Strategic Sites Accelerator – Programme Manager, Office for Investment

Job summary

The Team

The Strategic Sites Accelerator (SSA) Programme is a national initiative launched under the Industrial Strategy aimed at unlocking complex, high-potential commercial and industrial sites across the UK to drive investment and economic growth. Led by the Office for Investment (OfI), the programme will be delivered in partnership with the National Wealth Fund (NWF) to deploy a range of interventions to assist, accelerate, and acquire strategic sites. This includes providing blended finance options through NWF capital (financial transactions) and OfI funding to invest in stalled site projects to drive progress whilst also seeking a return on investment. The SSA is designed to overcome barriers to site development by combining policy intent with financing and delivery execution, ensuring projects move forward in alignment with ministerial and departmental priorities.

The Role

We are currently at a critical stage, as the programme moves into the delivery phase with the first site investments expected this financial year. The programme will deliver through a range of expert partners including the NWF, a contracted National Delivery Partner (NDP) and the wider OfI and BIST, requiring an experienced programme management professional to deliver the programme business case, manage stakeholders, conduct market engagement, support site selection and grant delivery, and develop a comprehensive programme delivery model that will work for the long term.

This role will be at the heart of SSA programme delivery for the OfI, effectively managing the deployment of the fund over 3 years to leverage significant additional public and private sector capital in the industrial real estate sector. The role holder will be able to engage credibly with a wide range of stakeholders including investors, developers, public finance institutions and Mayoral Strategic Authorities to drive forward programme delivery through multiple public sector entities.

Job description

Key Responsibilities

• Design and implement effective programme management systems, controls and reporting to set the programme up for sustainable success, working across multiple public and private sector delivery partners.
• Lead and deliver a cross-functional stakeholder engagement strategy for the programme, including delivery partners, places, investors and developers.
• Lead on development, implementation and continuous improvement of the site selection framework, application process and stakeholder feedback loop, working in collaboration with the National Delivery Partner and the NWF.
• Lead on programme delivery elements of business case development for selected sites, ensuring compliance with government standards (Green Book), and assuring routes to approval through BIST and HM Treasury.
• Manage programme timelines, dependencies, risks and issues, including engaging government major portfolio teams in BIST and NISTA.
• Support the team with resource planning and capability development, including through management of a National Delivery Partner
• Provide regular reporting to senior stakeholders and governance boards, including Ministers
• Facilitate effective decision-making through high-quality programme information

Person specification

Essential Criteria

The below criteria are essential and will be assessed at application stage. We're seeking an experienced programme management professional with experience in the investment, real estate or fund management sectors:

• Proven track record in managing complex programmes involving multiple delivery partners.
• Strong understanding of programme business case development (Green Book).
• Excellent organisational and planning skills, with experience building and leading PMO functions.
• Ability to communicate complex programme information clearly and concisely.
• Strong stakeholder management skills.
• Experience working with deployment of public sector financial transactions. (including debt and equity investments) under the Financial Transaction Control Framework.
• Experience in the investment, real estate or fund management sectors.

Desirable Criteria

The below criteria are desirable only. These will not be assessed throughout the recruitment process, but will be used in the event of tied scores between candidates:

• Formal programme or project management qualification (e.g. APM, MSP, PRINCE2).
• Experience working with Public Finance Institutions (eg NWF) and understanding of their work.
• Experience in commercial procurement and managing contracted 3rd parties.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Working Together
• Communicating and Influencing
• Seeing the Big Picture

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £57,511, Department for Business and Trade contributes £16,660 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

We recognise the challenges that people with (multiple) protected characteristics may experience on the job market and in their career progression. We are fully committed to being an inclusive employer and ensuring equal opportunities. We are keen to make our workforce as diverse as possible, and we hope to attract applications from underrepresented groups, including ethnic minorities, people with a disability, and people with gender diverse identities.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.

Interviews for this vacancy will be conducted virtually. We will, however, consider in-person interviews by exception.

Please ensure that you check your emails regularly as all updates from us will be sent to you this way.

To apply for this post, you will be asked to complete the following as part of the online application:

• A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Provide employment
  history that relates to the essential criteria, and that any gaps in employment history within the last 2 years
  are explained. The CV should not exceed more than 2 x A4 pages.
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