Project Support Officer - Req24624

Job title:Project Support Officer - Council Housing Growth Property Acquisitions Project

Salary: £34,834 - £36,648 per annum

Hours: 37

Contract: Permanent

Location: Merrion House, Leeds (hybrid working available) 

Are you looking to play your part in transforming one of the most dynamic cities in the UK?

This is a great time to join our supportive and friendly team and develop a career in project management within the Council Housing Growth Team. 

The Council Housing Growth Team is a team of dynamic, multidisciplinary professionals striving to deliver high quality general needs, bespoke and extra care housing to meet the diverse needs of the residents of Leeds. The Council has committed to: 

• Deliver a linear average of 300 new council homes per annum through a combination of new build development and direct property acquisitions
• Sourcing and securing specific affordable homes across the city to strict delivery and funding deadlines.
• Delivery of important and life changing government grant funded schemes

Our employees talk about the pride they feel in making a difference, and in return for their dedication and contribution we offer a workplace where people feel supported, that celebrates difference, and encourages everyone to grow like the city we love. 

Our ambition is for Leeds to be the best city in the UK: compassionate and caring with a strong economy; which tackles poverty and reduces inequalities; working towards being a net zero carbon city by 2030. We want Leeds to be a city that is distinctive, sustainable, ambitious, fun and creative for all, with a council that its residents can be proud of as the best council in the country.

Leeds City Council is one of the largest employers in the region with over 14,000 employees. We seek to recruit and develop talented individuals who embody our council values and ambitions.

About you

As a Project Support Officer, you will bring to the role:

• Demonstrate drive, energy, resilience, and self- management skills as well as integrity, openness and awareness of others.
• Ability to present information in a clear and concise manner using a variety of presentational formats.
• Experience of working in a fast paced environment.
• Ability to find solutions to problems.
• Good communication skills with the ability to communicate effectively with a variety of stakeholders.

About the role 

The Project Support Officer role will be dedicated to the Property Acquisitions Programme and main duties shall include:

• Supporting with the delivery of a variety of sub-projects within the Property Acquisitions Programme through deployment an effective project management approach.
• Working in a fast-paced environment and managing competing priorities to ensure that delivery milestones and targets are achieved.
• Effectively maintaining project management controls and tools to ensure timely delivery of the project workstreams within the Acquisitions Programme.
• Supporting engagement with key stakeholders and colleagues including elected members and external partners.  
• Supporting project teams in disseminating project ideas and best practice including the development of procedure guides and training resources.
• Supporting the delivery of projects in accordance with the council’s governance and management arrangements.  
• Rotational responsibility for operational tasks at programme level including providing project secretariat to the project team and boards and supporting with the management of the Council Housing Growth Programme risk log.

What we offer you

We take pride in offering the best employee experience, with benefits including:

• a competitive salary and annual leave entitlement plus statutory holidays
• membership of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund with generous employer contributions
• flexible and hybrid working arrangements subject to service requirements
• a clear career pathway and continuing professional development opportunities
• a range of staff benefits to help you boost your wellbeing and make your money go further

How to apply

Please complete the online application form.

Read our guidance for further advice. Please check your information carefully and ensure you complete all sections before submitting your application. 

If you have any queries or would like an informal chat about the role please contact Ian Frobisher, Project Manager. Call 07891 276531 or email Ian.Frobisher@leeds.gov.uk.

We promote diversity and want a workforce that reflects the population of Leeds. Leeds City Council is ranked 70 on the Stonewall Equality Index 2023. We are also an age-friendly employer, a Mindful Employer and a Disability Confident Leader.

All new Leeds City Council appointments are made subject to the satisfactory completion of a six-month probationary period.
 
This role is based in the UK. Employment is conditional on confirmation of the right to work in the UK - either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa. If you do not have the right to work in the UK and the role does not meet eligibility for sponsorship, please consider carefully whether you meet the eligibility to apply.

Job description

Job Purpose 

Leeds is undergoing significant change with substantial levels of growth and investment across the city as we plan and deliver major infrastructure and growth around major transport hubs and deliver wider economic and housing growth. Underpinning this is a focus on enhancing socio-economic connectivity to our priority neighbourhoods and ensuring everybody can benefit from the transformation in the city. 

The Asset Management and Regeneration team has a track record of successfully supporting the delivery of major transformation on a diverse range of initiatives across the district, including major city centre retail and leisure, housing programmes, economic development, heritage led development and regeneration, inward investment and planning transformation around major infrastructure projects alongside place-based leadership in our priority neighbourhoods.  

Working as part of the team, you will live and model values and behaviours to help us to achieve our ambition to become the best city council in the country. Your role will be important in supporting the council to be more enterprising and efficient and to support appropriate arrangements for the administration and delivery of projects. The role operates within the context of the council’s Business Plan Objective to increase efficiency.     

The post holder will be responsible for supporting projects and programmes, and supporting professional and project management functions in respect of projects and sub projects of complex projects and supporting the project team in the provision of advice to members and directorates in respect of projects or programmes.   

The Project Support Officer will be able to demonstrate relevant skills and experience in project management support and have knowledge of most competence elements of project management.    

Further responsibilities also include:  

Supporting the management of projects on behalf of the council working with resources from across the Authority, contributing to innovation in project development.  

Key Accountabilities   

1. Support the management of projects or complex sub-projects, supporting the delivery and improvement of services which meet the needs of our communities and stakeholders.   
2. Provide timely and up to date project information across the authority to Clients and other stakeholders.   
3. Support effective joint working within the council. Provide guidance and support to colleagues and clients, contributing to an organisational culture of shared accountabilities, learning and continuous improvement.   
4. Support new ways of working, to improve corporate priority outcomes and to ensure that developments and improvements remain focused on delivering outcomes for local people.  
5. Promote and support positive solutions to achieve diversity and equality of opportunity in all aspects of service delivery, community engagement activity and human resource areas.   
6. Support effective consultation and communications with colleagues, clients, councillors, and other stakeholders in accordance with council policy.   
7. Support open, responsive and accountable government, ensuring good governance compliance with financial and procurement procedures.   
8. Manage all aspects of risk and be responsible for the safety of staff, clients and contractors in accordance with all statutory obligations and relevant health and safety policies.  

Specific Responsibilities   

1. Support the management of council projects and/or sub projects of complex public sector projects, supporting and maintaining key project documentation, ensuring an accurate audit trail, and providing project secretariat to the project team and boards.  
2. Support the management of projects which contribute to the delivery of the council’s approach to projects.  
3. Support internal Clients in project delivery, assisting with the preparation of consultation, communication and contract documentation.   
4. Support the management of, and resolving of risks and issues in all projects.  
5. Support the development and compilation of project initiation/pre-procurement documentation for the feasibility, project initiation, expression of interest and outline business case stages of a project.   
6. Support the development of project documents to deliver project close and beyond, including coordinating and organising external gateway reviews at key project stages, scheduling negotiation and dialogue meetings with bidders and issuing agenda’s cross cutting actions logs and clarification logs for complex procurement projects.   
7. Support project teams in disseminating project ideas and best practice, contributing to lessons learned exercises.  
8. Comply with standardised project management methodologies, tools and techniques including development, maintenance and monitoring of benefits realisation logs, risk logs, issues logs, actions logs, version control, programming/planning and change logs.  
9. Support the development of stakeholder consultation plans in relation to the council’s projects.  
10. Support the delivery of projects in accordance with the council’s governance and management arrangements.  
11. Comply with statutory undertakings.   
12. Comply with safety and safeguarding requirements.    

PERSONAL SPECIFICATION ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS: It is essential that the candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria for the post within the context of the specific role duties and responsibilities:  Candidates will only be shortlisted for interview if they can demonstrate on the application form that they meet all the essential requirements. 

Method of Assessment will be through one or more of the following Application Form, Test, Interview or Certificate. 

1.    Degree or relevant demonstrable skills or experience  

2.    Relevant demonstrable skills or experience at a level equivalent to APM Level D 

3.    Knowledge of supporting projects. 

4.   Experience of supporting projects including the creation and monitoring of risk, issues, actions logs   

5.    Demonstrate drive, energy , resilience and self-management skills as well as integrity, openness and awareness of others within the context of supporting a project team 

6.    Ability to present information in a clear and concise manner using a variety of presentational formats 

7.    Experience of working in a project environment   

8.    Experience of supporting a multi-disciplinary and occasionally geographically dispersed project team.   

9.    Experience of supporting projects which reflect service needs, provide value for money, and maintain quality 

10.  Ability to find solutions to problems 

11. Good communication skills in a project environment with the ability to communicate effectively with a variety of stakeholders 

12.  Ability to support the implementation of a range of project management tools and techniques which focus on achieving results in terms of outcomes for staff and customers 

13. Experience of delivering a high level of Project Support which enables the project to meet the needs of end users 

14.  Knowledge, understanding and experience of supporting the implementation of a project management methodology to drive project delivery 

Working as a Team for Leeds   

Provide leadership and team working skills including ability to work with and through others; implements corporate decisions with energy and vigour  

Being Open, Honest and Trusted  

Ensures citizens and council members are provided with all relevant information to make decisions; learns from mistakes and seeks to promote continuous improvement and best practice   

Works with all Communities   

Works effectively with a variety of partners organisations to deliver services; communicates and involves stakeholders and the wider community in new developments to encourage ownership and commitment  

Treating People Fairly  

Recognise that everyone has an equally important part to play within the council and valuing the diverse and vibrant nature of the city and all its citizens  

Spending Money Wisely  

Sets high expectations of achievement across a range of strategic outcomes, actively seeks out opportunities to improve delivery of services through partnership and feedback from service users.