Project Manager – AR

Project Manager

Location: Shute End / Home Working
Contract: Fixed Term Contract – 12 months
Hours: Full Time
Grade: Grade 9
Service: Corporate, Community and Change – Business Change Team
Reports to: Programme Manager

About the Role

Wokingham Borough Council is seeking an experienced Project Manager to join its Business Change team and lead the delivery of large-scale, high-priority projects supporting the Council’s strategic objectives.

The successful candidate will independently manage projects from planning through to delivery, ensuring milestones, risks, costs, benefits and outputs are effectively monitored and reported. The role will involve working closely with senior stakeholders, subject matter experts, external partners and suppliers to maintain momentum and achieve agreed outcomes.

A key focus of the role will be supporting the £24 million Council Housing Acquisition and Investment Programme, which aims to acquire residential properties within Wokingham Borough to meet identified housing need while achieving the required financial return.

The post-holder will also manage delivery of a five-year strategy, including programme governance, risk management, MHCLG grant funding, stakeholder and partnership engagement, statutory reporting and the development of a local licensing scheme for supported exempt accommodation.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the end-to-end delivery of large-scale and strategically important Council projects.
• Develop and maintain clear project plans, milestones, timescales and delivery schedules.
• Manage project actions, dependencies, risks and issues, escalating matters where appropriate.
• Establish effective project governance and provide regular reporting to senior management and relevant governance forums.
• Manage and engage senior stakeholders, internal teams, external partners, suppliers and subject matter experts.
• Monitor project costs, budgets and benefits in conjunction with Finance Business Partners.
• Support effective use and monitoring of MHCLG grant funding.
• Manage delivery of the Council’s housing acquisition and investment programme.
• Support delivery of the five-year strategy, ensuring agreed outcomes and priorities are achieved.
• Coordinate quarterly monitoring and delivery information and support statutory reporting to MHCLG.
• Support the design and implementation of a local licensing scheme for supported exempt accommodation.
• Facilitate project meetings and ensure actions are clearly recorded and progressed.
• Produce clear, concise project documentation, reports and presentations.
• Identify opportunities for improvement and constructively challenge existing approaches.
• Ensure projects comply with the Council’s Business Change Framework, governance arrangements and relevant supplier processes.
• Work proactively and independently to resolve problems and keep projects on track.

Essential Experience & Skills

• Minimum of 2 years’ Project Management experience with evidence of successful project delivery.
• Experience managing complex projects or programmes within a local government/public sector environment.
• Strong housing, homelessness, supported accommodation or housing investment experience is highly desirable.
• Experience managing senior stakeholders and working with people at all levels.
• Experience working with external suppliers, third-party providers and delivery partners.
• Strong project planning, organisation and delivery skills.
• Experience managing risks, issues, dependencies and project actions.
• Experience producing structured reports and documentation for senior management/governance boards.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving and decision-making skills.
• Ability to work independently, prioritise competing demands and deliver at pace.
• Strong written and verbal communication and facilitation skills.
• Experience monitoring project budgets, costs and benefits.
• Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams and SharePoint, with experience of MS Project.

Qualifications

• PRINCE2 or equivalent project management methodology training.
• Degree-level education or equivalent knowledge, skills and experience.

About the Team

The Business Change team is responsible for leading and managing change activity across Wokingham Borough Council, supporting improvements in efficiency, service outcomes and the experience of residents.

The team works collaboratively with directorates and senior stakeholders to deliver the Council’s strategic change portfolio, embed new ways of working and ensure projects and programmes deliver their intended benefits.

Working Arrangements

The role is based at Shute End with home working and is full time. Some evening work or attendance at evening meetings may occasionally be required.

The successful candidate will be expected to demonstrate a proactive, collaborative and delivery-focused approach, with the ability to build effective relationships quickly and maintain clear visibility of progress across complex projects.