Project Delivery Best Practise Lead

At the Department for International Trade, we secure UK and global prosperity by promoting and financing international trade and investment and championing free trade.

The Department for International Trade’s mission is to help businesses export, drive inward and outward investment, negotiate market access and trade deals, and champion free trade.

Project Delivery and Change has the exciting remit to drive the department's project delivery best practise through processes, systems, procedures, culture and working practices that enable staff to optimise new initiatives and deliver through ambiguity and uncertainty effectively. Our aim is to support the delivery of the Chief Operating Officer objectives of doing the basics well and building for the future.

Professional project delivery through the development of best practise frameworks and tools is at the heart of effective delivery and this role is key to enhancing overall capability, to help our projects succeed.

You will be a talented portfolio or project delivery professional who will join our central Project Delivery Function. This role will be part of a team in the strategic Project Delivery Profession to ensure successful design, implementation & communication of frameworks, as well as supporting projects & programmes in an advisory capacity to embed this across the department. You will use your knowledge and skills to provide projects with specialist project delivery support, as well as participating in the development of project delivery maturity across the department. You will support the team’s ongoing monthly reporting function.

You will have exposure to senior stakeholders and corporate functions across the department, while establishing great working relationships with our project delivery people to embed best practice.

Job description

Role responsibilities:

- Project Delivery Guidance & Support - Work with the best practice leads and contribute to the continuous improvement of project management processes, tools and templates, with a focus on project delivery frameworks. Imparting best practice and lessons learnt
- Project Delivery Frameworks - Ensure systems are in place to enable effective planning, production, and publication of PD Frameworks to support the department’s requirement to upskill all staff at various levels. Ensure that these frameworks meet the diverse requirements of users
- Project and Programme Plans and Reports - Facilitate and lead short-term interventions to kick-start, upskill, coach, or focus projects on production of effective Project Delivery using appropriate tools. Engaging regularly with portfolio projects and reporting on their progress, plans and status to appropriate governance boards. This includes supporting the team’s monthly reporting into DIT’s strategic governance
- Knowledge, Analysis and Insights - Advise and impart knowledge with project people on best practice project delivery frameworks, processes, tools and lessons learnt. Use insights from relationships with projects to keep portfolio colleagues informed
- Stakeholder Engagement - Build and manage professional relationships by working with a wide range of internal and external project delivery, business change, enabler functions, policy and operational people

Hybrid Working

Please be aware that this role can only be worked from within the UK and not overseas.

Informal hybrid working arrangements will be available as agreed with the vacancy manager and in line with the requirements of the role.

Most DIT employees will be working a hybrid pattern, spending 2-3 days a week (pro rata) in an office, on average. If your office location is London, you will be eligible to receive London weighting.

**Responsibilities**:
Essential Criteria
- You will have good working knowledge and skills in Project Delivery
- Evidence of operating equivalent to Level 3 in Project Support Role (SEO) - as defined in the Government Project Delivery Capability Framework found here.
- You have an Association for Project Management or Axelos, (at Practitioner level), or equivalent project delivery qualification
- You will have 'hands-on' project background which allows you to help develop project delivery frameworks & assess tools for use within the department’s project delivery function
- Proven strong engagement, facilitation and communication skills and be comfortable with questioning and testing information where needed. You will have the ability to effectively identify, map and engage with stakeholders, including to brief upwards to senior management
- Adaptable to changing circumstances, uncertainty and ambiguous or adverse situations whilst remaining calm and maintaining performance
- Be able to establish relationships based on mutual respect, allowing you to work collaboratively across the department. Keen to pass on knowledge and learn from others

Desirable Criteria
- Facilitated effective project delivery workshops
- Trained others in pr