AMS PSR

Department: Programme and Project Team

Contract: 1x permanent and 1x fixed-term contract ending 31st March 2028

Location: Office (2 days office days a week)

Security Clearance: SC Level

Region: London or Manchester (hybrid)

Grade: Upper D 

Salary: £67,001-£74,000 (it is SIA policy for all new starters to start at the base of the band).

Job Purpose: 

To lead the effective deployment of programme and project management and business change expertise, primarily in support of the Data & Digital strategy, but also extending the team out to other business projects. This role is pivotal in ensuring that the investment made provides effective business change and value for money. As well as focusing on the current programme, the role also involves the need for strategic consideration of future projects to deliver the corporate strategy.

Reporting Relationships: 

Digital Transformation & Technology Lead.

Key Contacts: 

The role holder will be required to establish and maintain strong, positive working relationships with key stakeholders including:

• Digital Transformation Lead
• Data Protection Officer
• Head of Corporate Information
• Project Assurance Manager
• Heads of Function 
• Home Office officials involved in sponsorship, data and digital, project and programme delivery
• Digital Services contract provider
• Executive directors and the Chief Executive
• Digital Services Partner

Responsibilities: 

1. Lead the project, programme management and business change functions and

    manage an annual budget of around £700K. 

• Line manage and support a team of seven staff members.
• Undertake effective resource management for both the Data & Digital Programme and the wider organisation where project management support is required, redeploying resources as priorities change.
• Mature the programme and project management capability across SIA, leading on training, lessons learnt and other knowledge transfer tasks.

2. Lead the Data & Digital Programme and work effectively with the  Digital 

    Transformation Lead and the Digital Services partner to deliver its objectives

     and benefits, ensuring alignment with strategic goals. 

• Lead the team to manage projects that comprise the Data & Digital Programme and the dependencies between those projects, utilising a range of project methodologies including agile. 
• Remove blockers, manage risks, commercials, budgets and people, as necessary to ensure the Programme’s successful delivery
• Own and update the business case for implementation of the Data & Digital Strategy.
• Foster collaboration across teams to ensure initiatives support broader SIA objectives and ensure stakeholders are regularly informed of progress.
• Embed business change management in project delivery so that project teams and business areas work effectively and collaboratively to prepare for and succeed in delivering change, engaging successfully with stakeholders.
• Manage and hold account the Digital Service partner, ensuring that the correct governance, role and responsibilities and collaboration tools are set up for a successful delivery of the programme. 

3. Lead programme planning incorporating dependencies, governance, 

    commercial and government requirements (work definition agreements, central

    government approvals, GDS assessments). 

• Drive programme and project governance, covering the entire lifecycle and adhering to government functional standards, including governance for the Digital Services Contract and reporting on progress, finances, risks and issues to the Executive and the Board.

4. Drive the identification and management of benefits realisation, working with 

    project executives to ensure these are delivered. 

• Ensure a robust process for identifying benefits at project initiation is embedded and that changes to the scope, timeline or cost of a project are reflected in the benefits realisation plan.
• Work with project executives to support then in realising benefits, ensuring that all the requisite steps form part of the relevant project.
• Work with finance to ensure cash-releasing benefits are reflected in the efficiency plan.

5. Provide strategic input to the development of the corporate strategic plan,

    based on engagement with stakeholders and understanding their

    requirements. 

• Engage with stakeholders to identify how data and digital capability can support their effectiveness and use that understanding in the development of the next corporate strategic plan.

Essential:

• Professional qualification such as Managing Successful Programmes or member of the Association of Project Management.
• Demonstrable knowledge of programme and project methodologies (PPM): and ability to lead on, represent and be an advocate for a range of PPM tools and techniques, being innovative and keeping up to date with the latest trends. You have experience of. of iterating working practices to achieve effective delivery and of having successfully led teams through the full product cycle, identified which tools and techniques should be used at each stage, identified and dealt with risks across or between all stages of the product life cycle.
• Governance: you have demonstrable experience of programme and project governance and advocate for it across the team, ensuring appropriate assurance to stakeholders including the Executive and the Board.
• Planning: you can use a continuous approach to planning, forecasting, estimating, managing uncertainty, metrics and measurements, contingency planning and road mapping. You have experience of using plans to identify risks and issues and ensuring these are mitigated or resolved.
• Team dynamics and collaboration: you have experience of coaching within and outside of the team, and in ensuring the overall welfare/wellbeing of the team, recognise how people best work together, enhance team performance, create an open and collaborative environment to work in and ensure that their work is understood by stakeholders. 
• Maintaining delivery momentum: you have expertise in solving issues and unblocking problems, you drive teams and set the pace, ensuring teams are working towards delivery commitments. You have a proven track record of managing various dependencies across teams.
• Communicating between the technical and non-technical: you can communicate effectively across organisational and technical boundaries, understanding the context. You can advocate and communicate what a team does to create trust and authenticity. You can successfully react and respond to challenges, even in constrained timescales.
• Financial and commercial management: you can report on financial delivery, monitor cost and budget, and create a programme forecast. You have experience of delivering with a third party and navigating the commercial considerations that entails, including identifying and working with colleagues to resolve commercial conflict.
• Delivery Service partner management: you can manage and hold to account external digital services partner that comprises of a programme manager, technical team and project managers. You have experience in managing a third party delivery partner and proven experience of managing risks, dependencies whilst overcoming blockers to ensure an on time, in budget programme delivery.

Desirable:

• Knowledge of central government controls, digital strategy, the Better Regulation principles, government functional standards relating to programme and project management.
• Experience of developing a data and digital strategy and ability to think strategically.
• Experience working with cloud-based solutions such as Software as a Service and Platform as a Service, preferably Azure.
• Exposure to and an understanding of infrastructure, communications, and security technologies.
• Experience of operating at senior leadership level in an organisation, with the ability and experience of building strong, positive working relationships. 

Benefits:

Alongside your salary, Security Industry Authority contributes towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.

Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• A welcoming and innovative work environment.
• Continued support and development opportunities.
• Access to training for attainment of recognised qualifications.
• Flexible working arrangements.
• Annual leave entitlement will be 27.5 days, rising by one additional day for every two years of service up to a maximum of 32.5 days.
• A variety of discounts including Gymflex.

Civil Service Pension Scheme – employee contribution between 4.60% and 7.35% and employer contribution between 28%.

Things you need to know:

Criminal Record Check

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service / Disclosure Scotland on your behalf. However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. 

If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing PreEmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk

National Security vetting

Please note: in addition to the standard pre-employment checks for appointment into the Civil Service, all candidates must also obtain National Security Vetting at Security Check (SC) clearance level for this vacancy. You will normally need to meet the minimum UK residency period as determined by the level of vetting being undertaken, which for SC is 5-years UK residency prior to your vetting application. If you have any questions about this residency requirement, please speak to the vacancy holder for this post.

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the Demystifying Vetting website.

Apply and further information

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants:

Job contact:

• Name : Pearse O'Brien 
• Email : pearse.obrien@weareams.com

Further information

Complaints should be submitted to recruitment@sia.gov.uk . If, after investigation by the SIA, the complainant remains dissatisfied, they may bring their complaint to the Civil Service Commission.