Project Support Officer

Job summary

The Future Enterprise Resource Planning and Shared Services Provider (FESSP) Programme in the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (BIST) (formally known as DBT) will simplify, streamline, and improve the services HR and finance provide. It will upgrade and replace BIST’s current HR, finance, and domestic payroll systems, and transform transactional activities.

FESSP is the BIST arm of the Matrix Programme, a cross-Government transformation initiative involving several Other Government Departments. The objectives for shared services are:

• Better experience for all users – intuitive systems that are easy to use and mobile-enabled.
• Efficiency and value for money – better systems and services which support productivity and seek to reduce costs.
• Standardised processes and data – support interoperability, making it easier to understand and compare corporate data.

Your role as a Project Support Officer is to support activities with the FESSP Programme’s Portfolio Management Office (PMO) team for the whole programme.

Job description

Project Support Officers support the effective delivery of the FESSP Programme by contributing to the design, implementation and operation of project management processes and governance.

Working as part of the PMO, the role provides hands-on support across core delivery disciplines such as planning, reporting, risk and issue management, and governance. The postholder will work closely with workstreams and the wider PMO to ensure that project delivery standards are applied consistently and proportionately.

The role will also support programme delivery through the administration and coordination of governance arrangements, including boards, commissions and submissions.

Working within a PMO provides exposure to a broad range of activities and priorities. The postholder will be expected to manage competing demands, adapt quickly to changing requirements, and reprioritise work as programme needs evolve. In return, the role offers a varied and engaging working environment with opportunities to develop a wide range of project and programme management skills.

• Support PMO delivery disciplines by contribute to the operation of core PMO processes including risks and issues, planning, reporting, resources, or governance. Maintaining and updating data, logs, and reporting products in line with agreed standards.
• Supporting Workstreams through partnership to support delivery in line with Project Delivery Functional Standards. Providing practical support to ensure timely and accurate completion of PMO and broader BIST or Matrix requirements.
• Engage with stakeholders by building effective working relationships with people across the programme. Communicating clearly and appropriately, adapting style to audience.
• Support a Continuous improvement environment by identifying opportunities to improve processes, tools and outputs. Contributing to the development of practical solutions to improve efficiency and quality.
• Provide flexible PMO support across the full remit of the programme, responding flexibly to priorities and emerging needs.

Person specification

The Project Delivery Capability Framework defines the general competencies required to be successful in this role. Of those competencies these are key for this position.

Technical Competencies

Risk and Issue Management

• Supports the identification, recording and tracking of risks and issues
• Maintains logs and ensures updates are accurate and timely
• Escalates risks and issues where appropriate

Frameworks and Methodologies

• Applies agreed project delivery frameworks, tools and templates
• Supports workstreams to follow governance and process requirements
• Suggests practical improvements to ways of working

Digital and Data

• Uses digital tools to manage and report project data
• Applies basic analysis to support insight and reporting
• Ensures data quality and consistency across PMO products

Essential Criteria

The below criteria are essential and will be assessed at application stage;

A proactive and organised individual with strong attention to detail and an ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced delivery environment.

You will be comfortable working with data and stakeholders, and able to support delivery through clear communication, structured analysis and effective coordination.

You will demonstrate:

• Ability to work collaboratively with a range of stakeholders
• Good organisational and planning skills
• Strong written and verbal communication
• Analytical thinking and attention to detail
• A willingness to learn and develop within the Project Delivery Profession
• A continuous improvement mindset

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;

• A relevant Project Delivery qualification: the candidate is expected to work towards Project Delivery Accreditation which includes the need to achieve a qualification if this is not in already place. Example qualifications include:
  • APM Project Management Qualification
  • PRINCE2 Practitioner
  • Managing Successful Programmes Practitioner

More general information about the Project Support Office role as part of the Cross Government Project Delivery Profession can be found here: Project Support Officer SEO - Government Project Delivery

Behaviours

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Changing and Improving
• Delivering at Pace

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £37,666, Department for Business and Trade contributes £10,911 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 arti