Programme Management Officer

**Details**:
**Reference number**:

- 322597**Salary**:

- £32,222**Job grade**:

- Higher Executive Officer**Contract type**:

- Permanent**Business area**:

- DFE - Education and Skills Funding Agency**Type of role**:

- Finance**Working pattern**:

- Flexible working, Full-time, Job share, Part-time**Number of jobs available**:

- 1Contents

Location

About the job

**Benefits**:
Things you need to know

Location
- Darlington, North East England, DL1 5QE : Leeds, Yorkshire and the Humber, LS2 8ER : Manchester, North West England, M1 2WD : Sheffield, Yorkshire and the Humber, S1 2JFAbout the job

**Job summary**:
At DfE, we are proud of the commitment we make to diversity and inclusion and of the progress we have made. We have active & vibrant staff networks, special leave policies and workplace adjustments put in place for those who need them. We are continuing to build a diverse DfE, in an inclusive environment which nurtures and realises potential in all, at all levels.

Equality and Diversity - Department for Education

This role is to act as the Programme Management Officer within the Provider Market Oversight Specialist Restructuring - Support & Improvement team.

Ensuring that work on restructuring colleges continues to improve and meet policy objectives.

The Support and Improvement Team helps FE and Sixth Form Colleges obtain emergency both short and longer term funding and enables colleges to obtain funding for capital projects and repay commercial debt via a DfE loan. You will work across teams to develop an understanding of college oversight and intervention, insolvency and the restructuring of colleges.

Successful applicants are likely to be good all-rounders with excellent analytical and communication skills, and with a working understanding of finance and financial terms.

**Job description**:
**Key Responsibilities**
- Providing the programme management and reporting for a refinancing programme resulting from the ONS classification review of FE colleges
- Enable effective planning and reporting - Implement and maintain appropriate systems to enable effective planning across the team. Including, ensuring the team delivers the month end activities in a timely manner and to the required standard.
- Contribute to the annual planning process to establish the financial budgets that SR use to assist colleges with emergency funding and loans to refinance commercial debt. Help develop and achieve the SR team’s annual business plan and targets.
- Support work connected with the FPMO Insolvency Policy to ensure that the policy aligns with overall strategy.
- Provide secretariat and governance support for financial decision boards.
- Maintaining control over key documents for SR loans and grants and making/logging changes to these documents. Regularly review the loan and grant documents to ensure they are current.
- Lead on SR team communications including drafting PQs and FOIs and briefings including communications, and Department of State business such as drafting coordinating and/or responding to official requests for advice and support.
- Continuously review and make improvements to operational processes and practices to ensure the efficiency and effective delivery of programme and team priorities.

**Person specification**:
**Essential Criteria**
- Strong written communication skills with experience of drafting official documents. For example, ability to help draft complex letters and other correspondence, including, FOIs, parliamentary questions - guidance and support will be available.
- Experience of working in a finance environment, with an understanding of budgeting and forecasting and financial statements.
- Attention to detail and confidence in handling and interpreting a wide range of data, legislation and statutory instruments, guidance and understanding the benefits and limitations of different data sources.
- Excellent relationship management skills and confidence in engaging with a range of internal and external stakeholders at every level.
- A good level of Microsoft Office Suite (Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Outlook) including Office 365.

**Behaviours**:
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

- Changing and Improving
- Communicating and Influencing
- Delivering at Pace
- Managing a Quality Service

**Benefits**:
Applicants currently holding a permanent post in the Civil Service should note that, if successful, their salary on appointment would be determined by the Department’s transfer / promotion policies.

As a member of the DfE, you will be entitled to join the highly competitive Civil Service Pension Scheme, which many experts agree is one of the most generous in the UK, with an average employer contribution of 27%.

You will have 25 days leave, increasing by 1 day every year to a maximum of 30 days after five years’ service. In addition, all staff receive the King’s Birthday privilege holiday and 8