Business and Programme Coordinator

Job Description

• Suffolk County Council 
• Address:  Endeavour House, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP1 2BX. Hybrid working
• Salary: £42,123 - £48,607per annum (pro rata for part time)
• Hours: 37 hours per week, flexible working options available
• Contract: Fixed Term or Secondment for up to 3 years, due to external funding from the Department for Transport

Around ten million people in England live in rural areas, yet rural transport has historically been overlooked in policy and investment.

The RMCoE (Rural Mobility Centre of Excellence) exists to change that bringing research, clarity, direction and coordination to an area that's lacked strategic focus, and acting as a trusted partner to government departments, local authorities, combined authorities and industry across the country.

Now, we’re growing from a respected regional centre into a national one. 

As a Business and Programme Coordinator, you'll be right at the heart of that growth, helping join up policy, people and places to make rural mobility work better for everyone.

Reimagine the possibilities.

Your role and responsibilities 

This is an exciting opportunity to join the team delivering England's RMCoE - a brand-new national programme, funded by the Department for Transport, that builds on the success of our existing regional centre. You'll be working alongside the National Rural Mobility Centre of Excellence Manager, colleagues across Transport East, local authorities, government departments and a wide range of stakeholders, right at the heart of this new area of transport expertise.

On a typical day, you might be catching up with a local authority partner about an upcoming workshop, drafting a briefing on emerging rural transport policy, or pulling together the latest progress against our programme milestones. No two days look quite the same, but you'll always be helping to join the dots between policy, people and places.

In this role, you will:

• Help deliver the RMCoE programme, making sure activity stays aligned with our business plan and objectives.
• Keep an eye on emerging policy, legislative and technological developments in rural mobility, flagging opportunities and risks to senior colleagues.
• Build and maintain great relationships with stakeholders including MPs, Mayors, government departments, local authorities and universities.
• Represent the RMCoE at events, conferences and stakeholder forums, sharing our work and learning from others.
• Coordinate programme governance - work programmes, action logs, risk registers - and track progress against milestones.
• Lead on specific workstreams, communications and engagement activity.
• Help develop resources like reports, toolkits, case studies and webinars that support local authorities with rural mobility challenges.
• Organise and support meetings, workshops and networking events, both online and in person.
• Share knowledge and learning through newsletters, our website, social media and events.

You'll get to use your networking skills and transport knowledge to shape the future direction of the centre, build new partnerships, and help make a genuine difference to rural communities right across England. We're really excited to welcome someone who's ready to get stuck in.

You will need 

• Experience coordinating programmes, projects or workstreams, ideally with a project management qualification or equivalent experience.
• Strong networking and interpersonal skills, with the confidence to engage a wide range of stakeholders, from local authorities to government departments.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to distil information clearly for different audiences.
• A good understanding of national strategies relating to transport, or the drive to get up to speed quickly.
• The ability to manage competing priorities, work independently, and keep on top of the detail.
• A collaborative approach and genuine enthusiasm for working across organisations and partnerships.

It would also beneficial, but not essential, if you've worked in a political environment, have experience of local government reorganisation and devolution, or already know the UK transport sector. If you don't tick every box but you're passionate about rural mobility and ready to learn, we'd still love to hear from you.

You can view a full list of requirements in the Job and Person Profile, which you can find in the ‘How to apply’ section towards the bottom of this advert. 

If you believe you can succeed in this role, apply. Even if you don't meet all requirements, still apply. We would appreciate the opportunity to consider your application. 

The team 

The Rural Mobility Centre of Excellence sits within Transport East, an independent partnership covering Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Southend and Thurrock, and one of seven Sub-national Transport Bodies in England. Our regional centre was established in 2022 and is already recognised as a leader in rural transport research and stakeholder engagement - now we're taking that success national.

Our team is dynamic, motivated and genuinely collaborative. We work in a high-energy, professional environment where creativity and new thinking are actively encouraged, and where everyone is supported to grow their own capabilities and ambitions. We're hosted by Suffolk County Council on behalf of the wider Transport East partnership, and we offer hybrid working, with some time in our Ipswich office and some working from home.

Empowering Everyone 

We’re big believers in potential, possibility and the power of different ideas. We’re always searching for ways to encourage, respect and enable everyone to be the best they can be. We want to represent the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from all individuals, especially those from groups that are currently underrepresented in the organisation, as shown in our Workforce Equality Report.

For more information 

Please contact Sharon Payne (she/her) for a casual conversation. You can reach her by emailing [email removed]

If you want to apply for a secondment, read the secondment policy first. Make sure you get permission from your current manager before submitting your application. 

How to apply

Step 1 - Read the Job and Person Profile (Word).

Step 2 - Click ‘Apply Now’ to start your online application.

Step 3 - Upload a supporting statement answering the following questions below (no more than 400 words per question). You should use the Supporting Statement template (Word).  

1. Give an example of when you built effective relationships with a wide range of stakeholders. How did you manage different
   expectations and maintain engagement?
2. Tell us about a time when you i