Job Information
ROLE OF THE JOB
This is an exciting opportunity to play a leading role in Northumberland County Council’s £175m Town Regeneration Programme. It’s an exciting time with a major pipeline of new projects across our towns and we need two experienced regeneration practitioners with capital project and/ or programme management expertise and knowledge of external funding to help us deliver across all our communities.
You will lead on project and programme development and delivery joining our growing multi disciplinary teams across major capital and revenue projects including the £35m Ashington Regeneration Programme, £21m Borderlands Place Programme, £110m Energising Blyth Programme and £3.5m Cramlington Regeneration Programme. These programmes include new leisure, cultural, youth, community and educational buildings and sustainable transport infrastructure and public realm works. Projects are varied in scale and at different stages of development located in communities across the county. Each project will make a major impact and difference to the lives and well being of our residents and help our towns to be productive places, something you can help to become a reality.
We're looking for experienced ‘client side’ project and programme management staff to join us who can lead on major parts of our programme from initiation through to successful completion. The role requires the ability to work with a high degree of autonomy and initiative, to have a proactive, solutions and delivery focussed approach, to have experience and expertise in partnership working and external grants processes and operating effectively within a political and governmental framework.
The Service:
The post is located within the Regeneration Service, part of the wider Economic Development and Growth Directorate whose core purpose is to deliver the Council’s priority of Economic Growth. This includes the influencing of national and regional policy and co-ordination and driving forward of the delivery and management of regeneration and economic growth projects.
You will work as part of a team of eleven full and part time staff, responsible for the development and delivery of town regeneration in Northumberland through project and programme management, co-ordination of partnerships being delivered within the County.
Also working closely with colleagues across the Place and Regeneration Directorate, senior representatives of our private, public and third sector stakeholders, and with our business, community and public sector partners on a range of Town Partnerships, you will be responsible for creating and helping to secure commitment to delivery, meeting the objectives of the County Council, North East Combined Authority, Borderlands Partnership and UK Government.
You will therefore have experience in the following key areas relating to either Project or Programme Management, or both:
- Management of the development cycle - including feasibility, site acquisitions, scope, business case, funding, briefs/specifications, commissioning + procurement of a range of professional services, reporting, design development, planning, construction and end user/operator interface.
- Strict project management controls – Capital and Revenue Budget tracking, contract management, solution focussed risk and issues management. Project timelines, key milestones and critical path, project delivery team co-ordination, communications strategies, forward plans and project highlight reports
- Publicly funded projects, business case development, Grant Funding Agreements monitoring requirements, project adjustments and internal/external reporting, approval and assurance requirements.
- Public Procurement, Financial, Planning, Building, Environmental and Subsidy Regulations and the ability to ensure that the delivery of each project is fully compliant with these.
- Commissioning, monitoring and co-ordination of internal and external professional services including Advance Northumberland, Design and Project Teams, specialist consultants, legal advisors, Property, Procurement, Legal and Technical Services
- Stakeholder Engagement and communications planning – you will be outward looking, stakeholder focussed to ensure inclusive and equitable outcomes.
The post is offered on a fixed term contract for two years from appointment. The programme’s in development include a significant pipeline beyond this time period. For example the £21m Borderlands Place Programme is a ten year programme and Energising Blyth is expected to include a further £20m through the new long term UK Government ‘Regeneration Programme’ also for ten years. As such we anticipate there may be the potential to extend (subject to funding).
You will be based at County Hall in Morpeth and will be required to travel around Northumberland. We operate flexible working arrangements, including home working.
REQUIREMENTS OF THE JOB
- Have a background in regeneration, project and or programme management, planning, surveying or similar disciplines.
- Offer ‘intelligent client’ project management expertise applying knowledge of the development cycle through RIBA Plan of Works.
- Demonstrate current application of project management tools and for monitoring and reporting all aspects of project/programme delivery.
- Have strong financial management and budget monitoring skills and a strong commercial awareness.
- Demonstrate a good understanding of procurement processes, routes, stages and contract management across a range of services and works.
- Have a good understanding of Procurement, Financial, Environmental and Planning and ability to ensure all projects are delivered in full compliance of these.
- Have significant experience of partnership working and engaging with a broad range of stakeholders and the ability to communicate effectively.
- Demonstrate recent experience in preparing project and/or programme business cases for place-based regeneration projects.
- Demonstrate understanding of Local Authority governance and assurance procedures, Grant Funding Agreements, reporting requirements and compliance.
- Knowledge of national, regional, and local policies related to town centre regeneration.
- Have a valid UK driving license.
For further information or an informal discussion about this vacancy, please contact:
Rob Strettle, Economic Growth and Regeneration Manager: Email: rob.strettle@northumberland.gov.uk / tel: 07770642773 or David Warburton, Head of Regeneration david.warburton@northumberland.gov.uk / Tel: 07736627965
Rob Strettle, Economic Growth and Regeneration Manager: Email: rob.strettle@northumberland.gov.uk / tel: 07770642773 or David Warburton, Head of Regeneration david.warburton@northumberland.gov.uk / Tel: 07736627965
Why choose us?
We have some outstanding benefits and perks to offer you, including:
- 26 days annual leave plus public/bank holidays, rising to 31 days after 5 years of service (pro rata for part-time employees)
- Automatic enrolment into the Local Government Pension Scheme
- Flexi scheme (if applicable) – up to 2 days flexible leave available per month (pro rata for part-time employees)
To see all our excellent benefits and perks, please click here.
Further information
Please note that this is a fixed term position and applications on a secondment basis would be considered for the right applicant.
For guidance on completing your application and for information about our Equality and Diversity principles, please see the attached guidance notes here.
We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer. We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria. If you wish to notify us of your eligibility for this scheme, please email hrrecruitment@northumberland.gov.uk or ring 01670 623930 with your name and the job title you have applied for and one of the recruitment team will ensure this is factored into the shortlisting process and kept anonymous. If you have a disability and would prefer to apply in a different format, please see the alternative methods below. This information will be treated as confidential and will only be used to check that you meet the essential requirements of the post.
Alternative application format:
British Sign Language: northumberlandcc-cs.signvideo.net
For those with speech difficulties or hearing loss: Text relay service dial 018001 01670 623930
Although we advertise on North East Jobs, and other websites, your application process will be directed to our Tribepad system. Please note that all communication regarding your application for this post will be sent to the email address that you have registered on Tribepad, including your invite to interview if you are shortlisted. Please check your emails regularly, including Spam/Junk, after the closing dates for notifications.
