4580 - Regional Programme Manager, Office of Government Property

We are looking for a Regional Programme Manager (RPM) to provide direct support and expertise to local public sector partnerships in the North East; to help them develop and drive delivery of their property projects with an effective cross-public sector approach to land and property. 

RPMs work in regional teams of two, split between the LGA and Cabinet Office, and are supported by a Regional Advisor. You will work together to oversee, support, and challenge local partnerships. You will also take on responsibility for engagement with one or more central government departments, leading strategic engagement for the OPE programme and helping to deliver the Government Estate Strategy.

Specific responsibilities include:

• Leading engagement with senior leaders in local authorities and central government departments (up to Chief Executive level) to drive ambitious OPE programmes and deliver strategic objectives that achieve excellent outcomes across the public sector. 

• Stakeholder support to deliver current projects and progress new opportunities by brokering relationships, unblocking issues, sharing best practice and managing risk. 

• Identifying opportunities to expand the programme and best support its stakeholders, including recognising current and future capability gaps and working to address these. 

• Identifying and progressing opportunities to support Government Estate Strategy objectives and new, emerging priorities such as sustainability; driving innovation and creative ideas. 

• Working closely with Homes England colleagues on a regional basis to progress the housing agenda and facilitating better outcomes by working together.

• Creating and maintaining strong relationships with a variety of stakeholders 

• Encouraging partnerships to embed an OPE business as usual way of working, identifying alternative investment and helping to navigate other government funding streams. 

• Contributing to programme-wide communications, including events and case studies; and playing a leading role in regional and national communications.

We’re looking for a candidate who can demonstrate strong leadership and who is comfortable working with a high degree of autonomy. You’ll need experience of working with the public sector and an understanding of the operational and political environment that influences central and local government estate strategies. You’ll be working closely with senior leaders and will need to be effective at building strong relationships to unblock barriers, influence stakeholders and offer appropriate challenge. 

We have a diverse mix of skills across our team which includes housing, valuation, programme and project management professionals. We are keen to complement this expertise and would welcome candidates with experience in property finance, deal structuring or capital programmes.

In return, we’ll offer you a supportive environment to grow your skills and experience, with a clear portfolio of responsibilities that will support your leadership development. We will listen to your ambitions, make best use of your experience and we’ll encourage and support relevant technical and professional development too.

The Regional Programme Manager post will cover the North East and the postholder will need to be flexible in their working pattern and travel arrangements, Due to the nature of this role, candidates will preferably be based in or around the Leeds area, for ease of travel. The postholder will also be required to travel to OGP’s head office in London on a regular basis.

Person Specification

During the assessment process we will assess you against the following skills, experience and behaviours.

Specialist skills and experience

Essential

• Experience working with central and/or local government 
• Excellent stakeholder management skills
• Ability to work with autonomy

Desirable

• Background and knowledge of public sector property
• Housing, planning, valuation, property finance, deal structuring or capital programme experience
• Project and programme management expertise

Behaviours

We’ll assess you against these behaviours at interview: 

• Working Together
• Communicating and Influencing
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Leadership

Strengths

We will assess you against the Civil Service Strengths at interview.

Guidance on the Civil Service Success Profiles can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/success-profiles

Please note that this role requires CTC clearance, which would normally require 3 years’ UK residency in the past 3 years. This is not an absolute requirement but supplementary checks may be required where individuals have not lived in the UK for the required period. This may mean that your security clearance (and therefore your appointment) will take longer or, in some cases, not be possible.

One Public Estate

The One Public Estate (OPE) programme is jointly delivered by the Office of Government Property (OGP) in the Cabinet Office and the Local Government Association (LGA). It supports cross-public sector working to deliver ambitious property-led projects that create local economic growth, integrate public services and drive efficiency savings. At its heart, it’s about local and central government working together with other public bodies to deliver a better service to the customer and better value for money for the taxpayer. We take a place-based approach, supporting projects that make a difference for local communities, and we support delivery of the Government Estate Strategy.

To date we’ve enabled release of public sector land that has generated over £300m in capital receipts and almost £60m in running cost savings, with capacity for more than 6,000 homes. We’ve also taken great pride in bringing partners together, for example, through the British Property Federation (BPF) Futures Challenge where OPE has brought public and private sector professionals together to generate innovative ideas to reinvigorate a high street; and through the Homes for NHS Staff Toolkit, which will help NHS estate owners and local authorities to secure affordable housing for NHS staff.

We’ve provided early stage funding for over 600 projects and we’ve got ambitions to deliver much more. Supporting these partnerships to deliver their projects will be paramount for the programme going forward, as will supporting emerging new priorities such as sustainability.

The Office of Government Property

The Office of Government Property (OGP) is the guardian of the government estate. It was established in 2010 to work with central government departments to drive savings across the government estate. It also now works with a range of local authorities to support them in achieving a public sector estate in a locality which is cost-effective, supports better integrated public services, and exploits surplus land and property to boost growth.

As a business, and as a group of people, we're amazingly diverse. We are committed to recruiting and developing the best people regardless of their race, gender, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation, age or background. But we've all got a few things in common: We're ambitious. We're open-minded. We enjoy working together. We're flexible. We deliver results. We embrace smarter working. And we're excited by the future. Good thing, too – after all, we're leading government’s thinking to change how the Civil Service will work in future: where staff are trusted, managed by outputs not attendance, and work flexibly in locations in London, Leeds, Manchester and home-based, using innovative technology.

We also take the time to care. We listen to the people we work with. We involve them in how we develop as a business. And we make sure that everybody here has the resources and support they need to achieve the remarkable.

The Cabinet Office

The Cabinet Office is at the centre of Government, co-ordinating policy and strategy. Headed by the Permanent Secretary and comprising a number of different business units, the Department has three core functions that enable it to achieve its overarching purpose of making Government more effective:

• Supporting the Prime Minister – to define and deliver the Government's objectives.
• Supporting the Cabinet – to drive the coherence, quality and delivery of policy and operations across departments.
• Strengthening the Civil Service – to ensure the civil service is organised effectively and has the capability in terms of skills, values and leadership to deliver the Government's objectives.

For further information about the role please contact: James.Bridgewood@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

This post is offered to applicants both inside and outside the Civil Service.

Due to the high volume of applications received for Cabinet Office vacancies, we regret that feedback is only available - at the discretion of the vacancy manager - following the interview stage. Vacancy managers may sift on one lead behaviour at the application stage.

Terms, Conditions and Benefits

This is a Permanent / Fixed Term / Loan appointment of up to 2 years for Loan / Fixed Term. There is the possibility of a contract extension subject to future business need.

This role is based within the Cabinet Office at Band A - £47,000 - £56,524. Annual salary increases will depend upon individual performance and contribution to the organisation’s success. In addition there will be the opportunity to earn performance related bonuses. There is an expectation that successful applicants new to the Civil Service will join on the pay band minimum.

Existing civil servants can take up the post on loan from their parent department for the duration advertised. Those joining on level transfer will retain their current salary. Staff joining on promotion terms will receive up to a 10% increase of their current basic salary or the pay band minimum whichever is the greater. Staff joining on promotion will adopt the modernised terms and conditions of employment which came into force in 2013.

There is a choice of excellent pension schemes. More information about pension provisions can be found at www.civilservice.gov.uk/pensions

Flexible Working

Flexible working including job-share arrangements may be considered for this role.

Leave allowances

25 days' paid leave per annum rising to 30 days after five years service. In addition, full-time staff receive eight public holidays and the Queen’s Birthday privilege day as well as competitive maternity, paternity, parental and adoption leave.

Probation

Staff new to the Civil Service will be required to serve a six month probationary period.

Location

The post will be based in Leeds.

Relocation Costs No relocation costs will be available.

Equality and Diversity

The Cabinet Office is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all staff. We will not discriminate on grounds of gender, gender identity, race, disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief, age, those with caring responsibilities, part time workers or any other factor irrelevant to a person’s work.

We encourage a diverse workforce and aim to provide a working environment where all staff at all levels are valued and respected, and where discrimination, bullying, promotion of negative stereotyping and harassment are not tolerated.

Assessment for recruitment, selection, appraisal, training and career progression purposes is based both on the individual’s ability and suitability for the work. We are committed to providing all staff with opportunities to maximise their skills and achieve their potential, offering flexible working arrangements wherever possible.

As public authorities departments have statutory duties placed on them that require them to promote equality of opportunity and eliminate unlawful discrimination. We expect all staff to assist the department in meeting these obligations. All staff should have due regard for the need to promote good relations between individuals from different groups and work towards achieving equality of opportunity for all.

Civil Service Code

All civil servants are subject to the provisions of the Civil Service Code (see Annex A) which details Civil Service values, standards of behaviour, rights and responsibilities. Go to http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk for more information.

Childcare

We offer support with childcare and holiday play schemes costs by providing childcare vouchers for staff who meet the eligibility criteria. Current civil servants applying for Cabinet Office vacancies on or after 06 April 2018, may experience implications in continuing to claim childcare vouchers.

HMRC now offer a tax free childcare scheme for new entrants into the Cabinet Office. We also offer a holiday play scheme and the Cabinet Office contribute to the costs for staff who meet the eligibility criteria. Current civil servants applying for Cabinet Office vacancies on or September 2018 who are currently in receipt of childcare vouchers and not transferring on a TUPE or COSOP move will be unable to continue to claim childcare vouchers but may be eligible for the HMRC tax free childcare scheme.

Recruitment and Selection Process

Nationality

You must be a British Citizen, citizen of the British Commonwealth* an EC national or a national of specified Member States of the European Free Trade Area, together with certain members of their families. Certain Turkish nationals are also eligible to apply. In the first instance it is advisable to refer to the Civil Service Nationality Rules which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rules If you have any further questions about nationality requirements, please contact the Recruitment Team at: corecruitment@cabinetoffice.gov.uk. (*Commonwealth citizens not yet in the UK, who have no right of abode in the UK and who do not have leave to enter the UK are ineligible to apply.)

Guaranteed Interview Scheme

The Cabinet Office is committed to the employment and career development of disabled people and will guarantee to interview anyone with a disability whose application meets the minimum criteria for the post.

Pre-appointment Checks

The successful candidate’s appointment will be subject to a series of checks including security, nationality, health and references before a formal offer of appointment is made. Subject to satisfactory completion of the pre-appointment checks, you will be invited to take up the post as soon as possible. The National Insurance numbers of successful applicants will be shared with the Ministry of Defence to aid the tracking of Armed Forces Reservist levels across government.

The Selection Process

Assessment at sift and interviews will be based on meeting any defined skill/qualification requirements along with a Success Profile element assessment, as detailed in the job advert. The Success Profile elements to be assessed will be outlined within the job advert. The Civil Service Success Profile Framework is publically available here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/success-profiles

We would generally expect answers to follow the STAR or CAR structure and encourage candidates to use this throughout their application.

Application/Interview Scoring System

The Cabinet Office adopts a scoring system of 1-7 for Behaviours, Ability, Technical and Experience.

7- The evidence provided wholly exceeds expectation at this level

6 - Substantial positive evidence; includes some evidence of exceeding expectations at this level

5 - Substantial positive evidence of the competency or behaviour

4 - Adequate positive evidence and any negative evidence would not cause concern

3 - Moderate positive evidence but some negative evidence demonstrated

2 - Limited positive evidence and/or mainly negative evidence demonstrated

1 - No positive evidence and/or substantial negative evidence demonstrated

Strengths will be assessed at interview on a 1-4 scale.

Civil Service Commission

Recruitment into the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission which has two key functions.

● To maintain the principle of selection for appointment to the Civil Service on merit on the basis of fair and open competition.

● To promote an understanding of the Civil Service Code which sets out the constitutional framework in which all civil servants work and the values they are expected to uphold, and to hear and determine appeals made under it. More detailed information can be found at on the Civil Service Commission website: http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk

Complaints

The Department’s recruitment processes are underpinned by the requirement of selection for appointment based on merit, open and fair competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles, details of which can be found at http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should contact the Cabinet Office Recruitment Team, Human Resources, 4th Floor, 1 Horse Guards Road, London SW1A 2HQ or email corecruitment@cabinetoffice.gov.uk, in the first instance. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive you can further contact the Civil Service Commission at:

Email: civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk or in writing to:

Civil Service Commission

Room G/8

1 Horse Guards Road

London SW1A 2HQ