Job Details

Job Title: Corporate Programme Manager
Responsible to: Head of Service
Responsible for: All staff in the Corporate Programmes Division

Functional links with:

Regular

• Head of Service P&C
• ICT Services Division colleagues
• Head of Performance Management
• Team Leader ICT Finance
• SRB Performance Manager
• Other Heads of Service
• Colleagues in other Directorates/Departments
• ICT equipment and software business partners
• External programme/project stakeholders

Occasional

• Directors
• Members
• Other LG Bodies
• Professional bodies
• Herefordshire Partnership

Job Description:

Main Purpose of job:

To ensure that the Council has an effective Corporate Programmes and Programme and Projects Support Office (PPSO) function that supports the business objectives of the Council through the successful delivery of key programmes and projects which are aligned to the strategies of the organisation.

To recruit, develop and retain Corporate Programmes staff to achieve Divisional and Council wide objectives.

Main Responsibilities / Accountabilities:

• Lead the business and service planning, overall direction and day-to-day operational excellence for a very significant group of closely related ICT services across the County in accordance with any local or national professional codes of conduct.
• Effectively lead, develop and enhance performance for a sizeable workforce including short, medium and long-term workforce planning responsibilities.
• Plan and manage budgets for all service activities.
• Develop strategic links and synergies with other Directorates, Councils and external bodies

Specific Service Responsibilities

• Set up, lead and manage the Corporate Programmes team to ensure the provision of effective programme and project office support to key Council programmes and projects.
• Supervise the activities of Business Change Managers (BCM), Technical Project Managers (TPM) and Programme and Project Support Office (PPSO staff)
• Agree project priorities with the Head of Service within the Policy & Community Directorate
• Allocate and schedule new projects for each BCM/TPM.
• Monitor and review BCM/TPM/PPSO workloads and balance as appropriate.
• Ensure targets are regularly reviewed with BCM/TPM/PPSO to ensure they are achieved.
• Review reasons for any target slippage and record as ‘Lessons Learned’ for future improvement
• Ensure appropriate use is made of the Programme and Project Support Office.
• To ensure that the PPSO develops, maintains and monitors project management procedures in accordance with agreed practices.
• Lead the process of change in both a local and national context

Job Activities:

General

• Plan and implement customer/service priorities and workforce requirements : Daily
• Advise and support staff in carrying out their duties as required : As required
• Contribute to the overall planning process : Daily
• Manage all service delivery agreements and working relationships : Daily
• Manage staff in line with Performance Management policies : Daily

Specific Service Activities

• Manage services in line with the Authority’s Financial, ICT, Security and Personnel policies and related procedures and Departmental guidelines : Daily
• Actively promote the Authority’s aims and equality commitments : Daily
• Recruit, motivate and develop staff to perform as an effective team delivering a quality project management service : Daily
• Ensure time recording is up to date for all staff enabling accurate and timely billing of activities : Weekly
• Implement efficiency measures ensuring effective reporting and evidence are available : Daily
• Manage performance effectively, aiming to exceed Service Level Agreements and local and national targets : Daily
• Monitor staff budgets and produce required management reports : Daily
• Ensure per head income and contribution targets are achieved : Monthly
• Contribute to cross Directorate departmental meetings and ensure information cascade is effective for staff and management alike : Weekly
• Contribute regularly and effectively to management forums : As required
• Engage in specific projects as requested by the Head of Service : As required
• Discuss and agree priorities of projects with Head of Service in Policy & Community : As required
• Ensure income targets are communicated to each BCM/TPM so that they can monitor their own income and provide early identification of possible shortfalls : Weekly
• Ensure Project Managers prepare all plans in accordance with Prince2, to include tasks, resources and timescales based on negotiation and agreement with the relevant parties : Daily
• Ensure progress is monitored against all plans, reporting at specified intervals to the Project Board, together with exception plans : Daily
• Ensure project completion procedures are performed, to include support strategies and Service Level Agreements as appropriate : As required
• Liaise with external suppliers : As required

Other information:

This is a new post within the Council and as such the duties and responsibilities attached to the post are difficult to define in their entirety therefore may vary from time to time without changing the general character of the duties or level of responsibility entailed.

The post holder is therefore expected to undertake such other duties as may be requested provided the general character of the duties or level of responsibility does not change.

Experience:

Essential:

• Minimum 5 years people management including recruitment, staff development, training and leadership
• Minimum 5 years experience of lead project management responsibility on a range of concurrent, complex, large scale projects across an organisation.
• Minimum 5 years experience of sustained work on analysis of complex business processes and of providing solutions to customers.
• Minimum 4 years:
  • Systems integration work, including acting in an advisory capacity
  • Internal & external ICT consultancy role within a complex private or public sector environment
  • A wide range of business application and software development environment architectures (e.g. SAP, Northgate, MAPinfo, Oracle, Visual Basis, SQL and others)
  • Business and computer systems analysis and design, build and implementation in a dynamic and commercial environment
  • Financial management at project level
  • Proven experience of managing complex projects within the framework of a formal project management methodology over a minimum 4 year period

Desirable:

• Minimum 4 years recent experience of/in:
  • ICT strategy generation and implementation
  • Client account management experience
  • Management of computer system implementation and support staff
• Strong evidence of:
  • Continuous professional development
  • Liaison with and management of external suppliers
  • Good understanding of the local government and legislative context in which services operate

Qualifications and Training

Essential

• Minimum degree level education and qualification
• Formal programme and/or project management qualification (e.g. Prince2) to a minimum practitioner level
• Demonstrable knowledge of BS7799 and ISO 9001 & 14001 quality standards
• Knowledge & experience of project management tools

Desirable

• Negotiation skills
• Presentation skills
• Business Analysis
• Risk Analysis
• ITIL accredited
• Membership of Institute of Project Managers

Skills and Abilities

• Exercises political awareness at all times
• Skilled in managing customer relationships and expectations
• High level of presentation and interpersonal skills with a clear ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of audiences
• Drives and improves performance throughout the service, including the promotion of learning and development
• Proven ability to enable and develop staff to the benefit of both the organisation and the individual member of staff
• Excellent team player with strong leadership and motivational skills
• Promotes and manages change as a means to secure continuous improvements
• Organised, logical and self motivated management style
• Effective decision maker
• Enthusiastic about ICT and its delivery

Desirable

• Understanding of and commitment to both the Data Protection and Freedom of Information Acts

Other Factors

• Able to demonstrate flexibility and willingness to work to the exceptional demands of the businesses supported
• Full driving license
• Commitment to fairness and equality and sensitivity to the needs of customers