Project Manager - Working for Essex

About the role

Project Manager

Fixed Term / Secondment (12 months), Full Time

£46,860 to £55,129 per annum

Location: Chelmsford*

Closing Date: 19th February 2026

*This is a hybrid-working role, with attendance in the Chelmsford office expected to be to 1-2 days per week on average, depending on business need.

Please note this opportunity will be offered as a 12 month fixed-term contract or secondment.

Essex County Council is embarking on several innovative and exciting projects and is seeking experienced professionals to help bring these to fruition. Our projects span a wide range of priorities that support the Council to:

Deliver the Adult Social Care vision of people living life to the fullest.
Strengthen family resilience and stability and achieve educational excellence and high standards for all children and young people.
Create services that drive excellent customer experience through partners, co-locations and digital interactions.
Lead behaviour change and implement the infrastructure needed for a net zero Essex by 2050.
Drive efficiency and effectiveness to enable service excellence.

As a Project Manager, you will be accountable for managing projects that contribute directly to ECC’s strategic aims. You will drive and oversee project delivery, ensuring that objectives are clearly defined, achievable, and delivered within agreed timelines.

We are looking for an exemplary and experienced manager who is confident working within a complex project environment—ideally with experience in the public sector. This role is critical in establishing and maintaining a robust project infrastructure, underpinned by effective governance and assurance processes. You will influence and work closely with senior stakeholders to ensure project outputs are delivered and that benefits are realised.

Accountabilities

Responsible for managing a project, which contributes to ECC’s strategic aims, to deliver agreed outcomes within time and cost constraints.

Responsible for undertaking day to day management of both the project and the project team.

Responsible for ensuring a robust business case has been agreed ensuring expertise and specialist knowledge has contributed to the development of the business case in order to align project deliverables to the organisation’s expectations.

Responsible for developing and monitoring the project progress to ensure this stays within the agreed budget. Set out resource requirements in order to be prioritised by the Portfolio/Programme Manager.

Responsible for managing, leading and motivating a team and ensuring current capability is matched against project requirements. This incorporates support and coaching for individuals and the team, as appropriate, in order to develop a high performing team.

Responsible for ensuring agreement with customers of quantified benefits to be realised & metrics required to monitor impact. Designing and actively managing the project plan to ensure the outcomes are achieved.

Responsible for highlighting project risks and issues and ways in which these can be mitigated and escalated as appropriate.

Responsible for ensuring effective Change Management processes are in place and changes to deliverables as agreed with stakeholders are documented.

Responsible for ensuring an effective governance and assurance framework is in place to support decision making and ensure regular reporting on progress through pro-active engagement with project sponsors. Work collaboratively with and manage internal stakeholder relationships together with external partners.

Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework.

The Experience You Will Bring

Educated to degree level or equivalent by extensive experience.

Evidence of continuing professional development and expert knowledge in relevant professional area, such as, APM practitioner or Prince 2.

Evidence of having successfully completed several projects and experienced contributing to a range of other projects and/or programmes.

Experience of working with a diverse range of individuals at different levels within a complex organisation and engaging with them, finding ways to overcome obstacles.

Experience of working within a political environment with knowledge of a public sector setting and involvement in a large, complex environment.

Good management skills in leading and managing a team and evidence of developing others.

To read more about us please visit: Corporate Services - Working for Essex

Why Essex? Essex County Council has a location to be proud of. Our 1,300 square miles stretch from Constable Country to the Thames Estuary, from the dynamic M11 corridor to the traditional seaside resorts of Clacton and Walton. England’s oldest town, Colchester, and two of its newest – Basildon and Harlow – are right here. Along with the City of Chelmsford, the county town, they form our major population centres. It means real choice and makes Essex the ideal place for your career. Read more about us here.

Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We’re committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process.

We’re also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.

At Essex County Council, we value integrity and ethical behaviour. We kindly ask that you embrace our code of conduct and the Nolan principles, including throughout the recruitment process. Your commitment to these standards helps us maintain a positive and respectful workplace for everyone.

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

If you would like to be kept up to date on other relevant opportunities, blogs, news, events and industry related news at Essex County Council, please join The Essex Talent Community here.

If you have queries on this role or require anything further, please email resourcing.team@essex.gov.uk

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