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Project Portfolio Support Manager (Fixed Term until Dec 2022)

Employer
Catapult
Location
Birmingham City Centre/ Flexible Location
Salary
£27,000 -£30,000 + Benefits
Closing date
31 Aug 2022

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Sector
Utilities / Energy
Contract Type
Permanent
Hours
Full Time
Job Function
Portfolio Manager, Project Manager

The Energy Systems Catapult

Energy Systems Catapult was set up to accelerate the transformation of the UK’s energy system and ensure UK businesses and consumers capture the opportunities of clean growth. The Catapult is an independent, not-for-profit centre of excellence that bridges the gap between industry, government, academia and research. We take a whole-systems view of the energy sector, helping us to identify and address innovation priorities and market barriers, in order to decarbonise the energy system at the lowest cost.

During lockdown, we have been working remotely and as we begin to focus more on the future, we intend to embrace a new refreshing way to utilise our office in Birmingham City Centre . As a consequence we are developing a flexible approach to the workplace , which ensures we keep some of the benefits of home working whilst enabling the Catapult to operate efficiently, this hybrid way of working may result in the majority of us working from home for a good chunk of the time, merging the best bits of both office and home working.

Context

Energy Systems Catapult created the Energy Launchpad to draw on our capabilities (and those of our partners) to provide innovators with both universal and tailored support to help address systemic barriers, de-risk innovation, help businesses scale and secure investment. Energy Launchpad is a three-tiered programme developed to support innovators at different levels.

First tier is Universal Support– free of charge standardised support offered to all SMEs. It comes in a form of publications, insight reports, information on funding calls, events and signposting – connecting innovators with other support programmes and organisations.

The second and third tiers are Incubation and Acceleration - these can be accessed through Innovator Challenges which are launched at least twice a year. Through these two tiers ESC can provide tailored support to a smaller number of innovators.

In addition to the tiered approach, Energy Launchpad also delivers innovation support to a number of 3rd-party programmes, such as the Climate Innovation Platform, delivered by University of Birmingham and supported by HSBC UK.  These external programmes coupled with our own incubation and acceleration support, means we now expect to be working with a large number of innovators/SMEs. This has provided the opportunity for a new Project Portfolio Manager (PPM) to join our team to help manage and coordinate the portfolio of projects involving SMEs.

The Role

At any one time, we envisage the Energy Launchpad team could be working with 30-40 SMEs concurrently, so keeping track of these separate SME projects is core the PPM role.

Although the projects and the needs of the involved innovators vary, we intend to take a streamline approach in managing and coordinating all activities and projects using an agreed framework and process.  The PPM will provide portfolio management to the Energy Launchpad platform within this framework/process whilst helping to further refine/improve.

Once project scope is defined based on SME needs, the PPM will work with the project team members (such as the Capability delivery teams) from across the organisation to track resource and budget forecasts, timeline as well as working with the Incubation Managers to capture the desired impact and outcome of each project as well as the associated KPIs.

The PPM is responsible for ensuring that appropriate processes are followed, tracking progress on projects throughout delivery and ensuring that teams are keeping to project deadlines and budgets, and that impact is captured throughout.

Key Work Activities

  • Reporting into the Energy Launchpad Programme Manager, but working closely with Incubation Managers, keeping track of a high volume (c. 30-40) of separate SME innovator projects in a coordinated and efficient manner
  • Support the Energy Launchpad team in delivering 3rd-party programmes for SME innovator support or our own Innovator Challenge calls.
  • Supporting the project setup in the relevant Catapult business processes as appropriate, standardising approaches where possible.
  • Working with project teams drawn from the Energy Launchpad, Capability delivery teams and external partners, to track timelines, resource forecasts and budgets – highlighting deviations from plan quickly and efficiently.
  • Secure required resource for delivering the portfolio of projects using the appropriate internal processes for resource allocation.
  • Ensure project is appropriately documented and all relevant documents are kept up to date.
  • Monitor the project delivery from a time, cost and resource point of view.
  • Ensure that the portfolio of SME projects are delivered in accordance to the appropriate Energy Launchpad processes, including identifying areas for further streamlining where appropriate.
  • Ensuring that required data is captured in the correct format through the life if the projects and shared quickly – experience of MS Teams and Salesforce advantageous
  • Ensure impact is captured throughout project delivery, working closely with the Catapult’s Impact Team.
  • Ensure outputs are issued in relevant client templates where appropriate and support provided to client invoices or grant claims
  • Provide regular and ad hoc progress reports and status updates on the portfolio, including financial forecasting, budgets, resourcing, timelines and impact capture 

What credentials are we looking for?

  • Experience of running or monitoring a high volume of concurrent discrete projects, including data capture and reporting
  • Extensive organizational and time management skills, with experience in resource allocation and budget management. 
  • Experience in producing data and reports to programme leads in order to set priorities based on the client needs and programme common goals.
  • Degree level education in a relevant discipline, from engineering and science through to business and commerce.
  • An organised, proactive, self-starter, able to work under pressure and to tight deadlines.
  • Ability to communicate effectively and coordinate activities with multidisciplinary teams.
  • Ability to multitask and coordinate the activities on a large number of projects simultaneously
  • Evidence of developing and managing project/programme budgets, including forecasting, cost monitoring and ensuring scope and objectives are being met to time, cost and quality.
  • Ability to anticipate risks and issues and escalate in a timely manner
  • Team player and comfortable dealing with ambiguity and ability to work effectively in line with changing priorities.
  • Evidence of managing internal and external resourcing requirements, including external subcontractors.
  • Proficient in Microsoft Project, Excel, PowerPoint and Word – experience of CRM (e.g. Salesforce) and using MS Teams for collaboration, documentation management and tracking an advantage.

Would you like to Apply?

The closing date for applications is Sunday 31st July 2022

Please note that at this time we are unable to provide UK visa sponsorship.

Energy Systems Catapult undertakes innovative and exciting work that will help shape the future of energy, with this in mind we encourage candidates to submit their applications as early as possible, as we do reserve the right to remove this advert or close it to further applications at any point during the recruitment process.

(Strictly No Agencies).

"We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of race, sex, disability, religion and belief, sexual orientation, or status regarding gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity."

Privacy Statement

Purpose of the Privacy Statement

The purpose of this Privacy Statement is to make you aware of how and why your personal data will be used during any recruitment process and how long it will usually be retained for.  This statement provides you with certain information that must be provided under the General Data Protection Regulation ((EU) 2016/679) (GDPR).

In the recruitment process we, Energy Systems Catapult Limited, are a “Data Controller”. This means that we are responsible for deciding how we hold and use personal data about you.

The Energy Systems Catapult Limited is located at Cannon House 7th Floor, 18 Priory Queensway, Birmingham, West Midlands, England, B4 6BS and can be contacted by email at: dataprotectionoffice@es.catapult.org.uk. 

Data Protection Principles

We will comply with data protection law and principles, which means that your data will be:

Used lawfully, fairly and in a transparent way;
Collected only for valid purposes that we have clearly explained to you and not used in any way that is incompatible with those purposes;
Relevant to the purposes we have told you about and limited only to those purposes;
Accurate and kept up to date;
Kept only as long as necessary for the purposes we have told you about;
Kept securely. 

The Kind of Personal Data we hold about you

In connection with your application for work with us, we will collect, store and use the following categories of personal information about you:

The information you have provided in our application form;
The information you have provided to us in your curriculum vitae and covering letter;
Any information you provide to us during an interview;
Any other information provided by you as part of the recruitment process. 
We may ask you for information to allow us to monitor our equal opportunities and diversity performance in recruitment. Also, if you inform us that you have a disability we will keep this information on record to allow us to make reasonable adjustments as needed. 

How we will use your Personal Data

We will use the personal data we collect about you to:

Assess your skills, qualifications and suitability for the role;
Carry out background and reference checks, where applicable;
Communicate with you about the recruitment process;
Keep records relating to our hiring processes;
Manage recruitment related activities, which includes setting up and conducting interviews and tests for applicants, evaluating and assessing the results thereto, and as is otherwise needed in the recruitment and hiring processes;
Comply with legal or regulatory requirements.
We will also use information about any disability you may have to consider whether we need to provide appropriate adjustments during the recruitment process.

Such processing is lawful as it is necessary for our legitimate purpose in seeking to attract, evaluate, and select applicants for employment. 

Data Sharing: Greenhouse Software Inc

Your personal data will be shared with Greenhouse Software, Inc., a cloud services provider located in the United States of America and engaged by us to help manage our recruitment and hiring process. Accordingly, if you are located outside of the United States, your personal data will be transferred to the United States once you submit it through this site. This transfer will be subject to appropriate additional safeguards under the Privacy Shield so as to comply with EU law. 

Data Retention

We will retain your personal data for a period of 12 months after we have communicated to you our decision about whether to appoint you to the role. We retain your personal data for that period so that we can show, in the event of a legal claim, that we have not discriminated against candidates on prohibited grounds and that we have conducted the recruitment exercise in a fair and transparent way. After this period, we will securely destroy your personal data in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. 

Your Rights in Connection with Personal Data

Under the GDPR you have the right to request access to your personal data, to request that your personal data be rectified or erased, and to request that processing of your personal data be restricted or transferred.

When you apply for this role, and tick the confirmation box below, you have provided consent for us to process your personal data for the purpose of the recruitment exercise. You have the right to withdraw your consent for processing for that purpose at any time. Withdrawal of consent to process your data may mean that we cannot continue with your application to us.

If you wish to exercise the rights granted to you under GDPR please contact: dataprotectionoffice@es.catapult.org.uk. 

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