Schools Project Manager

Job Introduction

Role Purpose
 
We are seeking to appoint two experienced Project Managers to support the Schools Programme Manager in delivering a portfolio of education construction projects to enable children and young people to access local school places in buildings that are safe and offer inspiring and inclusive teaching and learning spaces.  
 
You will be part of a multi-disciplinary team, and work with the Schools Programme Manager in planning, developing and delivering new build, refurbishment and expansion projects across our school estate.  

Our capital programme includes an ambitious programme of projects that will increase SEND sufficiency and provide local specialist places for local children and families. Working within BCP Council’s governance frameworks and with our local school partners, you will be responsible for the successful delivery of a portfolio of projects. 

 Main Responsibilities    

• Be responsible for the definition, performance, progress and timeliness of Children’s Services projects in line with good practice and statutory requirements, ensuring buildings comply with current legislation.   
• Ensure that project briefs are developed, reviewed and updated and that all of the viable options have been properly evaluated and costed and the recommended option meets the user needs.   
• Provide both client-side and construction project management during all stages of the project delivery lifecycle for a range of schemes.   
• Work with local school leaders and governors/academy trusts to represent the service in a client liaison role and act as champion for the delivery of projects, ensuring that the educational requirements of the project are well defined.   
• Procure, lead, manage and motivate project teams, to ensure that there is a clear delivery strategy for feasibility, design management, procurement, and execution of projects, addressing poor performance where appropriate.  
• Facilitate and coordinate complex and specialist technical advice on a range of issues and communicate the actions and outcomes to all relevant stakeholders.   
• Manage the input of BCP Council support services to projects including property, finance, legal and procurement, ensuring that necessary documents are prepared, signed and completed and escalated where necessary.  
• Attend site meetings and chair regular project progress meetings, receiving reports on project and commercial progress as required and removing barriers by communicating openly.   
• Provide regular project reports to Schools Capital Programme governance boards that include a financial monitor of anticipated and actual capital costs against the agreed budget. 
• Support the Schools Capital Programme Manager in preparing reports to seek funding approval from senior leaders and elected councillors.  
• Ensure that pre-contract design development and post-contract scope changes and implications on quality, cost and time are managed and approved in line with robust change control processes and satisfy the Council’s objectives.   
• Motivate users and other stakeholders to gain commitment to the project and its outcomes and take a proactive approach to a complex case load, understanding different customer needs to be able to contribute to the resolution of contentious issues.   
• Develop relationships with Corporate Estates, Facilities Management and Corporate Health and Safety teams and help to coordinate their role in advising our local school partners on their use of buildings, good estate management, building design and construction.   
• Comply with all decisions, policies and standing orders of the Council and any relevant statutory requirements, including Equality and Diversity legislation, the Health and Safety at Work Act and Data Protection legislation.    

  
The ideal candidate 

• Degree qualified, preferably in the built environment and commensurate professional experience   
• PRINCE 2 / PMP / RICS or equivalent project management qualification or equivalent professional experience 
• You will have a construction or project management background and extensive experience of delivering projects across a range of values.  
• Specialised knowledge and skills across a range of sectors/service areas (including schools/education, construction contracts, construction procurement, regulatory requirements and the risks of non-compliance) gained through extensive experience, including broader commercial awareness   
• Experience of managing budgets, resources and funding within the context of Local Government  
• Thorough knowledge of effective change and stakeholder management principles gained through extensive experience   
• Experience of and ability to build lasting client relationships and lead, manage and motivate strong, multi-disciplinary teams.   
• High level of resilience, attention to detail, emotional intelligence, calm under pressure.  
• Ability to build sound working relationships quickly.  
• Must be able to travel, using public or other forms of transport where they are viable, or by holding a valid UK driving licence with access to own or pool car.    

This role is based at BCP Civic Centre, Bournemouth with the option for some home working in accordance with business requirements.  

If you are interested in this role and have some questions please do not hesitate to contact Jason Moors, Schools Programme Manager, jason.moors@bcpcouncil.gov.uk. Interviews will be held on 25 February 2025. 

About BCP Council

BCP Council provides services to a diverse community of 400,000 residents and employs more than 5,000 people. Our area includes over 15 miles of beautiful world-renowned coastline. We can offer career defining roles to transform and improve services. By working with us, you can help deliver a vision of a thriving, word-class, prosperous and inclusive place for generations to come.

Our Benefits

We offer an excellent benefits package to colleagues. Find out more on our website.

As a result of the creation of BCP Council in 2019, we are working on simplifying our terms and conditions of service and will be creating a single pay structure which is to be applicable for all employees. It is important to us that we offer benefits that our colleagues value as part of their total employment package and we are reviewing these to make sure we have it right. We have been in a process of collective bargaining since 2019 and have positively worked forward to reach an agreed position with the unions for the new contractual offer. This has taken longer than we hoped and therefore we are having to consider all alternative avenues available to enable us to remove inequality in the organisation as a result of bringing together 3 councils. 

We are in the process of establishing a timescale for implementation, and all colleagues joining us will be included in these changes. We want to reassure everyone that whichever route is taken to reach the new terms and conditions, we can honour continuous service and there will not be any job reduction as a result of the implementation of Pay and Reward.  If you have any questions at all about this process, please feel free to raise this with the hiring manager.