Project Manager (Team Manager)

About the Opportunity

Join the Planning Inspectorate as a Project Manager (Team Manager) within the Projects & Change Team. You will lead organisational projects and drive change initiatives across the organisation. This will include implementing new process improvements that enhance operational efficiency, supporting organisation-wide change initiatives, and supporting the delivery of digital improvement projects such as Copilot and SharePoint. This supports our mission and helps improve how we work. You’ll oversee multiple initiatives, manage a team of up to 5 Project Support Officers, and contribute to the development of project delivery capability across the organisation.

Responsibilities

• Lead one or more projects across the Change Portfolio, delivering to agreed timelines, cost and quality.
• Develop project briefs, business cases, plans and progress reports.
• Establish project teams, support the Senior Responsible Owner and set up Project Boards.
• Monitor progress, manage risks, issues and dependencies, escalating when necessary.
• Identify benefits, ensuring these are understood, measured, tracked, and owned; monitoring the longer-term delivery of benefits against the business case.
• Develop effective relationships with key stakeholders, prepare communication materials, analyse and manage the impact of change.
• Co-ordinate the development of the business case, manage project budgets and forecast resource needs with Finance.
• Line managing Project Support Officers and support their development and wellbeing.
• Improve project management approaches and contribute to a community of practice.
• Utilise digital tools and data to interpret and make informed decisions, improve efficiency and achieve outcomes and benefits.
• Model Civil Service behaviours, promote wellbeing and create an inclusive team environment.

About You

We’re looking for someone with project delivery experience, developed people‑management skills, and the ability to build collaborative relationships. You’ll lead projects from start‑up through to closure, coach and support your team, and work closely with stakeholders to ensure successful delivery. A typical week will involve managing multiple projects at once, planning tasks, managing risk, stakeholder engagement and supporting your team to deliver high‑quality outcomes.

Eligibility

Essential Criteria:

• Experience delivering complex projects applying knowledge of project delivery and change / transformation methodologies and frameworks. (Lead criteria).
• Knowledge of planning, scheduling, budget management, resource management, risk and issue management and quality management in a project or programme environment or appropriate skills that have been gathered in a non-project environment.
• A project management qualification (PRINCE2, APMG, Agile) or clear evidence of project delivery in a management role.
• Interpersonal skills with the ability to develop effective relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, to collaborate, influence and challenge effectively.
• Experience developing and managing a team.
• Demonstrable ability to use digital tools to interpret and utilise data and capability in using Microsoft Office applications, specifically Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Benefits

• Salary: New entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band. This role is being advertised at SEO Grade with a starting salary of £46,689.
• Working Hours: Standard working week is 37 hours, flexible working hours policy available. Part-time at 30 hours or above, flexible working hours policy available.
• Flexible working options, including flexi-time, part-time, compressed hours and home working if suitable for the role.
• Generous family friendly policies.
• Fast and modern IT kit which utilises Windows 11 and Microsoft 365, enabling seamless working from home and collaboration across teams.

About Company

The Planning Inspectorate has a long and proud history in ensuring a fair planning system for England. The work we do has a significant impact on people’s lives, the communities where they live, and the economy. We want our colleagues to be able to work more flexibly and more collaboratively, exploring new and innovative ways to improve the way we provide services.