Assistant Project Manager

The post holder will work in collaboration with a number of key stakeholders and the Greater Manchester (GM) Primary Care & Early Diagnosis (PCED) team of the GM Cancer Alliance to develop and implement the GM Cancer PCED aims.
The post holder will be responsible for effective project management using structured project management to ensure projects are designed and managed with rigor, clear governance and accountabilities. This will include budget, implementation, risk mitigation and communication plans.
The post holder will have good engagement and influencing skills, be an effective communicator with the ability to work across different stakeholder groups both within the GM Cancer Alliance and more widely across the Greater Manchester conurbation.
The post is full-time, although flexible working will be considered.
For an informal discussion about the role please contact Paul Keeling, Primary Care Project Manager – paul.keeling1@nhs.net
This is a varied role, and the successful candidate will be expected to demonstrate experience of planning, organisational and partnership work in the delivery and support of varied projects. In addition, applicants will be required to have strong analytical, reporting and presenting skills. The post also requires the management of financial resources within projects and reporting related to this.
A comprehensive description of duties and skills is available in the full job description provided.
The successful applicant will be expected to have an understanding of Primary Care commissioning and or delivery and will be experienced in working both autonomously and as part of a wider organisation, in order to support the wider Primary Care and Early Diagnosis team.
The Christie is one of Europe’s leading cancer centres, treating over 60,000 patients a year. We are based in Manchester and serve a population of 3.2 million across Greater Manchester & Cheshire, but as a national specialist around 15% patients are referred to us from other parts of the country.
We provide radiotherapy through one of the largest radiotherapy departments in the world; chemotherapy on site and through 14 other hospitals; highly specialist surgery for complex and rare cancer; and a wide range of support and diagnostic services. We are also an international leader in research, with world first breakthroughs for over 100 years.
We run one of the largest early clinical trial units in Europe with over 300 trials every year. Cancer research in Manchester, most of which is undertaken on the Christie site, has been officially ranked the best in the UK.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
BACKGROUND
Greater Manchester Cancer Alliance (GM Cancer) leads on the delivery of the NHS Long Term Plan ambitions for cancer across the local system. GM Cancer provides system oversight and co-ordination for cancer services through collaboration with partners with the aims of improving patient outcomes and performance against key operational standards.
The post holder will be responsible for supporting the aims of the PCED team to realise the ambitions of GM Cancer as set out in the relevant sections of the local cancer delivery plan, priorities identified within NHS England’s Long Term Plan, and requirements of Primary Care as commissioned as part of national services and schemes.
Human Resources
Support the PCED team to facilitate and maintain the project meetings in delivering work programs which support the GM Cancer strategy.
Support the production of programme documentation, including regular programme update reports for key internal and external stakeholders, summary action logs, risk reporting, minute taking, and collating supporting information for reports.
Financial/Physical Resources
Monitor the use of resources within the project and highlight areas of concern to the relevant stakeholders.
Support the development of bids for project resources along with detailed business cases for presentation and approval at relevant Boards/groups.
Analysis and design
Gather intelligence from key stakeholders using a variety of methods to capture comments such as surveys/1-2-1 meetings.
Assist with analysis and reporting of related data sets and programme findings.
Project Management
Assist with and lead, where necessary, on the development and implementation of specific project aims. Ensure project tasks are successfully delivered in line with agreed timescales and budgets.
Support the activities of the project team both internally and externally. This will include presentations to varying groups/meetings.
Ensure any project management documentation or reports are delivered in line with agreed standards and timescales.
Communications and Leadership
Systematic identification, analysis and planning of actions to engage with, communicate, negotiate and influence stakeholders.
Presenting complex, sensitive and/or contentious information to relevant Boards/groups on change initiatives, where agreement and co-operation is required.
Negotiation with key stakeholders, ensuring delivery of project objectives.
Provide formal reports to relevant Boards/groups and disseminate project information to stakeholders.
Influence and align others towards a common purpose to empower and inspire people to achieve project success, enabling the project to proceed in an environment of change.
Through their action act a role model in the design and delivery of projects utilising the GM Cancer approach.
Act as a local source of expertise about the PCED objectives.
Remain up-to-date with relevant developments relating to the PCED delivery plan and aims and include/disseminate these developments to the appropriate audiences.
Assist with the development of website content and provide up-to-date information and progress highlights to be included on the relevant PCED sections of the website.
Work with GM Cancer communications team to advertise/raise awareness of the PCED work programme and educational offerings using social media and the GM Cancer academy websites.
Planning and Organising
Strategic planning of short and long term deliverables on a number of complex interdependent activities, regularly monitoring and adjusting plans as required.
Determine overall project durations, when activities and events are planned including their dependencies taking into account requirements and availability of resources.
Use a project control process to facilitate the integration of project scope, time and cost objectives and establish baselines for outcomes measurement.
Manage the identification, planning and delivery of project benefits.
Support the PCED team in the reporting of project status metrics to facilitate identification of project priorities and reporting progress to relevant Boards/groups.
Support the PCED programme leads to manage relevant programme, group, and work stream meetings, including preparation of agendas, papers and meeting summary/action log and the follow-up of agreed actions with group members, holding them to account for delivery of actions.
Partnership Working
Promote co-operation between all stakeholders to ensure all priorities are considered and achieved.
Positive engagement and collaborative working with key partners.
Work with GM Cancer data analysts/scoping partners to collate and present data into concise reports when necessary.
Information Analysis and Data Management
Maintain risk, quality and issue logs, reporting on high priority issues using data/intelligence and presenting it in an appropriate format.
Develop information resources and tools for the collation and dissemination of project related information, including the formal communication of project information to stakeholders.
Research, Development and Audit
Regular collation of information to enable audit and monitoring of project progress and problem identification.
Active management of the internal and external linkages and inter-dependencies (e.g. political or legislative changes, structural or organisational plans) across projects, and incorporating any changes into delivery plans.
Research initiatives to help shape the PCED programme.
Freedom to Act
Lead on decisions to enable the delivery timescales of the project to be achieved by managing and utilising the available project resources.
Act as the main conduit for specific project related activities.
Policy/Service Development/Governance
Ensure change management is applied in own areas and follows implemented policies and procedures.
Ensure all documentation relating to own area is complete and fit for purpose and all documentation is controlled.
Ensure there is a proactive and comprehensive approach to risk management
Follow prescribed GM Cancer policies and procedures in all relevant aspects of management.