,420 square miles and serving 1.8 million residents, we’re committed to transformational change and delivering better quality at lower cost. Recognised in the top three of the latest IMPOWER index for productivity, we ensure everyone matters in Everyone's Essex. With flexible working options and a focus on innovation, whether you are looking to develop your career or contribute to the local community, Essex is the ideal place for you.

In March 2026, the Government announced that councils in Greater Essex will be reorganised into five new unitary authorities from April 2028. In addition to this, Greater Essex has been accepted on to the devolution priority programme, where we will work towards establishing a Mayoral Combined County Authority. You can read more about these changes, and what this may mean for this role, on our careers site.

Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We’re committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process. We’re also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.

Once you’ve secured your role within Essex County Council you will receive many great employee benefits, including support for unpaid carers and flexible working arrangements to accommodate their needs.

At Essex County Council, we value integrity and ethical behaviour. We kindly ask that you embrace our code of conduct and the Nolan principles, including throughout the recruitment process. Your commitment to these standards helps us maintain a positive and respectful workplace for everyone.

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

If you would like to be kept up to date on other relevant opportunities, blogs, news, events and industry related news at Essex County Council, please join The Essex Talent Community

If you have queries or require anything further, please email resourcing.team@essex.gov.uk

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