Principal Programme Delivery Officer

​Working for City Hall makes a difference to the lives of Londoners. Our staff are at the centre of long-term planning and development for our great city.
 

Good Growth

Good Growth is responsible for delivering and implementing the Mayor’s environment, transport and economic strategies and for the effective implementation of the London Plan. The Directorate is also responsible for regeneration (where the programme is not housing led), enterprise, growth, capital projects and design work.

About the team

Would you like to transform London to make it greener, healthier, nature-rich and ready to tackle the climate and ecological emergencies? The Green Infrastructure and Climate Adaptation teams work closely together to deliver the Mayor’s ‘Delivering a Greener and More Climate-Resilient London’ mandate and delivery plan. The teams deliver against seven main projects/workstreams to enable Londoners to enjoy green and wild spaces across the capital, and for London to be resilient to extreme weather and the impacts of climate change.

We’re looking for a Principal Programme Delivery Officer to help lead City Hall’s Green Infrastructure Team to deliver the key programmes set out in this delivery plan.

This is a unique opportunity to help achieve the Mayor’s ambition to make London a leader in green infrastructure and urban rewilding, ensure that London remains more than half green and to ensure more Londoners benefit from having green space near where they live.

About the role

Reporting to the Head of Green Infrastructure, you will manage a team of 2-3 and steer a varied portfolio of implementation and delivery programmes to enhance and add to London’s network of green infrastructure. The role will include concept and detailed design of key programmes and projects; managing finance, governance, and cross-team communication and evaluation; supporting the Head of Green Infrastructure and other GI managers to set up and manage budgets and resourcing plans and broadly support the programme coordination of the team. 

The Green Infrastructure Team’s portfolio includes work on Nature/Biodiversity/Rewilding, Trees & Woodlands and Green Spaces & Urban Greening, plus cross-cutting issues, such as data & evidence, strategy & planning, green finance and more. You will work alongside managers who lead the three thematic portfolios and act as project directors and policy leads. Your team will lead on a key cross-cutting manifesto commitment programme—the Green Roots Programme—ensuring it is well-integrated across the team and delivering to time and budget alongside other teams.

To succeed in the role, you’ll need to be a collaborative and confident programme manager. You’ll need to have strong abilities in project or programme design and delivery. While policy or technical expertise in a green infrastructure topic area would be helpful, it is not necessary for someone who can learn quickly. You must be comfortable in working with ambiguity with minimal instruction, translating senior leader requests into action, communicating complex issues and programmes clearly, sensitively handling issues in a fast-paced and political environment, and dealing with iterative change.

The Mayor’s ‘Delivering a Greener and More Climate-Resilient London’ delivery plan is new and means a majority of the Green Infrastructure team’s work is new, innovative and in the process of design and early implementation. You will need to be able to manage varied and fast-paced work, have good programme management skills and be effective at communicating with and influencing a range of mainly internal stakeholders, preferably with some experience of doing this in a political environment. You’ll need to be flexible, adaptable, and have a collaborative approach, as this role requires working across many initiatives and policy areas simultaneously.

You’ll work closely with colleagues across the Environment Unit and the wider GLA to make sure that green infrastructure policies and programmes are integrated with other strategies, plans and programmes, and to support wider policy development and delivery. This will include working closely with the Climate Adaptation, Economic Development, Planning, Regeneration, Infrastructure, Communities, Health, Skills and other GLA teams, as well as TfL and other GLA Functional Bodies. Your team will also work closely with the Mayor’s Office and key external stakeholders and partners across London, including boroughs, government bodies, NGOs and community groups, to communicate the work of the Green Infrastructure team and to promote our programmes in an inclusive way.

What your day will look like

• Working with the Head of Green Infrastructure and other GI managers to support requests from the Deputy Mayor of London for Environment and Energy and the Senior Adviser, such as briefings, communications lines, project updates and other cross-team activities.
• Supporting the Head of Green Infrastructure to maintain oversight of the GI portfolio of programmes through governance, finance management, and portfolio management.
• Directing and supporting the wider team on procurement, stakeholder management, communications, finance and other issues.
• Collaborating with colleagues across key departments, including the Environment Unit Programme Coordination & Management team, the Good Growth Directorate Community of Practice for Programme Management, Procurement, Governance, Finance, Communications and Marketing teams, Digital Experience Unit, Economic Development Programmes Unit and the Mayor’s Office.
• With your team, develop and maintain repositories for key lines, briefings, project databases, stakeholder engagement and other record.
• Line Management of the Green Roots Project Manager, Project Support Officer and other roles supporting Green Roots and beyond.

Skills, knowledge and experience

To be considered for the role you must meet the following essential criteria:

• Behavioural competency: Planning and Organising Level 3. Programme and/or project leadership skills – direct experience of or management of others who successfully deliver projects to a specific timeline; manage budgets and contracts; manage and escalate risk; conduct resource and gantt/time planning; deliver effective project communications and report on progress
• Experience of developing, designing and delivering green infrastructure or environment projects and programmes, this could include working on grant funded programmes as either a funder or grant recipient. (specific experience in environment or green infrastructure desired, but not essential)
• A strong ability to work with ambiguity and with minimal instruction, especially in a political context or with senior leaders
• Experience of managing stakeholder relationships at a senior level in a complex political or similar organisation, including preparing timely, clear and concise communications, presentations and briefings on complex and/or sensitive issues for a range of different needs and audiences, explaining technical issues in simple and engaging ways
• Experience with and commitment to equality and diversity in an applied context. (specific experience of this in environment or green infrastructure desired, but not essential)
• Behavioural competency: Organisational Awareness Level 2. A strong understanding of the GLA and its role and powers across London and how that applies to the work that the GLA does.
• Behavioural competency: Managing and Developing Performance Level 2. Experience of developing, leading and managing teams, including tackling poor performance, developing talent, and being accountable for the team’s performance. 

Behavioural competencies

Organisational Awareness

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

Level 2 indicators of effective performance:

• Challenges unethical behaviour
• Uses understanding of the GLA’s complex partnership arrangements to deliver effectively
• Recognises how political changes and sensitivities impact on own and team’s work
• Translates changing political agendas into tangible actions
• Follows the GLA’s position in the media and understands how it impacts on 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 2 indicators of effective performance:

• Seeks opportunities to develop professional skills and knowledge and encourages team to do so.
• Ensures own and others’ workloads are realistic and achievable
• Provides staff with clear direction and objectives, ensuring they understand expectations
• Recognises achievements and provides constructive feedback and guidance
• Gives staff autonomy and confidence to perform well and to their potential

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 3 indicators of effective performance:

• Monitors allocation of resources, anticipating changing requirements that may impact work delivery
• Ensures evaluation processes are in place to measure project benefits
• Gains buy-in and commitment to project delivery from diverse stakeholders
• Implements quality measures to ensure directorate output is of a high standard
• Translates political vision into action plans and deliverables

The GLA Competency Framework Guidelines further detailing each competency and the different level indicators can be found here: GLA Competency Framework

How to apply

If you would like to apply for the role you will need to submit the following:

• Up to date CV
• Personal statement with a maximum of 1500 words. Please ensure you address how you demonstrate the essential criteria outlined above in the advert.

Please ensure your CV and Personal Statement have a maximum file size of 1.5MB each and upload your Personal Statement to the ‘CV and Cover Letters’ section’ of the form, ensuring you address the technical requirements and competencies in your Personal Statement.

Word or PDF format preferred and do not include any photographs or images. Please ensure your CV and Personal Statement are saved with the job reference number as part of the naming convention (E.g., “CV – applicant name - 012345)

As part of GLA’s continuing commitment to be an inclusive and equal opportunity employer we will be removing personal identifiable information from CVs and Personal Statements that could cause discrimination. 

If you have questions about the role

If you wish to talk to someone about the role, the hiring manager Abby Crisostomo would be happy to speak to you. Please contact her at abby.crisostomo@london.gov.uk.  

If you have any questions about the recruitment process, contact the glaopdcrecruitment@tfl.gov.uk who support the GLA with recruitment.

Assessment process

Once you have submitted an application, your details will be reviewed by a panel.

If shortlisted, you’ll be invited to an interview/assessment.

The interview/assessment date is: w/c 1 September (may be subject to change)

Equality, diversity and inclusion

London's diversity is its biggest asset, and we strive to ensure our workforce reflects London's diversity at all levels. We welcome applications from everyone regardless of age, gender, gender identity, gender expression, ethnicity, sexual orientation, faith or disability.

We particularly encourage applications from Black, Asian and Minority ethnic candidates and disabled candidates who are currently underrepresented in our workforce.

We are committed to being an inclusive employer and we are happy to consider flexible working arrangements. We would welcome applications from candidates who are seeking part time work as this role is open to job share. 

Please note we are a Disability Confident Employer so for candidates who wish to be considered under the scheme and meet the essential criteria, they will automatically be invited to interview. Please note, should you require any adjustments through the process, we will accommodate as much as possible. Please contact the recruitment team for further information if required.

Benefits

GLA staff are hybrid working up to 3 days a week in our offices and remotely depending on their role. As part of this, you will need to split your time between home working and coming into the office.

In addition to a good salary package, you will be paid every four weeks, providing frequent salary payments. We also offer an attractive range of benefits including 30 days’ annual leave, interest free season ticket loan, interest free bicycle loan and a career average pension scheme.

Additional Information

Please note, all candidates will need to confirm that the information provided in this application form is true and correct. Should a candidate deliberately give false information, including the use of AI software, they understand that this would disqualify them from consideration.

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record (DBS) check but some roles may require additional security screening. 

Find out which DBS check is right for your employee - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

More Support

If you have a disability which makes submitting an online application form difficult, please contact resourcingteam@london.gov.uk.

The GLA is proud to be a Level 2: Disability Confident employer. We are committed to becoming a more inclusive and accessible organisation, and creating a truly inclusive and accessible workplace and culture for our disabled staff. We have named Disability Equality as a key corporate priority within our EDI Strategy. We welcome and encourage applications from disabled applicants. Should you wish to opt into the scheme, please let us know during your application.

Please note all applications for this vacancy must be submitted via our online recruitment system. We do not accept CVs alone for this role. Please upload a personal statement with a maximum of 1500 words to the ‘Additional Documents’ section of the form, ensuring you address the following technical requirements and competencies in your personal statement. Word or PDF format preferred and do not include any photographs or images.
 
The GLA Competency Framework Guidelines further detailing each competency and the different level indicators can be found here: GLA competency framework.

GLA staff are hybrid working up to 3 days a week in our offices and remotely depending on their role. As part of this, you will need to split your time between home working and coming into the office.

London's diversity is its biggest asset, and we strive to ensure our workforce reflects London's diversity at all levels. We welcome applications from everyone regardless of age, gender, gender identity, gender expression, ethnicity, sexual orientation, faith, or disability. 

We particularly encourage applications from Black, Asian and Minority ethnic candidates and disabled candidates who are currently underrepresented in our workforce. We are a disability confident employer who guarantee an interview to any disabled candidate who meets all of the essential criteria.

We are committed to being an inclusive employer and we are happy to consider flexible working arrangements. We would welcome applications from candidates who are seeking part time work as this role is open to job share. 

In addition to a good salary package, we offer an attractive range of benefits including 30 days’ annual leave, interest free season ticket loan, interest free bicycle loan and a career average pension scheme.