Raa Project Support Officer - Req24473

As a Project Support Officer, you’ll be working with the Adoption England team, hosted by Leeds City Council, and thrive on supporting a wide range of projects and working with project managers, business support staff and key stakeholders.

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:

• Excellent organisational, numerical, literacy and analytical skills
• The ability to make an effective contribution to internal and external meetings to arrive at a positive outcome
• The ability to identify conflict amongst stakeholders
• The ability to analyse research and information and understand its relevance to the work disciplines of the team
• The Ability to communicate well and develop productive working relationships that command respect, trust and confidence

About the role
The Project Support Officer will work across a range of projects across England and will support project and programme managers. Being part of small national team, we work with the national adoption strategic lead and regional adoption agency leaders, who are accountable for the national programme of work being delivered.

We are looking for an exceptional candidate who has excellent communication skills and can be flexible and adaptable and provide efficient project officer support. The post holder will need to have good organisation skills and will need to be proficient in the use of Microsoft Office and other IT systems.

What we offer you
We take pride in offering the best employee experience, with benefits including:

• a supportive team environment
• 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 are interested in this post and would like more information please contact either Eva Booth 07712215736 or Sarah Johal 07891 277316.

Interviews will take place on: Likely to be 14th February between

We promote diversity and want a workforce that reflects the population of Leeds and the communities we serve. Leeds City Council is an Inclusive employer, ranked 70 on the Stonewall top 100 employers 2023 list. 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: To work flexibly to provide effective Project Support as part of a project team, contributing to the successful delivery of major projects and programmes. The Project Support Officer will work with the national team to support the delivery of the regional adoption agencies strategic plan aimed at driving continuous improvement initiatives across the sector with key partners and stakeholders.

Responsibilities for Grade:

To work as part of a project team, as well as providing portfolio support to assist in the effective and efficient delivery of programmes/projects.

To take responsibility for the development, implementation and maintenance of effective and efficient administrative systems, ensuring that appropriate support is provided to programme and project teams at all times.

To prepare, produce and present high quality reports and statistical information relating to the performance and monitoring of the programme.

To arrange, attend, and facilitate meetings and workshops, including scheduling, agenda planning, preparation and facilitation.

To produce Management Information from databases and spreadsheets by inputting and retrieving information from systems.

To prepare and assist in the development of documents, reports and publicity that meet the needs of diverse audiences.

To assist in the development and management of monitoring, evaluation and reporting frameworks.

To build productive relationships throughout the project team and partners and stakeholders

Represent the service at meetings as required and undertake or co-ordinate any work required as a result

Support the policy and service development work undertaken by project team

To attend regular team meetings and supervision as required

To take a lead on business support services and undertake regular supervision
Additional

Provide excellent customer service to all

Respect the sensitive and confidential nature of the work.
Follow good practice in data protection.

Be responsive to the needs of the project team and support colleagues as required.

All employees should understand their personal responsibility to comply with all organisational and statutory requirements, for example, Health and Safety, Equality and Diversity

Ability to be travel to London and other sites as needed as part of the role.

To work from home and attend meetings in Leeds and other sites as needed.

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

Skills Required:

Excellent organisational, numerical, literacy and analytical skills.

Ability to make an effective contribution to internal and external meetings to arrive at a positive outcome.

Ability to identify conflict amongst stakeholders.

Ability to analyse research and information and understand its relevance to the work disciplines of the team.

Ability to develop productive working relationships that command respect, trust and confidence.

Ability to understand competing priorities when delivering on a range of projects.

Ability to work within, as well as support, a team.

Ability to demonstrate competence in the use of IT and use of social media to promote the Council’s work.

Ability to communicate clearly and succinctly to produce and present verbal and written reports.

Ability to monitor budgets

Knowledge Required:

Understanding of local government working and of public sector values.

An understanding of service delivery issues within the context of the public sector

A good understanding of theory and practice of adoption services

Experience Required:

Experience of assisting on coordinating projects and initiatives in a service or operational area relevant to the post.

Experience of achieving results in a politically sensitive context.

Experience of undertaking research and analysing relevant literature.

Experience of participating in initiatives and policies from development to implementation.

Experience of working effectively with others to deliver projects across disciplines.

Experience of working in partnership with a diverse range of partners on relevant projects.

Experience of attending meetings with senior leaders and politicians.
Relevant experience in Project support management of financial, social or economic inclusion related projects or regeneration projects.

Behavioural & other Characteristics required:

Achievement of equal opportunities in both employment and service delivery and an understanding of the Leeds City Council policy.

Willing to take personal responsibility for and abide by the Council’s Health and Safety Policy.

Conscientious and committed approach towards completing tasks accurately and to deadlines to achieve the service’s objectives.

Awareness of and an ability to respect the sensitive and confidential nature of the work.

Commitment to own personal development and learning.

Commitment to the goals and values of the organisation.

Ability to make colleagues aware of action they could take to improve the quality of service delivered by the Council.

Ability to promote a professional image of self, the department and the Council.

DESIRABLE REQUIREMENTS: It is desirable that the candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria for the post within the context of the specific role.  Candidates are not required to meet all the Desirable requirements however these may be used to distinguish between acceptable candidates. 
Knowledge Required:

Understanding of project and formal project management techniques and reporting requirements.

Understanding of risk management and benefits realisation within project management methodologies.