Job title: Project Lead

Salary: PO4 £46,142 - £49,282 (Annual)

Hours: 37 hours per week

Contract:1 Permanent post, plus 1 post Temporary Contract or Secondment until 31^st July 2028. Permission for release under secondment arrangements for internal candidates must be sought in advance by applicants from their current management. Please specify which post(s) you are interested in when completing your application.

Location: Merrion House, 110 Merrion Centre, Leeds, LS2 8BB

In Leeds we aim high for our children and young people, with the ambition of being a child friendly city. We put children at the heart of all decisions that affect them.

Whilst we hold central our ambitions for all children to have the best start in life, to have access to the right opportunities to live happy and healthy lives, critical to delivery of this is the Children’s & Families workforce. The values, behaviour, insight and approach that leaders, managers and practitioners bring to their work determines the quality of the service that children, young people and families receive.

The current Children & Families environment is challenging, however it is also an exciting time, with lots of opportunities to make improvements in service delivery and work practices.

Why not come and join us on this journey and be part of making a real difference to the lives of children, young people and their families across the city.

About the role

You will work with the Transformation Team who support the delivery of an ambitious programme of change, in the context of significant national reforms.

As a Project Lead you will thrive on enabling the best possible delivery of services to Leeds residents in a way that best supports their needs.

Playing an integral part in delivering and embedding a significant programme of transformation, you will have a central role in the successful development and delivery of the transformation agenda, by providing strong project management and leadership.

Proactive and creative, you will be able to use your professional project expertise and skills to deliver improvement through a range of approaches, including user centred design. You would drive forward the delivery of projects through the development and implementation of plans, management of risk and activity, implementing new methods of working, making the best use of resources, maximising the use of technology and re-engineering business processes, whilst ensuring that objectives are delivered on time, within budget and to expected levels of quality.

The post holder will have great interpersonal and collaboration skills, sitting at the heart of multi-disciplinary project teams, and supporting a wide range of services and stakeholders to lead effective delivery of change against agreed outcomes.

Leeds City Council is one of the largest employers in the region with over 14,000 employees. We seek to recruit and develop talented individuals who embody our council values and ambitions.

What we offer you

We take pride in offering the best employee experience, with benefits including:

a competitive salary and annual leave entitlement plus statutory holidays
membership of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund with generous employer contributions
flexible and hybrid working arrangements subject to service requirements
a clear career pathway and continuing professional development opportunities
a range of staff benefits to help you boost your wellbeing and make your money go further

How to apply

Please complete the online application form.

Read our guidance for further advice on completing your application.

If you have any queries or would like an informal chat about the role please contact Sandra Pentelow, Programme and Partnerships Manager on 0113 37 88655 or email sandra.pentelow@leeds.gov.uk

Read our recruitment of ex-offenders policy.

We welcome applications from everyone and actively seek a diverse range of applicants from all backgrounds and cultures. We particularly encourage applications from, but not limited to, women, carers, veterans as well as LGBT+, ethnically diverse, disabled and care experienced people.

This role is based in the UK. Home Office guidance states that candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK prior to commencing employment, either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa.

If you do not have the right to work in the UK, you must consider your own eligibility for sponsorship for a particular role through the Skilled Worker visaroute before applying. To be eligible for sponsorship you'll usually need to be paid the standard salary rate of at least £41,700 per year or meet one of the other eligibility criteria. Please ensure you are eligible before applying.

Job Description

Job Purpose The postholder will have a central role in successful delivery of the Children & Families transformation agenda, by providing strong project management across a complex programme of change. The Project Lead will drive forward delivery of projects through development and implementation of plans, ensuring effective management of activity and actions to time, cost and quality.

The Project Lead will support the Children & Families directorate to successfully deliver programmes of strategic significance to the Council by leading varied and complex projects that seek to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of services and functions across the directorate. The post holder will sit at the heart of multi-disciplinary project teams, working with services to determine business requirements, define and scope change initiatives, manage risks and issues and lead effective delivery against agreed outcomes.

Transformational change will be delivered through a range of approaches, including user centred design, which enable the directorate to further build on its restorative practice approach. Activity will involve introducing new methods of working, making the best use of resources, maximising the use of technology and re-engineering business processes, ensuring that objectives are delivered on time, within budget and to expected levels of quality.

Responsibilities

Lead and manage varied and complex projects within the directorate’s transformation agenda, ensuring successful delivery.
Able to manage, plan, deploy resources, follow procedure and maintain accurate records.
Support continuous improvement initiatives through contributing to cross Council projects and collaborative working with partners across the health and care sector.
Effectively work with and lead multi-disciplinary teams to drive forward delivery of varied and complex projects to time, cost and quality.
Use initiative to manage competing priorities whilst delivering on a range of objectives, ensuring consistency of approach, with a key focus on delivery and quality.
Work with a range of colleagues from across the directorate, council and partners to ensure the right support for successful change.
Maintain effective relationships with a wide range of people including colleagues within the service and across the council, internal/external partners, agencies, and the general public dealing with all contact in a professional manner.
Support staff to feel motivated and engaged in the values, vision and direction of the service, promoting the values of the Council through appropriate behaviour and professionalism.
Supervision and appraisal of staff in line with associated policies and procedures
Provide written and verbal briefs on project activity to a range of stakeholders as required.
Manage project budgets, including planning, monitoring and reporting spend.
Monitor activities in accordance with approved procedures whilst adhering to Financial Regulations.
Engage with partners and other stakeholders to gain agreement to, and ensure ongoing commitment to, delivering the directorate’s change and transformation agenda.
To be an active participant in the Transformation & Partnerships Service leadership team.
Effective management of, and support to project team meetings, boards and other groups, as necessary, including but not limited to agenda planning and preparation, attendance and active participation, and taking minutes where appropriate/required.
Promote and instigate appropriate use of information technology, processes and systems to ensure efficient and effective service delivery including planning and control in accordance with the requirements of GDPR
Flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required commensurate to grade
Participate in appraisal, training and development activities as necessary to ensure up to date knowledge and skills
Improve own practice through observation, evaluation, discussion with colleagues and development programmes.
Work collaboratively with colleagues, knowing when to seek help and advice.
Contribute to the overall ethos, work, and aims of the service by attending relevant meetings, training days/events as requested.
Be aware of and comply with Leeds City Council policies and procedures e.g. child protection, health, safety and security, confidentiality and data protection, reporting all concerns to an appropriate person
Be aware of and support difference and ensure equality for all working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding and promoting the values, standards and equal opportunities of Leeds City Council.
Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment or victimisation and any form of abuse of equal opportunities, ensuring compliance with relevant policies and procedures.
The Council has adopted a flexibility protocol and this role will be expected to work within these parameters.
The duties outlined are not meant as an exhaustive list and will also comprise any other duties within the spirit of the post commensurate with the job evaluation outcome for this post.

Qualifications

The postholder should hold a relevant programme or project management qualification or be able to clearly demonstrate substantial experience of project management.

Personal Specification

Method of Assessment will be through one or more of the following Application Form, Test, Interview, and Certificate

Essential Requirements It is essential that the Candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria for the post within the context of the specific role duties and responsibilities: Candidates will only be shortlisted for interview if they can demonstrate on the application form that they meet all the essential requirements

Skills Required

Able to work flexibly across different work locations and areas as appropriate
Able to work effectively as part of a team and to demonstrate organisational and time management skills prioritising own and team’s work to meet conflicting deadlines
Excellent skills in applying a range of project management techniques and methodologies in practice to achieve desired outcomes, including but not limited to risk and benefit register, project initiation and stakeholder management plan
Able to use initiative to develop solutions to issues and problems to ensure effective delivery of the service
Able to work with services to undertake reviews of current processes and practice, support identification of areas for improvement and the design of new delivery models
Undertake options appraisals, with robust evaluation and clear rationale for recommendation
Able to develop cases for change which clearly articulate the need for change, what change is being sought and why, benefits and risk, required investment, targeted savings and resource management.
Strong report writing skills, with the ability to present complex information succinctly, to effectively achieve the intended purpose of the report
Effective presentation skills, both written and verbal, to a range of audience including to senior leaders, boards, and Elected Members
Good communication skills, with the ability to work effectively across team and organisational boundaries
Highly effective inter-personal skills with the ability to establish and maintain positive working relationships across a range of stakeholders
Analytical skills, including the ability to gather, interpret, present data from a range of sources, as well as produce recommendations aligned to achieving objectives
Able to make recommendations on budget management and financial planning

Knowledge Required

Strong and demonstrable knowledge of project management methodologies and practices.
Good understanding of current challenges being faced by local government and the wider public sector.
Understanding of the current challenges facing children’s services, both locally and nationally.
Of project budget setting, monitoring and reporting
Of relevant legislation, guidance, policies and the ability to interpret and apply them consistently.
Demonstrate an understanding of the importance of confidentiality
Understanding of responsibilities in terms of Health and Safety, security, confidentiality and data protection
Of relevant financial regulations to carry out financial transactions

Experience Required

Significant experience of working and leading within a project management environment, supporting successful project delivery.
Of leading and managing projects involving partnership working across a variety of disciplines and professions.
Of working on cultural and/or operational change projects that have customer focused outcomes.
Of working within a matrix management approach, between line manager, project managers, service managers and other senior colleagues
Of resource management within projects
Of supervising and managing staff, within a project environment, to achieve the best from them
Of using organisational and time management skills to meet own and team’s work
Of identifying problems and seeking appropriate solutions

Behavioural and other Characteristics required

Understand and embrace Leeds City Council Values and Behaviours and codes of conduct.
Committed to continuous improvement in all areas and work towards delivering the Best City Ambition of Health & Wellbeing, Inclusive Growth and Zero Carbon
Able to understand and observe Leeds City Council equality and diversity policies.
Carry out all duties having regard to an employee’s responsibility under Health and Safety Policies.
Willingness to actively participate in training and development activities.
Flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required commensurate to grade.
Participate in appraisal, training, and development activities.
Be aware of and comply with Leeds City Council policies and procedures.
Be aware of and support difference ensuring equality for all, working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding, equality & diversity.
Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment, victimisation, and any form of abuse, reporting any concerns to the appropriate person.
The Council has adopted a flexibility protocol and the role will be expected to work within these parameters.