Senior Manager, Project Management in Basildon, Essex

Location: Chelmsford

Up to £57,059 per annum

Fixed Term/Secondment (2 years), Full Time

Working Style: Anywhere worker

This is a hybrid-working role contractually based in Chelmsford. You will work from the Chelmsford office at least one day per week, and across our operational area on other days, depending on business need.

Please note that this opportunity will be offered as a fixed-term contract or secondment for 2 years, with potential for extension.

The Project Manager Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Delivery is responsible for the client-side leadership, control and assurance of Essex County Council's EV charging infrastructure programme. The postholder will manage the delivery of multiple, high-value EV infrastructure contracts. While appointed Charging Point Operators (CPOs) and contractors will undertake physical delivery, the role holder is accountable for ensuring that all delivery proposals, programme activity and outputs are appropriate, compliant, safe, timely, value-for-money and aligned with ECC's strategic, legal and reputational requirements.

The role requires confident decision-making, proactive risk management and constructive challenge of suppliers and partners. Working across transport, highways, legal, finance, procurement, communications and sustainability teams, the postholder will translate complex policy, technical and commercial constraints into effective delivery control, enabling the rollout of EV infrastructure at scale and pace across Essex.

Accountabilities:

• Lead and manage the end to end client side delivery of multiple EV charging infrastructure contracts, ensuring outputs are delivered on time, within budget and to agreed quality and safety standards.
• Maintain a clear grip on programme scope, milestones, dependencies and critical paths across parallel workstreams, proactively addressing emerging delivery risks or delays.
• Exercise professional judgement to balance cost, programme, safety, quality, community impact and policy objectives when making delivery decisions.
• Be a point of control and assurance for appointed Charging Point Operators, contractors and delivery partners.
• Challenge supplier proposals, methodologies and programmes where they do not meet ECC's technical, legal, commercial or strategic requirements, securing revisions where necessary.
• Hold suppliers to account for contractual performance, ensuring delivery aligns with agreed KPIs, funding obligations and governance standards.
• Lead the resolution of delivery issues and disputes, escalating where appropriate while maintaining momentum and constructive working relationships.
• Ensure delivery activity complies with relevant highways, planning, electrical, health and safety, environmental and statutory requirements.
• Identify, manage and mitigate programme and contract risks, ensuring appropriate governance, audit trails and assurance are in place.
• Maintain oversight of funding conditions and reporting requirements (including national or external funding bodies), ensuring full compliance and accurate evidence capture.
• Provide clear, concise reporting on progress, risks, decisions and performance to senior leaders, enabling informed governance and intervention where required.
• Drive continuous improvement in delivery processes, performance management and supplier engagement.
• Protect and enhance ECC's reputation by ensuring EV infrastructure is delivered safely, transparently and to a high standard.

The Experience You Will Bring:

• Degree level qualification or equivalent experience in a relevant discipline such as project management, infrastructure delivery, engineering, transport, energy or the built environment.
• Formal project management qualification (e.g. APM PMQ, PRINCE2 Practitioner or equivalent), or demonstrable experience applying structured project management methodologies in a complex delivery environment.
• Demonstrable experience managing multiple live contracts or workstreams simultaneously, maintaining control of scope, cost, programme and risk.
• Experience acting in a client side or commissioning role, managing delivery by external contractors or suppliers rather than undertaking physical delivery directly.
• Proven ability to make delivery decisions and trade offs relating to cost, programme, quality, safety, risk and stakeholder impact.
• Experience recovering or stabilising delivery where projects or suppliers are at risk of underperformance.
• Experience holding suppliers and contractors to account for performance, outputs and compliance within a contractual framework.
• Confidence to challenge supplier proposals, delivery plans and methodologies, securing changes where required to protect organisational interests.
• Understanding of public sector procurement, contract management and governance processes, including value for money obligations and audit requirements.
• Experience monitoring KPIs, milestones, risks and financial performance, and using this information to drive delivery improvement.
• Proven ability to manage delivery in regulated or safety critical environments, with an appreciation of legal, health and safety, highways, planning or statutory requirements.
• Experience identifying, managing and mitigating programme and contract risk, maintaining appropriate documentation, controls and assurance.
• Ability to work within funding conditions and reporting frameworks, ensuring compliance and robust evidence capture.
• Sufficient technical understanding of EV charging infrastructure, highways or energy systems to act as an informed client, challenge supplier assumptions and assess delivery risk.
• Awareness of national and local EV policy, funding programmes and delivery models applicable to local authorities.
• Ability to interpret technical, financial and programme information to inform delivery decisions (deep technical specialism not required).
• Confidence and credibility to operate with senior internal stakeholders, suppliers and partners, balancing constructive relationships with firm delivery control.
• Ability to operate effectively in complex, ambiguous environments and make proportionate, evidence based decisions under pressure.
• Clear, concise communication skills, capable of translating complex delivery issues into actionable recommendations and transparent reporting.
• Resilience and persistence to maintain delivery momentum across long term, high profile infrastructure programmes.

Desirable:

• Experience within local government or another public sector delivery environment.
• Experience supporting the delivery of EV charging, energy, transport or highways infrastructure.
• Technical or safety related qualifications relevant to infrastructure delivery (e.g. IOSH Managing Safely, highways or electrical safety training).

Please note that the job role requires you to be mobile throughout an operational area. Therefore, the post holder will need to have a driving licence and access to a vehicle, or the ability to meet the mobility requirements of the role through other means.

Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We're committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process.

We're also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.

At Essex County Council, we value integrity and ethical behaviour. We kindly ask that you embrace our code of conduct and the Nolan principles, including throughout the recruitment process. Your commitment to these standards helps us maintain a positive and respectful workplace for everyone.

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.