Project Manager

Working hours: Full time - 37 hours per week

Schedule type: Hybrid working - Office days 2-3 days per week, however this is dependent on business needs

Are you looking for a role where you can help shape something new, make a visible difference and work alongside people who care deeply about their place? If so, HSCCA could be a brilliant next step. We are building a new Combined County Authority for Hampshire and the Solent, bringing together partners across Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton to bring investment to the region and to create opportunities for our people, places, communities and businesses.

As the Head of Portfolio Office you will play a key role in translating strategic objectives into practical, deliverable change across programmes, projects, and organisational initiatives. Working closely with stakeholders, you will analyse business needs, define requirements, map current and future processes, and support informed decision-making around services, systems, operating models, and ways of working.

In this role, you’ll play a crucial part in ensuring our teams have the tools, knowledge, and processes they need to deliver a high-quality service. You will:

• Set the Portfolio Office direction for HSCCA - defining the operating model, standards, governance, tools and ways of working that support effective portfolio, programme and project delivery across the organisation.
• Lead portfolio prioritisation, sequencing and pipeline management.
• Lead project appraisal and business case challenge.
• Establish proportionate governance and assurance.
• Lead portfolio reporting and performance insight - providing high-quality, decision ready information to the Executive Team, Boards and governance forums on progress, delivery confidence, benefits, risks, issues, milestones, affordability and interdependencies.
• Develop benefits and value management.
• Lead capacity, resource and affordability planning - developing a realistic view of organisational demand, capability and constraints, identifying pressure points early and advising where work should be deferred, reshaped or re-phased.
• Provide independent assurance and constructive challenge - working with senior leaders, delivery leads, finance, corporate services and partners to test assumptions, surface delivery risks, manage trade-offs and support confident decisions in a politically visible environment.

We’re looking for someone with:

• Extensive senior-level experience of building or reshaping a Portfolio Office, PMO or strategic project governance function in a complex public sector, regulated or multi-stakeholder environment.
• Strong capability in portfolio management, including strategic alignment, prioritisation, sequencing, integrated planning, pipeline management, governance, assurance, reporting, risk and issue management, dependency management and delivery confidence assessment.
• Experience of project appraisal, business case challenge, benefits tracking, readiness assessment and evidence-based prioritisation, with the ability to test proposals before they proceed.
• Excellent stakeholder management, facilitation, communication and influencing skills, with credibility across senior leaders, elected Members, delivery teams, corporate services, partners and external stakeholders.
• Experience working in local government, a combined authority, central government, an arm’s length body or another politically accountable public sector environment.

As we take on new responsibilities devolved from Government, you will have a genuine opportunity to contribute to building a public service organisation that does things differently.

Our reward package includes:

• A flexible working environment, with hybrid working arrangements as standard (minimum 2 days per week in our office)
• A competitive salary and benefits package
• Investment in your professional development and leadership growth
• The chance to work alongside a leadership team that is committed to building an organisation where people thrive
• Membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme

The HSCCA is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive and accessible workplace where everyone feels valued and able to thrive. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and lived experiences, particularly those from groups that are currently underrepresented in our workforce. This includes people from ethnic minority communities, disabled people, neurodivergent people, LGBTQ+ people, parents and carers, and individuals from lower socio-economic backgrounds.

Your application will progress through the following stages:

• Application Review

Please ensure your CV clearly demonstrates how you meet the required criteria in order to be considered.

• Telephone Interview

If shortlisted, you will be invited to an initial telephone interview.

• Face-to-face Interview

If shortlisted, you will be invited to an initial telephone interview. During this stage, you will be assessed against the skills & experience criteria and your overall suitability for the position.

This is the final stage of the selection process and will determine the outcome of your application.

• Feedback

Feedback will be provided following the final face-to-face interview stage.

Please note that feedback is only available to candidates who attend the final stage interview stage. Successful candidates will then be considered for an offer.

As a Disability Confident Committed employer, we run a guaranteed interview scheme for disabled applicants. If you meet the essential criteria listed in the job description for this position and would like to be considered under this scheme, please state this in your application.

All data collected is anonymous and has zero bearing on your application. If there is anything we can do to accommodate your specific situation, please let the recruitment team know.