Water Reform Programme Manager - Single Regulator

Defra is the UK government department responsible for safeguarding our natural environment, supporting our world-leading food and farming industry, and sustaining a thriving rural economy. Our broad remit means we play a major role in people's day-to-day life, from the food we eat, and the air we breathe, to the water we drink. In terms of programme and project delivery, Defra has one of the largest and most complicated portfolios in Government.

Water is vital for life - clean, freshwater for drinking and sanitation, providing for farms and industry, creating and sustaining the ecosystems on which all life depends. Yet water is a finite natural resource, facing increasing pressures from climate change and population growth. Never before has political, media and public attention been focused on water as it is now. The Independent Water Commission made recommendations for reform of the system. The White Paper sets out the actions now needed to fix the system. This brings a great opportunity, and we have been given a mandate to make some once in a generation changes.

The Water System Reform Programme will deliver White Paper commitments to reform the water system, including an integrated and empowered new single regulator resetting regulation for the water system, and reforming the water system planning. This is ambitious reform across a complex landscape of regulators, industry and consumer, where the programme will need to achieve cross-sector coordination and build public trust.

We are seeking a G6 Water Reform Programme Manager for the Single Regulator, one of the major projects within the Water System Reform Programme. This is a central delivery project with the programme, that will reshape the institutional structures for regulation in the water system. The postholder will lead a small team of project managers to shape and drive the project delivering the new integrated single regulator, a significant machinery of Government change which is integral to successful delivery of the wider programme of reform. This is a complex, high-profile project and we are seeking an experienced programme manager to take on this important leadership role. This is an excellent opportunity for someone looking to progress their career to more senior roles.

The Single Regulator Programme Manager is a key leadership role for the Single Regulator project, and wider Water System Reform Programme. The postholder will be an integral member of the divisional SLT and directorate wide people, inclusion and wellbeing groups.

The team is part of the Water Reform directorate and works closely with policy, strategy and group corporate services teams leading work across the programme. The Single Regulator project team are responsible for:

• Developing all project planning and controls across all workstreams
• Developing benefit management processes
• Managing project governance and decision support, ensuring the project is operating effectively within the programme governance and assurance arrangements
• Building and maintaining strong stakeholder relationships across all delivery partners, including senior stakeholders in the regulators and corporate service teams (including HR, digital, property and commercial)
• Delivery oversight and coordination at a project level, feeding into the wider programme

As the Single Regulator Programme Manager you will lead on the day to day running of a high-complexity and high-profile project. You will be responsible for overseeing the delivery, ensuring that the objectives are clearly defined and achieved within the agreed time, cost, and quality constraints. You will have effective leadership, interpersonal and communication skills and will play a key role in project governance, working with stakeholders to ensure the agreed project outputs are delivered to enable benefit realisation.

You will lead a small project team to provide targeted, expert support to establish, manage and deliver the desired project outcomes.

If you're interested in finding out more about the role please join our Information Session - Friday 19th June 12:00-12:30

Responsibilities

• Lead the day-to-day running of the project, with ownership and accountability for delivering agreed outcomes within time, cost, and quality constraints.
• Provide effective leadership and line management to the project team, cascading the vision and setting team objectives.
• Lead the development and maintenance of project plans and determine appropriate delivery methodology. Setting project controls, managing performance and report progress to sponsors.
• Design the project structure and organisation appropriate to the stage, effectively managing the transition between phases.
• Develop and draft the business case, seeking input from specialists when required.
• Lead development of the budget and track project spend.
• Identify skills requirements and deploy suitable resources.
• Deliver the agreed business case benefits and outcomes. Monitor the longer-term delivery of benefits against the business case, ensuring an appropriate Benefits Realisation Strategy is in place.
• Identify and effectively manage key stakeholder relationships, both internal and external.
• Identify and monitor project risks and issues, developing mitigating actions and escalating as appropriate. Identify and work with related projects to manage interdependencies.
• Support effective governance and decision making. Provide project reports, engaging in processes that hold you accountable for delivery.
• Engage with assurance reviews and support recommended action. Co-ordinate project assurance processes and gateway reviews.
• Set up effective change management processes, including documenting agreed changes to the project deliverables.
• Role model commitment to personal development, promote individual and team performance, providing support, guidance and coaching for the project team.
• An active member of the Defra Project Delivery Profession Community.

Person Specification

• Significant experience of successfully managing high complexity projects covering scheduling, budgeting and cost management, risk and issue management, governance, assurance and change control.
• Expert knowledge of planning and resource management in a project delivery environment.
• Working knowledge of business change and implementation, business case development and benefits management.
• A visible leader with experience of promoting diversity, inclusion and equality of opportunity, respecting differences.
• Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to develop effective relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, collaborating across boundaries.
• Excellent communication skills demonstrated through the ability to influence and challenge effectively at a senior level.
• Ability to work well under pressure, with multiple tasks, innovatively in a fast-changing and ambiguous environment, effecting positive culture change.
• Knowledge and experience of Project Management Methodology supported by professional qualifications or equivalent experience such as:

- PRINCE2 Practitioner

- Agile Project Management Practitioner

- APM Project Management Qualification

- APM Chartered Project Professional

- Project Leadership Programme

- PMI Project Management Professional

- Leading and Managing Project Workstreams