Senior Project Manager

Job summary

Can you lead complex projects, keeping delivery on track while managing risks, resources and priorities?

Have you successfully worked with stakeholders and project teams to deliver change and achieve meaningful benefits?

Are you a confident and motivated leader who can inspire others and champion effective project delivery?

If so, we’d love to hear from you!

You will join a dynamic project delivery team within DVSA, responsible for delivering medium to large-scale projects that support organisational priorities and improvements. Working collaboratively with project teams, subject matter experts, suppliers and senior stakeholders, the team ensures projects are effectively planned, governed and delivered to agreed standards.

The team plays a key role in managing risks, resources, dependencies, communications and benefits, while ensuring robust governance and assurance throughout the project lifecycle. You will also contribute to developing the wider Programme and Project Management (PPM) community, championing effective delivery methodologies and supporting the professional development of colleagues.

This is an opportunity to work in a collaborative environment where you can lead meaningful change, influence stakeholders and help shape successful project delivery across DVSA.

Joining our department comes with many benefits, including:

• Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary. Read more about Civil Service Pensions here
• 25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave), plus 8 bank holidays a privilege day for the King’s birthday
• Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.

Read more in the Benefits section below!

Find out more about what it's like working at DVSA:

Working for the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency , Civil Service Careers

Job description

To manage the delivery of medium to large projects, major sub-projects of programmes or workstreams within projects. To support Programme Managers with significant and challenging Portfolio activities and to manage Delivery Teams providing specialist support, guidance and hands-on delivery across the DVSA Change Portfolio.

To understand and champion the use of DVSA’s preferred delivery methodologies, Governance and Assurance across the Change Portfolio, PPM Community and its wide range of stakeholders. To support the Head of Profession with the development and improvement of the Programme and Project Management Community by demonstrating and best practice and shared learning.

Your responsibilities will include, but aren’t limited to:

1. Leading medium to large projects in line with DVSA governance, assurance and delivery standards.
2. Planning and monitoring project delivery, managing resources, risks, issues and dependencies.
3. Producing key project documentation, including initiation documents, plans and closure reports.
4. Providing clear project reporting to Project Boards and senior stakeholders.
5. Leading, motivating and developing project teams, providing direction, support and guidance.
6. Building strong stakeholder relationships across teams, suppliers and delivery partners.
7. Managing change, communications and benefits to support successful project outcomes.
8. Championing project delivery best practice, supporting capability across the PPM community.

Great line management is important to us as an organisation, and we will equip and support line managers to develop the skills set out in the Civil Service Line Management Standards.

For further information on the role, please read the role profile.Please note that the role profile is for information purposes only - whilst all elements are relevant to the role, they may not all be assessed during the recruitment process. This job advert will detail exactly what will be assessed during the recruitment process.

Person specification

To be successful in this role you will need to have the following experience:

1. Considerable experience of delivering projects and/or programmes, including business change and general management.
2. Experience of applying project delivery methodologies, including risk, benefits, stakeholder and change management.
3. Experience of producing business cases and project reporting, including dashboards and status reports.
4. Excellent interpersonal and influencing skills, with the ability to engage confidently with stakeholders at all levels.

Additional Information

Qualifications

Applicants must either hold, or be willing to work towards to following qualifications whilst in post:

• PRINCE2 Practitioner
• AgilePM Practitioner
• Managing Successful Programmes
• Better Business Case Practitioner

Working hours, office attendance and travel requirements

Full time roles consist of 37 hours per week.

Whilst we welcome applications from those looking to work with us on a part time basis, there is a business requirement for the successful candidate to be able to work at least 30 hours per week.

This role is suitable for hybrid working, which is a non-contractual arrangement where a combination of workplace and home-based working can be accommodated subject to business requirements.

The expectation at present is a minimum of 60% of your working time a month will be spent at either your designated workplace (one of the locations cited in the advert) or, when required for business reasons, in another office/work location/visiting stakeholders. Your designated workplace will be your contractual place of work. There may be occasions where you are required to attend above the minimum expectation.

Occasional travel to other offices will be required, which may involve overnight stays.

If you have a question about hybrid working, part time/job share hours, flexible working, travelling for work, or require a reasonable adjustment, please contact the Vacancy Holder during the recruitment process to avoid possible disappointment later in the process should your working arrangements not be compatible with the requirements of the role (see below for contact details).

Visa Sponsorship

Please note that we do not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker Licence sponsor and are unable to sponsor any individuals for Skilled Worker Sponsorship. Candidates must ensure they have the appropriate rights to work in the UK before application.

Behaviours

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

• Changing and Improving
• Leadership
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing

Technical skills

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

• Government Project Delivery Profession - Risk & Issue Management
• Government Project Delivery Profession - Planning

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £45,900, Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency contributes £13,297 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.