Head of Governance and Assurance

Your new role

The Head of Governance and Assurance will be responsible for leadership and direction across all Major Projects Directorate (MPD) Governance and Assurance standards, processes and practices,working across all project teams / divisionssupporting learningand embedding new approaches that drives efficiencies in delivery of our MP projects and programmes.

The role will ensure that Major Projects Delivery Services builds a strong, collaborative environment with key stakeholders and customers, including the client/DfT, by developing progressive and enduring relationships to maximise all opportunities for 'smarter’working.

The role will support MP Programmes in making successful delivery outcomes possible through business level controls, developing professions and capability, maximising innovative thinking and being a critical friend.

The role will identify within its five services consistent best practice and learning outcomes, improving stakeholder and DfT confidence that we are tracking the lessons learnt and benefits of MP projects and programmes, in alignment with the strategic objectivesof the business whilst ensuring Governance and Assurance activities remain within the delegated authority set out in the Highways England Licence and Framework Document.

Playing a leading role within the Major Projects Delivery Services (MPDS) Leadership team and assume day to day operational management of the MPDS Governance and Assurance team (CoE), under direction of the MPDS Director through supporting strategy, operationalmodel embedment and MP business change implementation.

The role take a lead in developing NHs new project lifecycle, working with a broad cross business stakeholder group in order to support NHs approach to smarter, faster, greener delivery where the themes of progressive assurance and proportionate governanceand controls will be central to MPs operating model in the future.

What you’ll be leading on

- Directing and leading the development and embedment the MP information and document management services.
- Leading on assuring business change governance that validates and verifies that we are 'doing things the right way and well’ and 'we are getting the business benefits.
- Driving delivery of a 'fast-track’ service for projects/programmes entering the capital portfolio, including tailoring advice/guidance, templates, processes and workshops.
- Leading on independent reviews to the MPDS Leadership that outcomes are consistent and accurate across the whole of MP.
- Leading and directing, as Senior Responsible Officer (SRO), the Scope and Deliverables of the MP Programmatic Approach and Framework and Pilot Continuous Improvement project.
- Leading and developing all aspects of the Pilot Programme Control Framework, including communicating core delivery, governance and assurance processes in support of capital programme delivery.
- Leading on quality assurance for all the COE service areas and being a 'visible’ 'critical friend’ for complex, novel and contentious investment and internal gated reviews.
- Providing independent, objective assurance to National Highways and MP investment committees, Senior Responsible Owners and the MP Sponsorship community.
- Acting as the MP lead Management Case Subject Matter Adviser (SMA) reviewer for all Major Projects Investment Decision Committee (IDC) decisions for MP Projects/programmes, attending the monthly MP IDC and providing assurance to the MP Exec Director & Committeeon all investment governance processes.
- Ensuring MP programmes provide robust Management Case information on all business cases supporting investment decisions in MP.
- Leading, as a delegate for MP Exec Director, the Client Correspondence & Legislative Assurance team ensuring high quality assurance and validation on all client correspondence; including parliamentary questions, adjournment debates and ministerial correspondence.
- On behalf of MP, setting a clear strategy on how we document and use information and data to feed Knowledge share and learning, whilst owning our Document and Knowledge Management tools and systems.
- Ownership of the MP Benefits Tracking and Reporting process and providing a governance and assurance link between MPDS and the MP Programme Benefit Managers.
- Leading a new Benefits Management service in COE and directing the team to develop a high
- level quality assurance criteria for MP Benefits registers.
- Identifying and executing specialised, targeted assurance tasks for MP and the MP Leadership Team, helping projects/programmes 'in trouble/at risk’ of delivery, brokering problems and exploring potential solutions.
- Coaching and developing the new MPDS service area leads; Head of Information and Knowledge Management and the Benefits Management lead.
- Driving the integration of the Delivery Services across the three locations, including supporting the MP Heads of Profession in increasing Capability across the division.
- Deputise for the MPDS Director at senior management meetings and represent MPDS/MP at internal and external stakeholder events.
To be successful you’ll need
- Demonstrable evidence of leading in a complex customer facing delivery or capital infrastructure organisation.
- Experience of a recognised Programme and Project framework approach such as Managing Successful Programmes [MSP], P30 Portfolio, Programme & Project or equivalent.
- Demonstrable experience of leading people to successful delivery of a programme of complex and/or high-risk projects, and/or high profile / high risk services
- Evidence of working successfully to provide challenge, scrutiny and influence Programmes, Projects and Project managers both in and out of the immediate team.
- Evidence of successful engagement with internal and external clients and stakeholders
- Ability to work effectively in a political or sensitive environment.