Job Details
Job Title Project Manager – Technical
Pay Grade G10
Directorate Place
Division Estates and Facilities
Reports to Head of Estates and Facilities
Location Harrow Hub and sites within the London Borough of Harrow, with some remote working
Role Purpose
• To manage allocated Capital and Facilities Projects across the entire school estate and work with any other designated or related projects within the Community Directorate Capital programme.
• To provide technical advice on property and construction across a range of capital and facilities projects, ensuring compliance with all relevant legislation
• To manage the identification and investigation of defects and advise on repair and maintenance for all corporate and school buildings
• To manage the delivery of schools Capital works and planned maintenance programme to specification, time and budget and lead the liaison with Head Teachers and Governors re capital works and planned maintenance in schools.
• The role will require close working with colleagues across the Council and in particular with the Council’s partners, Contractors and outside agencies , head teachers and school governors.
Job Context (Key outputs of team / role)
• To work closely with the Programme Manager to develop and deliver a programme of minor and major works across the school estate. The 2025 – 2028 budget values c. £15m planned maintenance and £8m SEN expansion projects
Generic Duties
• To demonstrate a commitment to the Council’s Equal Opportunities Policy and the ability to understand and implement the policy in relation to the job responsibilities
• To ensure compliance with your responsibilities as laid out in the council’s health and safety policy and take an active role in promoting a positive health and safety culture.
• To promote and participate in the council’s individual performance appraisal and development initiatives and information management best practice.
• To ensure compliance with the council’s information security policies and maintain confidentiality.
• In accordance with the Immigration Act 2016, where the role is customer-facing and the post holder is required to speak to members of the public, the ability to converse at ease with customers and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post
Values, Behaviours and Equalities
We want our colleagues to live our values. These values describe what we stand for and how we do things at Harrow whilst inspiring, challenging and guiding us towards the delivery of our organisational ambitions and goals. Our three values are:
Be Courageous, Do It Together and Make It Happen
These values will also help us to achieve our equalities vision of being a proud, fair & cohesive Harrow, a great place to live, work & visit.
The candidate must have a clear understanding of the diverse nature of Harrow’s communities and the implications for services delivered to residents and service users
Main Duties / Accountabilities
1. To work closely with the Programme Manager to develop and deliver a programme of minor and major works across the school estate, or work with any other designated or related projects within the Place Directorate Capital programme.
2. To provide technical advice on property and construction across a range of capital projects, ensuring compliance with all relevant legislation
3. To be responsible for defining the scope of a project and be responsible for its design, procurement, delivery and successful handover from beginning to end.
4. Be responsible for the project budget, financial approvals and control, reporting and administration of project finances
5. Be responsible for the regular progress reporting of each assigned project, managing the successful delivery to specification, time and budget and lead the liaison with Head Teachers and Governors re capital and planned maintenance works in schools.
6. The role will require close working with colleagues across the Council and in particular with the Council’s partners, Contractors and outside agencies , head teachers and school governors
7. To work with the Head of Service to ensure all capital projects as defined by the Project Schedule and Project Implementation Documents are delivered.
8. Lead, manage, design and produce project reports and updates as required, including leading the preparation of tender documents, project programmes and specifications as necessary .
9. Represent the Head of Service at meetings with internal and external stakeholders, with delegated authority where appropriate .
10. Determine the condition of existing buildings, investigate reported defects and set out strategy for repair and forward maintenance.
11. Where appropriate advise on construction design, and review works undertaken to ensure compliance with all relevant legislation.
12. Manage, oversee and monitor contractor performance as required, including the progress of projects against schedule and to specification, ensuring works are completed to the appropriate standard and all facets of the works, including equipment and services, meet the necessary standards for safety and performance
13. Be the key interface between the managed portfolio of schools and the Capital Projects team.
14. Within the Schools Capital Maintenance programme establish responsibility for building repair costs, in line with Tenant and Landlord responsibility, and communicate accordingly.
15. Liaise with the Council and school FM teams to ensure the smooth transfer of projects from completion into routine maintenance programmes.
16. Assist in the development of the Capital Maintenance Programme forward plan, 3 – 5 year plan including PPM, in line with condition and asset surveys and appropriate maintenance regimes.
17. Manage conflicting priorities in a constantly changing environment such as investigating urgent repairs across schools and other sites as they arise, and ensuring repairs and maintenance are carried out.
18. Assist in compliance monitoring as necessary across all relevant schools ,including health and safety advice.
19. Update and maintain governance documentation across projects as necessary.
20. Occasional work in confined spaces and dirty conditions (e.g. loft space) when undertaking inspections. Working outdoors in all weather conditions (e.g. on building sites).
21. Occasional lone working (e.g. when visiting sites).
22. Maintain awareness of operational issues informing the Capital Programme delivery.
23. Ensure contractor compliance with Harrows Health & Safety policies and procedures, and with all relevant legislation
24. To manage the identification and investigation of defects and advise on repair and maintenance for all corporate buildings
Selection Criteria – Knowledge, Skills and Experience
Role requirements
Hold a Diploma or equivalent in a related discipline, or relevant experience in a similar position.
Be a qualified Building Surveyor or progressing on the path for qualification
Hold a valid enhanced level DBS check for working in schools
Demonstrate past experience of working with a high degree of autonomously on relevant projects to tight deadlines, ideally within a Local Authority
Working knowledge of relevant Health, Safety and Welfare legislation and approved Codes of Practices.
Experience of working within a Capital Projects environment is desirable, including performance monitoring processes and the provision of technical advisory services
Experience of effective monitoring of budgets desirable
Experience of Project Management of projects
Good interpersonal skills, with an ability to communicate effectively with a wide variety of people, face to face, on the telephone and in writing
Ability to maintain effective working relationships with internal and external partners
Ability to liaise with Council staff and external bodies to resolve problems, coordinate and improve service provision
Able to use PC based word processing, presentation packages, spreadsheets and databases
Able to use MS Project and AutoCAD LT
Able to work under pressure and produce accurate work to deadlines
Ability to provide a high standard of customer care at all times ensuring high excellence of service delivery.
Relevant technical knowledge and competence
Qualifications
Educated to degree level or equivalent or has the equivalent relevant work experience.
Be a qualified Building Surveyor or progressing on the path for qualification
