Project Manager

Position Details:

Job Title: Project Manager

Duration: 3 months Contract - extendable

Location: Southwark, SE1 2QH

Purpose of the job

Responsible for managing the successful delivery of a range of development projects in a timely and effective manner to achieve the council’s objective of using redevelopment to benefit the community and improve council services.

Principal accountabilities

Manage the delivery of redevelopment and community projects allocated and provide high-level professional, managerial direction and leadership input to make significant impacts within the borough.
Meet with business managers and stakeholders, attend management and relevant stakeholder and community meetings, briefings, workshops etc, driving forward change within the organisation, as part of a planned approach to communicating the programme process and securing support for projects objectives and delivery.
Manage capital projects, ensuring project delivery on time, within budget and to the highest standards of quality and ensure that all commercial and technical performance standards are achieved.
Draw up and maintain project plans, covering all stages of project development and delivery, requiring the co-ordination of different service areas that may have significant impact on areas of the council’s operation and other related external services, while gaining the support of all participants through persuasion and negotiation.
Monitor and control the progress of projects, identifying and managing associated finances, risks and issues in accordance with best practice in project management principles, addressing and taking corrective action where required to ensure delivery against project plans.
Select project participants, with assistance from the Programme Manager; manage project team members and make a substantial contribution to the development of inter-agency working, to secure project achievement and influence future organisational arrangements. Project teams will normally include professional staff and specialists outside the post holder’s professional remit. Commission and manage the work of consultants to provide professional services on the project, as required.
Ensure internal and/or external funding sources for projects are identified and secured through funding bids and or approval processes, and manage project budgets and other financial resources associated with the project.
Contribute to the development or review of the council’s strategic plans affected by the redevelopment projects allocated to the post holder.
To advise high-level decision-making bodies and/or senior officers and report on projects progress to project boards, governing bodies, members of the council and senior officers.
Develop a culture of openness and transparency, ensuring the participation of key stakeholders, user and the general public where appropriate. Ensure effective communications between users, design teams, contractors and other stakeholders.
Establish, in consultation with relevant bodies, groups and interested parties, a range of measures including performance indicators, audit methodology to ensure that the council can measure the effectiveness, progress (against delivery milestones), efficiency and success of specific projects and provide information to internal audiences and for external scrutiny.
For the programme within which the project sits, ensure the overall benefits are identified, defined clearly, are measurable, linked to strategic outcomes and managed proactively to benefits realisation.
Provide professional advice as required to officers across the council and represent the council at a variety of forums, including attendance as an expert witness, in all relevant actions to do with programme, projects and property matters.

Educational qualifications:

Relevant professional qualification in project management, construction, architecture, building surveying, (or similar equivalent), or an ability to show that the appropriate experience and knowledge has been achieved to undertake the range of duties

Knowledge:

Ability to demonstrate an in-depth understanding of the challenges presenting urban redevelopment projects
Ability to demonstrate full understanding of contracts and delivery in support of physical redevelopment schemes, e.g. building contracts, services contracts, leases, licences, party wall and/or similar.
Ability to demonstrate knowledge of the council’s equalities, diversity and inclusion principles

Experience:

Experience of producing project management protocols, initiation documents, project programmes, update reports and /or similar.
Experience of working with multiple stakeholders in relation to development projects.
Experience of project delivery through the lifecycle of a construction project: from inception, design, Planning consent, Tender, Construction to successful completion
Experience of designing and delivering necessary public consultation as part of the delivery of physical projects, while mainstreaming equalities issues.