Resilience Programme Manager - Trailblazer Programme

Resilience Programme Manager - Trailblazer Programme
Strategy and Communications sits at the centre of the organisation, bringing together several teams with organisation-wide remits and mutual collaboration opportunities.

The work of the directorate's teams includes delivery of major events, designing and leading public affairs or marketing campaigns, providing data, evidence and analysis, leading cross-organisational programmes, to making sure we plan for and can respond to emerging events or emergencies in our city. We particularly encourage applications from individuals from groups currently underrepresented in our workforce.

About the team
London Resilience Unit supports the work of London's key agencies in assessing risks, working to reduce the likelihood or impact of those risks and, where risk can't be eliminated, preparing arrangements to respond, recover and learn from emergencies.

About the role
This is a key management and leadership role at the centre of innovation in how London prepares for emergencies. It will suit someone who takes pride in delivering complex, high-impact projects in a multi-agency environment.

The Trailblazer Programme is a one-year, externally funded initiative (with potential for extension to be agreed) focused on embedding improvements in leadership, accountability and integration across London's resilience system. The programme will support the delivery of our 2025 London resilience strategy and bring together learning from the Covid-19 and Grenfell Tower inquiry recommendations to improve London's resilience.

As Resilience Manager (Trailblazers) you will lead the coordination of this project, overseeing planning, management, governance reporting and risk management. You will be responsible for ensuring projects within the programme align with and deliver against our strategic and funding requirements, and that the programme delivers measurable value for both funders and Londoners.

You will lead relevant officers within London Resilience Unit, GLA and external stakeholders (including emergency services, local and national government, community sector organisations and others). You will report to the Head of Governance, Assurance and Partnerships team, but be required to work right across London Resilience Unit.

We're looking for someone who can bring clarity and structure to complex delivery and who is confident in managing internal and external relationships, navigating governance structures and driving progress. Experience of supporting multi-agency working is essential, and experience of working in resilience or a related sector would be advantageous though not essential.

What your day will look like
Project Management and Delivery

• Act as the focal point for the delivery of all Trailblazer activity, ensuring coherence of delivery strands and alignment with wider resilience activity.
• Maintain oversight of project scheduling and controls to ensure delivery against milestones, management of interdependencies and budget controls.
• Use tools such as earned value analysis, risk registers and benefits realisation to support project performance and evaluation.

Stakeholder Management and Engagement

• Coordinate engagement with internal and external stakeholders, facilitating collaborative working and resolving problems.
• Manage directly, or liaise with contract managers, to oversee the management of contracted services to ensure project timescale and budget criteria are met.

Reporting, Evaluation and Learning

• Prepare and deliver clear, concise reports on project performance to senior management and stakeholders to influence decision making.
• Monitor and report on project benefits to support evaluation and sustainability of project. Contribute to wider learning and improvement work across London Resilience Unit.

The nature of London Resilience Unit's work is that incidents can occur which require rapid alteration of planned priorities. This role is not expected to participate in the on-call arrangements but from time to time may be expected to provide support appropriate to grade and skills to the rest of the team, should that be required or as delegated by the line manager.

Skills, knowledge and experience
You will thrive in this role if you:

• Have experience in developing a programmatic approach in challenging circumstances ideally in a public sector or multi-agency context.
• Have experience in identifying, analysing and mitigating risks to work programmes and using both waterfall and agile project methodologies.
• Have strong communication and influencing skills, with the ability to engage and align stakeholders to ensure collaborative working toward shared objectives.
• Have a track record in leading and influencing across teams without direct line management: understanding how to create inclusive, high-performing teams that harness the benefits of diversity.

Relevant Competency Areas
Strategic Thinking

is using an understanding of the bigger picture to uncover potential challenges and opportunities for the long term and turning these into a compelling vision for action.

Level 3 indicators of effective performance

• Works with a view to the future, prioritising own and others' work in line with GLA objectives
• Briefs and prepares team to accomplish goals and objectives
• Communicates the GLA's strategic priorities in a compelling and convincing manner, encouraging buy-in
• Balances own team's needs with wider organisational needs
• Identifies synergies between team priorities and other relevant agendas

Organisational Awareness is understanding and being sensitive to organisational dynamics, culture and politics across and beyond the GLA and shaping our approach accordingly.

Level 3 indicators of effective performance

• Uses understanding of differences between the GLA and its partners to improve working relationships
• Helps other understand the GLA and the complex environment in which it operates
• Translates changing political agendas into tangible actions
• Considers the diverse needs of Londoners in formulating GLA objectives
• Helps others understand how the media and external perceptions of the GLA influence work

Managing and Developing Performance

is setting high standards for oneself and others, guiding, motivating and developing them, to achieve high performance and meet the GLA's objectives and statutory obligations.

Level 3 indicators of effective performance

• Motivates and inspires others to perform to their best, recognising and valuing their work and encouraging them to learn and reflect
• Sets clear direction and expectations and enables others to interpret competing priorities
• Agrees and monitors challenging, achievable performance objectives in line with GLA priorities
• Manages performance issues effectively to avoid adverse impact on team morale and performance
• Promotes a positive team culture that respects diversity and deals with barriers to inclusion

Building and Managing Relationships

is developing rapport and working effectively with a diverse range of people, sharing knowledge and skills to deliver shared goals

Level 3 indicators of effective performance

• Develops new professional relationships
• Understands the needs of others, the constraints they face and the levers to their engagement
• Understands differences, anticipates areas of conflict and takes action
• Fosters an environment where others feel respected
• Identifies opportunities for joint working to minimise duplication and deliver shared goals

Planning and Organising

is thinking ahead, managing time, priorities and risk, and developing structured and efficient approaches to deliver work on time and to a high standard

Level 2 indicators of effective performance

• Prioritises work in line with key team or project deliverables
• Makes contingency plans to account for changing work priorities, deadlines and milestones
• Identifies and consults with sponsors or stakeholders in planning work
• Pays close attention to detail, ensuring team's work is delivered to a high standard
• Negotiates realistic timescales for work delivery, ensuring team deliverables can be met

Problem Solving

is analysing and interpreting situations from a variety of viewpoints and finding creative, workable and timely solutions.

Level 2 indicators of effective performance

• Processes and distils a variety of information to understand a problem fully
• Proposes options for solutions to presented problems
• Builds on the ideas of others to encourage creative problem solving
• Thinks laterally about own work, considering different ways to approach problems
• Seeks the opinions and experiences of others to understand different approaches to problem solving

Communicating and Influencing

is presenting information and arguments clearly and convincingly so that others see us as credible and articulate, and engage with us.

Level 3 indicators of effective performance

• Encourages and supports teams in engaging in transparent and inclusive communication
• Influences others and gains buy-in using compelling, well thought through arguments
• Negotiates effectively to deliver GLA priorities
• Synthesises the complex viewpoints of others . click apply for full job details