Project Manager – Children’s Social Care and Education Reform

Essex; Remote; GBP 46,000 - 56,000; Full time

Job summary

A local council in Chelmsford is seeking a Project Manager for Children's Social Care and Education Reform. The role requires managing projects, leading teams, and ensuring deliverables align with strategic aims. Ideal candidates have significant experience in project management within a political/public sector environment and expertise in children's services. Flexible working options are available.

Benefits

Flexible working options

Focus on innovation

Inclusive hiring practices

Qualifications

• Educated to degree level or equivalent by extensive experience.
• Evidence of continuing professional development.
• Experience working within a political/public sector environment.

Responsibilities

• Manage projects that contribute to ECC’s strategic aims.
• Develop and monitor robust business cases.
• Identify risks and issues and propose mitigations.

Skills

Project management

Stakeholder engagement

Team leadership

Change management

Risk management

Education

Degree or equivalent experience

Tools

Prince2

APM practitioner

Job description

Overview

Project Manager – Children’s Social Care and Education Reform. Fixed Term / Secondment (12 months), Full Time. £46,860 to £55,129 per annum. Location: Chelmsford. Working Style: Anywhere worker. Closing Date: 9th November 2025.

This role is part of Essex County Council’s Transformation Team, delivering a bold programme of reform across Children’s Social Care and Education Services. The Project Manager will support the Programme Manager in delivering projects within the wider transformation programme, ensuring outcomes are scoped, planned, delivered on time, within budget, and to required quality standards.

Responsibilities

• Manage projects that contribute to ECC’s strategic aims, delivering agreed outcomes within time and cost constraints.
• Undertake day-to-day management of the project and the project team.
• Develop and monitor robust business cases, ensuring specialist knowledge informs project deliverables and aligns with organisational expectations.
• Manage and monitor project progress within the agreed budget; set out resource requirements for prioritisation by the Portfolio/Programme Manager.
• Lead andMotivate a team, provide coaching to develop a high-performing team and ensure current capability matches project requirements.
• Agree quantified benefits with customers and design/manage the project plan to monitor impact and outcomes.
• Identify risks and issues, proposing mitigation and escalation as appropriate.
• Ensure effective Change Management processes and document changes to deliverables as agreed with stakeholders.
• Maintain an effective governance and assurance framework to support decision making and regular progress reporting; manage internal and external stakeholder relationships.
• Operate within the Council’s change methodology, standards, and governance to ensure consistency and quality in programme delivery.
• Collaborate with internal teams and external partners (Health, Education, Police, voluntary sector) to align outputs with wider programme goals.

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 (e.g., APM practitioner or Prince2).
• Proven track record of successfully delivering several projects and contributing to a range of projects/programmes.
• Experience working with diverse stakeholders in a complex organisation and overcoming obstacles.
• Experience working within a political/public sector environment in a large, complex setting.
• Strong management skills with the ability to lead and develop a team.
• Ideally experience delivering projects in children’s services and/or education.

Why Essex?

Essex County Council offers a stimulating public service environment with flexible working options and a focus on innovation. The Council is delivering transformational change and aims to improve outcomes for residents. Essex is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and to providing reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process. The Council is a Disability Confident Leader and is committed to inclusive hiring practices.

Further information on devolution and local government reorganisation, plus opportunities to join the Essex Talent Community, can be found on our careers site.

For queries about this role or adjustments during the process, please email [e-mail].