We have an exciting opportunity for a Skills Support Officer to join our Productivity and Skills Directorate on a fixed term basis for 12 months. In this role you will provide an effective project management service, from the planning through to the implementation, and support the Delivery Managers in driving projects and work packages forward to successful delivery.
What with you be doing?
- Ensure projects are delivered in line with the programme specification, making sure that performance is properly monitored and managed
- Lead specific projects involving research project management, data management
- Liaise with others to deliver innovative programmes
- Manage project documentation such as project plans resource plans, highlight reports, meeting agenda and minutes and the SharePoint project site
- Create and manage risk registers to minimise risks and monitor risk based mitigations
- Provide team-wide support for risk register management
- Assist the management of the programme through the effective, monitoring, reporting and administration of programme budgets, targets, objectives and outputs
- Help develop case studies and marketing for the projects
- Manage fortnightly, monthly and quarterly performance and stakeholder meetings
- Deputise for the Delivery Manager including leading meetings with stakeholders
As well as this, you will also get involved with coordinating bid preparation ensuring that all supporting documentation is collated from stakeholders internally and externally and submitted within bid deadlines. This will involve collating track records, performance data, good news stories of partnership working etc.
About you
We are looking for a highly organised individual with excellent communication and project management skills to help drive the Productivity and Skills programmes through to successful delivery. Our ideal applicant will be able to demonstrate the following in their application:
- Minimum A Level standard qualification or equivalent
- Aptitude for project management including measurement of performance and compliance
- Experience of working effectively with stakeholders to achieve shared goals
- PRINCE II qualification (Desirable)
- Good understanding of key performance indicator management
- Experience of supporting project management
- Strong attention to detail
- Able to effectively communicate with both internal and external customers
- Strong Excel skills and proficiency in other MS Office applications
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
- Effective time management skills and ability to work independently as well as a member of a cross-functional team is essential
- Ability to manage multiple priorities under pressure, trouble-shoot, and to meet short- and long-term deadlines
Please note that some of these requirements are desirable, not essential. Even if you don’t meet all the criteria above, we’d still be keen to hear from you. Just make sure that your Supporting Statement stands out and tells us why you are right.
About the team
Productivity & Skills, the employment, education and skills arm of the West Midlands Combined Authority is committed to ensuring that every resident can reach their potential and that business growth is accelerated through access to a skilled workforce. We focus on improving skill levels, tackling poor connectivity and increasing employment opportunities. We help more people access high quality training and employment opportunities, increase skills levels in priority growth sectors and create a responsive regional skills system that provides people with the skills to sustain good jobs and careers.
About us
Our role in the West Midlands has never been more important and in these extraordinary times we’ve shown we can step forward, speak up for our region and bring people together. Everything we do is focused on making life better for people in the West Midlands – that’s our reason for being here and it drives every move we make. We lead and support others to deliver our shared future vision for the region – a happier, healthier, better connected place to live and work.
We fully believe that we are only as great as the people who work for us and are committed to providing a positive, healthy and inclusive working environment where our people feel valued and respected. We are a “Leaders in Diversity” accredited organisation, are in the Inclusive Top 50 Employers List and are one of The Times Top 50 Employers for Women.
Our employees feel they can make a difference and are excited by the growth and the potential to shape the future. As we undergo a period of significant change, our employees are engaging with what is going on and we are encouraging a culture where people feel they can contribute towards improvements.
We’re ambitious, forward thinking and determined to find better ways of working, always leading the way in what we do. We trust and support each other to get the job done, and encourage creativity, originality and curiosity from those who work with us. We’re committed to creating an accessible and diverse workplace, one that nurtures an inclusive environment where our people can be themselves.
If your values align with ours and you’re committed to working towards creating a future we can all be proud of, we want to hear from you.
Additional information
We are designing our organisation of the future and planning a new, flexible approach to the way we use our office space. This approach will mean most of us working from home some of the time and using our office space to come together to share ideas and learn from each other. We will continue to use digital technology for meetings, collaboration and communications – bringing teams together virtually wherever they’re working, saving time and spending on travel.
We are committed to developing an organisation that is representative of the diverse communities that we serve and welcome applications from all sections of the community. The following groups are currently underrepresented: young people, Black, Asian and ethnic minority groups and women at senior levels.
We are a Disability Confident Employer and offer a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants who meet the essential job role criteria. We will make reasonable adjustments, in line with the Equality Act, for disabled applicants if these are needed. Wherever possible we will offer flexible working options which assist work-life balance.
We’re dedicated to providing a broad range of rewards and benefits and constantly benchmark our benefits packages to ensure they are attractive for all our people. As well as a competitive salary, employees also receive a benefits package that includes 27 days annual leave (plus public holidays) and access to a great pension scheme.
Find out more information here
