We're looking for a Projects Officer to join the Strategy & Economy team on a fixed term for 12 months. The role acts as the central point of contact for project managers and stakeholders, and monitors and reports progress of key projects primarily connected to new Government funding streams (e.g. Community Renewal Fund, Shared Prosperity Fund). This will involve checking outputs, KPIs and targets, keeping projects on track, flagging issues and updating on deliverables.

The role will additionally oversee project set up and delivery in collaboration with colleagues from across the organisation and a wide range of external stakeholders, with a focus on end-to-end communications, stakeholder engagement, system creation and continuous improvement.

What will you be doing? 

• Report on the progress and outcomes of critical projects which are in planning and delivery at project reviews
• Ensure all project documentation is appropriately stored in SharePoint and accessible
• Create and coordinate risk registers for each project to document and monitor agreed mitigations
• Create and monitor delivery and spend programmes for projects
• Develop, implement and maintain robust project processes and systems
• Coordinate regular performance and stakeholder meetings
• Support with engagement of legal, procurement, financial and other advice where identified
• Produce progress reports and present information around performance progress to stakeholders including senior managers and directors
• Coordinate project budgets with Finance, including verification and authorisation of costs, monitoring and reconciliation, budgeting and budgeting profiling
• Review project performance/data and flag any issues or areas of concern to the Programme Manager
• Support and maintain effective working relationships with strategic partners, delivery partners and key stakeholders
• Develop work around the delivery mechanisms and priorities of the project, identifying key areas of performance and addressing requirements accordingly
• Build effective working relationships with key internal and external stakeholders 

About you

We're looking for someone with experience of supporting and coordinating early stage project management, preferably with knowledge of Government funded revenue projects. Our ideal candidate will have high-level communication skills and have experience of managing data - output and financial.

The role uses Excel extensively and so we're looking for someone with advanced Excel skills, capable of creating and managing large data sets. You'll need to be comfortable creating formulas and have a keen eye for detail with high standards of delivery. 

About the team

The Strategy and Economy directorate brings stakeholders in the region together around shared strategic ambitions to ensure that we are always more than the sum of our parts. The Directorate develops and supports the WMCA Corporate Strategy, and develops policy and programmes focussed on economic development, devolution, culture, digital, and other areas where the WMCA has an enabling and influencing role. The Directorate engages with Government, think tanks, universities, and others to make sure our voice is heard, and supports new and emerging policy thinking. The Directorate also hosts the Office for Data Analytics and Energy Capital, a regional public-private partnership.

About us

Our role in the West Midlands has never been more important and in these extraordinary times we’ve shown we can step forward, speak up for our region and bring people together. Everything we do is focused on making life better for people in the West Midlands – that’s our reason for being here and it drives every move we make. We lead and support others to deliver our shared future vision for the region – a happier, healthier, better connected place to live and work. 

We fully believe that we are only as great as the people who work for us and are committed to providing a positive, healthy and inclusive working environment where our people feel valued and respected. We are a “Leaders in Diversity” accredited organisation, are in the Inclusive Top 50 Employers List and are one of The Times Top 50 Employers for Women.

Our employees feel they can make a difference and are excited by the growth and the potential to shape the future. As we undergo a period of significant change, our employees are engaging with what is going on and we are encouraging a culture where people feel they can contribute towards improvements.

We’re ambitious, forward thinking and determined to find better ways of working, always leading the way in what we do. We trust and support each other to get the job done, and encourage creativity, originality and curiosity from those who work with us. We’re committed to creating an accessible and diverse workplace, one that nurtures an inclusive environment where our people can be themselves.

If your values align with ours and you’re committed to working towards creating a future we can all be proud of, we want to hear from you.

Additional information

We are designing our organisation of the future and planning a new, flexible approach to the way we use our office space.  This approach will mean most of us working from home some of the time and using our office space to come together to share ideas and learn from each other. We will continue to use digital technology for meetings, collaboration and communications - bringing teams together virtually wherever they’re working, saving time and spending on travel.

We are committed to developing an organisation that is representative of the diverse communities that we serve and welcome applications from all sections of the community. The following groups are currently underrepresented: young people, Black, Asian and ethnic minority groups and women at senior levels.

We are a Disability Confident Employer and offer a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants who meet the essential job role criteria. We will make reasonable adjustments, in line with the Equality Act, for disabled applicants if these are needed. Wherever possible we will offer flexible working options which assist work-life balance.

We’re dedicated to providing a broad range of rewards and benefits and constantly benchmark our benefits packages to ensure they are attractive for all our people. As well as a competitive salary, employees also receive a benefits package that includes 27 days annual leave (plus public holidays) and access to a great pension scheme.

Supporting documents
Projects Officer - Policy and Programmes - JD.pdf