Head of Strategy and Programmes

Working on behalf of a Local Authority, Aatom Recruitment has a new opportunity for a Head of Strategy and Programmes on a 3 month contract with the possibility of further extension.

The Head of Strategy and Programmes will be an expert lead for a wide-ranging portfolio across Children and Young People’s Services, with a direct focus on complex programmes across Education and SEND.

Responsibilities:

• Lead and manage a large portfolio of programmes, projects and transformation initiatives, supporting the delivery of the transformation and improvement agenda.
• Lead on the development and monitoring of an effective strategic governance and decision-making framework for informing and critically challenging performance around the overall change and improvement portfolio, to ensure a continuous drive to achieving maximum value and promote innovation. To prepare proposals and decision papers and make recommendations to senior leaders and other committees in respect of the approach to undertaking the development function and where required support the presentation of such papers and reports
• Provide business change expertise utilising the appropriate methodologies and tools to support change.
• Identify, develop, manage and support a range of internal and external stakeholders, including Members, in order to deliver against core aims.
• Identify and develop cross-functional working and long-term partnerships to enable the client to meet its goals.
• Develop a collaborative culture, building relationships with a range of internal and external partners, to establish the key issues, anticipate requirements and develop and test solutions.
• Lead on the transformation and improvement communications ensuring these are timely and relevant.
• Develop, co-ordinate and track all investment and saving potential/realisation across the portfolio.
• Identify and manage dependencies between the portfolio and across ‘business as usual’ activities, ensuring alignment and that outcomes are monitored and risks are mitigated.
• Identify and develop cross-functional working and long-term partnerships to enable the client to meet its goals.
• Develop and maintain an engaging approach to managing risks including the development of contingency plans and the initiation of corrective action where necessary. To identify and correct poor performance and system issues.
• To undertake a trouble-shooting role on behalf members of Children’s SLT, including the Corporate Director of Children and Young People.
• Ensure that children and young people are engaged through co-production and consultation, in the delivery of key aims, such as Corporate Parenting.
• Coordination of peer-led health checks/reviews for Local Authorities in the region focusing on a particular service or theme.
• To plan and facilitate a range of workshops as necessary to progress the work streams and develop opportunities to resolve issues and develop new innovative models to test and implement.
• Advise Directors, Members and others on issues relevant to the service area. Provide professional challenge, support and advice to colleagues, staff and partner organisations.
• Generate reports to share across the organisation, at different levels and influence senior managers and other directorates to ensure there is a common and collaborative approach to problems.

Requirements:

• A clear understanding of the variety of services delivered to children and young people
• Specialist knowledge and awareness of the variety of current issues and developments affecting children and young people
• Specialist knowledge of programme and/project management methodology
• Knowledge of relevant current legislation, the key national and local policy issues, and of the challenges being set by the changing agenda relating to local government
• Evidence of relevant continuous professional development such as APM, LEAN, Prince 2, MSP
• Degree educated or equivalent level experience
• Excellent ability to lead change agents, including ability to support change with senior professionals
• Strong ability to influence and persuade various stakeholders
• Able to quickly build strong relationships with team and people at all levels of the organisation
• Highly IT literate
• Demonstrable experience of successfully leading and implementing major change initiatives within the public or private sector
• Experience of working with complex multi-agency partnerships and stakeholder groups, managing ambiguity and delivering organisations outcomes

If you are interested, please apply or contact Anisha!