Resilience Programme Manager - Trailblazer Programme

Overview

Strategy and Communications sits at the centre of the organisation, bringing together several teams with organisation-wide remits and mutual collaboration opportunities. The work of the directorate\’s teams includes delivery of major events, designing and leading public affairs or marketing campaigns, providing data, evidence and analysis, leading cross-organisational programmes, and planning for and responding to emerging events or emergencies in our city. We particularly encourage applications from individuals from groups currently underrepresented in our workforce.

About the team

London Resilience Unit supports the work of London\’s key agencies in assessing risks, reducing the likelihood or impact of those risks, and, where risk cannot be eliminated, preparing arrangements to respond, recover and learn from emergencies.

About the role

This is a key management and leadership role at the centre of innovation in how London prepares for emergencies. It will suit someone who delivers complex, high-impact projects in a multi-agency environment. The Trailblazer Programme is a one-year, externally funded initiative (with potential for extension) focused on embedding improvements in leadership, accountability and integration across London\’s resilience system. The programme will support the delivery of our 2025 London resilience strategy and incorporate learnings from the Covid-19 and Grenfell Tower inquiry recommendations.

As Resilience Manager (Trailblazers) you will lead the coordination of this project, overseeing planning, management, governance reporting and risk management. You will ensure projects within the programme align with and deliver against our strategic and funding requirements, delivering measurable value for funders and Londoners. You will lead officers within the London Resilience Unit, GLA, and external stakeholders (including emergency services, local and national government, community sector organisations and others). You will report to the Head of Governance, Assurance and Partnerships, but work across London Resilience Unit. We are looking for someone who can bring clarity and structure to complex delivery, manage internal and external relationships, navigate governance structures and drive progress. Experience of supporting multi-agency working is essential; experience in resilience or a related sector is advantageous but not essential.

Responsibilities

• Act as the focal point for the delivery of all Trailblazer activity, ensuring coherence of delivery strands and alignment with wider resilience activity.
• Maintain oversight of project scheduling and controls to ensure delivery against milestones, management of interdependencies and budget controls.
• Use tools such as earned value analysis, risk registers and benefits realisation to support project performance and evaluation.
• Coordinate engagement with internal and external stakeholders, facilitating collaborative working and resolving problems.
• Manage directly, or liaise with contract managers, to oversee the management of contracted services to ensure project timescale and budget criteria are met.
• Prepare and deliver clear, concise reports on project performance to senior management and stakeholders to influence decision making.
• Monitor and report on project benefits to support evaluation and sustainability of the project; contribute to wider learning and improvement work across London Resilience Unit.

Role Context

The nature of London Resilience Unit\’s work means incidents can require rapid alteration of planned priorities. This role is not expected to participate in on-call arrangements but may provide support appropriate to grade and skills to the rest of the team when required or as delegated by the line manager.

Person Specification and Competencies

Have experience in developing a programmatic approach in challenging circumstances, ideally in a public sector or multi-agency context. Have experience in identifying, analysing and mitigating risks to work programmes and using both waterfall and agile project methodologies. Have strong communication and influencing skills, with the ability to engage and align stakeholders to ensure collaborative working toward shared objectives. Have a track record in leading and influencing across teams without direct line management, understanding how to create inclusive, high-performing teams that harness the benefits of diversity.

Essential Competency Areas

• Strategic Thinking: works with a view to the future, prioritising work in line with objectives; briefs and prepares teams to accomplish goals; communicates strategic priorities; balances team and wider organisational needs; identifies synergies between priorities.
• Organisational Awareness: understands dynamics, culture and politics across the GLA; translates changing agendas into tangible actions; considers diverse needs of Londoners; understands media and external perceptions.
• Managing and Developing Performance: sets high standards, motivates others, defines clear direction, monitors performance, and promotes inclusion.
• Building & Managing Relationships: develops professional relationships; understands others’ needs; fosters respect and collaboration.
• Planning and Organising: manages priorities and risk, plans effectively, negotiates realistic timescales, and ensures high-quality delivery.
• Problem Solving: analyses situations, proposes options, and fosters creative solutions.
• Communicating and Influencing: communicates clearly, engages stakeholders, negotiates effectively, and synthesises complex viewpoints.

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

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.