Renaissance Bedford - Senior Project Co-ordinator

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SENIOR PROJECT CO-ORDINATOR

Primary Role

This position is a vital one, at high level within Renaissance Bedford. You would be expected to take the lead on the development of the first delivery plans and programmes for all the current major projects and developments in the Bedford Growth Area, and work with the Chairman, Executive Director and other staff, when they have been appointed to the Delivery team.

The responsibilities of this position will be varied, but the main focus will be to lead and co-ordinate all the project management work of the LDV and to address the significant project and programme management deficit here as part of a wide ranging partnership approach. We want you to help make a difference here.

Partners and the government have recognised the need to transform the housing and employment markets, and corporate investment prospects for this area in order to substantially increase economic activity and employment. This will be a real challenge. It is intended to commission a long term growth plan for the period up to 2031 and to also develop a series of realistic and achievable delivery plans and programmes for all the major projects here.

Your overall task will be to use your analytical skills to help us get to the nub of the delivery issues in Bedford, and to develop delivery plans and strategies which to address the challenges ahead. You will need to work in partnership with established public sector organisations such as: Bedfordshire County Council, Bedford Borough Council, East of England Development Agency, English Partnerships, The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG). You will also need to work closely with all the infrastructure providers, landowners, developers and house builders operating in the Bedford Growth Area to ensure that such delivery plans and programmes are relevant and focus on the achievement of the housing, town centre, cultural and economic development led targets set out in the Sustainable Communities Plan and MKSM Sub Regional Strategy.

There will be high expectations of your ability to develop the right approach to project and programme management here in order to address the deficit and to be able to robustly review progress on project delivery and new investment in the Growth area. You will be expected to be a self starter and to have credibility in the way you analyse issues and challenges, and also manage projects and develop programmes, and then follow them up with partner organisations and the development industry in a way which does not alienate them.

Key relationships

The three local authorities in the Bedford growth area and Board members
East of England Development Agency
English Partnerships
Landowners and lead developers
Go East and The Department for Communities and Local Government

Overall Responsibilities

The appointed candidate would take responsibility for the programme management of all major development led projects within the Bedford Growth Area, having regard to a defined sphere of influence, which would include Bedford Borough and parts of Mid Beds District Council. He/she would be required to develop and monitor programmes and delivery plans for all the major housing commitments, and the other town centre, economic development led, or transport and employment projects in the Growth Area, and to co-ordinate and develop the project management and programming skills in the work of other established agencies, such as the Borough Council and County Council. He/she would be expected to also liaise with EEDA, English Partnerships, Go East, statutory bodies and utility companies, landowners and developers, and the DCLG.

In particular the successful candidate would take responsibility for developing detailed programmes and critical paths for each of the key projects which could be monitored and kept under review and for the progress chasing and delivery of each component part of the programme and project implementation. He/she would also be responsible for setting up and keeping under review a Risk Register, focused on the delivery of these projects.

Detailed day to day responsibilities and duties

To develop and keep under review detailed programmes for each of the key sites and projects within the Bedford Growth Area;
To contribute to the production of realistic phased growth plans by Renaissance Bedford; To be responsible for the production of individual site focused delivery plans ;
To project manage individual key projects that the Board of partners asked Renaissance Bedford to take responsibility for;
To set up and maintain a Risk Register;
To promote best practice project management approaches within the partner agencies as appropriate, focusing on project delivery;
To develop good relations with a wide range of key stakeholders involved in project delivery, including landowners and lead developers;
To ensure that Renaissance Bedford has appropriate IT software installed to be able to produce programmes and critical path analysis at all times;
To contribute to the production of Board papers and minutes as appropriate;
To manage a budget which is devoted to project management and programming tasks;
Carrying out any other day to day responsibilities which will be required to be undertaken by the Executive Director, and as would normally be expected within a small, focused organisation such as ours.

Appointment Criteria

Part one – experience & qualifications

At least 8 years’ experience in project management or associated sector.
Ideally with a qualification in Housing, Planning, Regeneration, Project Management, and/or programming.
Experience using a relevant IT project management package such as Microsoft Project.
Candidates should be qualified to degree level, ideally possessing a relevant professional qualification in their sector. E.g. MRIS, MAPM, etc.
Ideally with an understanding of public sector working but possessing commercial sensibilities, you will be an experienced project manager with broad exposure to development led project types.

Part two - abilities, skills and knowledge

Ideally with an understanding of public sector working but possessing commercial sensibilities, you will be an experienced project manager with broad exposure to development led project types. – capable of managing such projects autonomously.
You could have developed your expertise in a number of backgrounds such as consultancy, developer organisations, development surveying, master planning or housing management – however you will be able to evaluate project risk on a detailed level.
You will need to be relatively experienced in the management of built development processes, and associated delivery plans and programmes – and be proactive in developing and maintaining good relations with a diverse set of stakeholders.
You will be expected to have an understanding and experience of town planning, related building and development processes so that the programmes developed are realistic and updated regularly. In addition, you will be expected to set up a Risk Register, with separate Delivery Plans associated with each project.

Part three - Personal style and behavior

A Self Starter
Strong communication skills with the ability to forge good working relationships with a diverse team of stakeholders in particular with the development industry
A confident approach – able to carry out presentations to board members
Precise and rigorous, able to pay particular attention to detail
Possessing a commercial appreciation of Profit and Loss priorities
Well-developed negotiation skills

Recruitment Package

Salary up to £45k
Performance-related bonus of up to 10% of salary
Membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme, a final salary scheme.
Annual leave entitlement of 30 days, including 3 over Christmas, plus statutory holidays.

For more information please email Chris Watts or telephone him on 01234 440051