Senior Project Manager - Ref : 6888 )

East Midlands (England), East of England, London (region), North East England, North West England, South East England, South West England, West Midlands (England), Yorkshire and the Humber

Job Summary This position is based Nationally

Job Description The Project & Change Team provides professional project delivery and change management support across Natural England. The Senior Project Manager sits within the Business Partnering & Assurance function and acts as a trusted adviser to the Services, Functions and Area Teams.

The successful candidate will provide expert guidance, coaching and practical support to project leads, enabling them to adopt effective project and change management practices and to consider the people impacts of change throughout delivery. Senior Project Managers play a vital role in building confidence across the organisation and increasing our capability to successfully deliver projects and manage change.

**Job Description** Key Tasks/Principal Accountabilities

• Provide support to Project and Change Managers across the organisation, by signposting them to best practice guidance, tools, templates, frameworks and learning resources provided by the Project & Change Team.
• Engage with project leads, sponsors and stakeholders to assess the scale, complexity and organisational impact of projects, including the impact on people, processes and ways of working. Apply expertise to determine the level of project and change support required and advise on proportionate interventions.
• Apply project management expertise, broadly aligned to Level 2 Project Manager within the Project Delivery Capability Framework (PDCF), to provide coaching and mentoring so that projects are well governed, effectively delivered and supported by appropriate change planning.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues across the Business Partnering & Assurance Team to manage, prioritise and respond to requests for advice, ensuring customer expectations are managed and support is delivered effectively.
• Promote awareness and understanding of project & change management best practice across the organisation, helping to build organisational capability and improve the way projects and change are planned, delivered and communicated.
• Capture lessons learned, customer feedback and emerging best practice, including insight into change readiness, engagement and adoption, to inform the continuous improvement of Project & Change Team products, services, tools and methodologies.
• Contribute to the success of the Project Management and Change Champions Networks through active participation, knowledge sharing, capability building and the promotion of professional standards across Natural England.

**Knowledge, Skills & Experience**

• Practical experience of working on projects and programmes with knowledge of project planning methodology, business cases, risk management and benefits management, together with an understanding of how effective change management supports successful delivery and benefits realisation - Essential.
• A strong track record of adapting communication styles and approaches to engage, influence and build credibility with a wide range of stakeholders, including senior leaders, project teams and operational colleagues - Essential.
• Demonstrable ability to build constructive and trusted relationships, working collaboratively across organisational boundaries to bring together evidence, insight and diverse perspectives that support the delivery of Natural England’s strategic objectives - Essential.
• Experience of operating successfully within complex, fast-paced and evolving environments, demonstrating sound judgement, effective prioritisation, resilience and appropriate risk management - Essential.
• A strong track record in displaying personal excellence and corporate responsibility; understanding the importance of good governance and role modelling the right behaviours to your team, customers, and stakeholders - Essential.
• Experience of coaching and mentoring to provide advice, guidance and support to project leads, ensuring project delivery and associated change activity are planned and delivered in a proportionate and effective manner - Essential.
• Hold a recognised Project Delivery practitioner level qualification, e.g. APM PMQ, Prince2 Practitioner, Agile Project Management Practitioner or MSP Practitioner - Essential.
• Practical experience of supporting organ…