Programme Manager - Marine Natural Capital Ecosystem Assessment

Programme Manager - Marine Natural Capital Ecosystem Assessment

Team: Marine Ecosystems
Ref No: 202409
Grade:S (SEO)

JNCC has adopted a hybrid working approach, allowing colleagues to benefit from time in the office, with the flexibility also to work from home. Employees are expected to work from our office base for 1 – 2 days a month as a minimum, this will vary by team and the exact balance will depend on the nature of your role. We can provide more details at the interview and offer stages.

Who are JNCC?

Established in 1991, we’re the UK’s statutory advisor on issues affecting the natural environment across the UK and internationally. Our primary role is advising all four Governments of the UK. We also work with private sector organisations to support decision making on the sustainable use of marine waters and natural resources around the UK. JNCC is led by the Joint Committee, which brings together members from the nature conservation bodies for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and independent members appointed by the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs under an independent Chair. Support is provided to the Committee by approx. 300 people who bring together scientific and technical expertise, extensive knowledge of policy at global, European and national levels, and skills in working with other organisations. Staff are based in two main offices in Peterborough and Aberdeen.

Why JNCC?

We’re small enough (c.300 staff) that your voice is heard by everyone including the CEO, but big enough that we have all the skills, resources and people you’ll need to get the job done. All our staff are passionate about conservation and making a difference to the world we live in. We have a very flexible, inclusive and welcoming organisational culture. Our Executive Management provides employees with the freedom and tools you will need, and our friendly team will assist you in your role.

JNCC is committed to maintaining employee health and wellbeing, whether it is physically, emotionally, financially or socially, and offers a range of benefits to support employees in this. Such benefits include the option to join the Civil Service Pension Scheme, professional and personal development opportunities as well as an exciting job in a unique environment.

Hours of work: Full-time

Normal minimum hours of attendance for the post are 36 hours per week over a 5-day period, Monday to Friday.

Flexi time is available. This post may also be suitable for job share.

Annual Leave:

The annual leave allowance is 25 days per year, rising to 30 days per year after 5 years’ service. There are also 12 days public and privilege leave. Part-time staff will receive this on a pro rata basis.

Post background

This is an exciting opportunity to work on the Defra-led Marine Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment (mNCEA) programme, that looks to accelerate nature recovery, growth, and delivery of nature’s benefits by transforming marine monitoring, evidence and decision making.

You will work with a range of experts, such as analysts, ecologists, mappers, and environmental economists, to successfully deliver JNCC’s mNCEA projects on time and to budget. You will manage existing and new plans, tracking progress, budgets, and risks, whilst keeping the team’s focus on benefits and outcomes, as well as milestones. You will provide regular reporting and communication (internally and to our partners and customers) and help to plan the ongoing work of the programme.

This is an opportunity for someone who has already built up project management experience to manage an ambitious and pioneering programme of work, alongside highly skilled and supportive colleagues across JNCC and our Partner organisations.

The three-year Marine Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment (mNCEA) programme looks to lead the way in integrating Natural Capital approaches into decision making for the marine environment. Following on from the first two years of the programme, (alongside a successful pilot year in 2021-22) we are now working towards completion of year three of the programme and exploring opportunities to continue the work and embed the approach into JNCC’s wider portfolio. 

The programme supports Government ambitions to incorporate nature into national accounts and decision-making processes.

Vision: A thriving marine environment where nature is at the heart of decision-making.

Mission: To accelerate nature recovery and the growth of nature’s benefits by transforming evidence and decision making.

This post is dedicated to ensuring the success of JNCC’s mNCEA projects, which are currently funded to March 2025. JNCC is in the process of improving its project and programme management excellence; if our mNCEA portfolio does not continue, or changes, after then, we have other opportunities at the same grade, of similar levels of importance and interest, which we expect to be available.

Post Duties

The Project Manager is responsible for coordinating and supporting multidisciplinary teams to successfully deliver JNCC’s mNCEA projects on time and to budget across their lifecycle, from inception to close. The post-holder will have responsibility for managing these projects through day-to-day team and customer engagement to ensure they deliver quality outcomes. They will be the key contact for managing plans, risks, issues and associated controls, while providing regular reporting and communication using tailored project management tools and approaches.

• Manage end-to-end delivery, working closely with project managers to ensure successful delivery across multiple disciplines and teams.
• Ensure flexible, scalable approaches are employed throughout project delivery, setting up proportionate governance, drafting project assurance documentation, and managing the planning and delivery of outputs in accordance with best practice, and JNCC and customer requirements.
• Track and manage project progress and budget, providing helpful and accurate reporting.
• Work collaboratively with team members, customers, and stakeholders, to ensure projects are appropriately controlled and managed, ensuring delivery to quality, time, and cost.
• Manage plans, risks, issues, and dependencies with effective escalation where necessary, ensuring proactive ownership to resolution.
• Maintain the quality and momentum of projects, ensuring that all change is benefits-led and strategically aligned.
• Build and manage relationships with project stakeholders across all layers within customer organisations.
• Develop a broad understanding of relevant government policy, and coordinate JNCC’s input to support impactful decision-making.
• Oversee project development, ensuring effective collaboration with all colleagues and teams.
• Manage team dynamics, encouraging collaboration and shared ownership throughout the team. Deal with conflict and help establish a positive team culture.

Technical

To be a successful candidate you will have:

• Knowledge across a range of project management frameworks and methodologies (agile, waterfall, blended), and how to employ and/or combine them to optimise delivery. Ideally a current project management certification.
• A flexible, adaptive, and problem-solving approach, able to see the “big strategic vision” as well as the “devil in the detail”.
• Ability to build successful delivery teams, demonstrate an understanding of team dynamics, of how to maintain, influence and motivate a team and of how to foster a creative, open, and collaborative environment.
• Aptitude for Excel and other project management tools.
• A broad understanding of the relevant organisations and stakeholders involved in the management of the marine environment in the UK and of how evidence-based policy is developed and delivered.

Experience (Responsibilities)

To be a successful candidate you will have:

• Relevant experience delivering successful projects within complex and dynamic programme or project environments, ideally in government policy areas, environment science or research and innovation and covering a full project lifecycle.
• Experience of budget management, ideally in excess of £500,000, procurement and contract management.

Behaviours

• Working Together
• Managing a Quality Service
• Delivering at Pace
• Making Effective Decisions

In the event that we receive a large volume of applications we reserve the right to conduct the sift based on the Lead Behaviour of Making Effective Decisions

Please see the CS Behaviours framework for more details at this grade:

Nationality requirements 

This job is broadly open to the following groups: 

• UK nationals
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with settled or pre-settled status or who apply for either status by the deadline of the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
• relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
• certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals

JNCC do not provide sponsorship.

Closing date and interview date

The closing date for this post is 23:55 on Sunday, 17 March 2024

The anticipated interview date is week commencing Monday, 25 March 2024