At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and deliver impactful projects that shape the future of Southampton.
- Company: Join Southampton City Council's dynamic Projects and Change team.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, generous holiday, flexible working, and excellent pension scheme.
- Other info: Inclusive workplace committed to diversity and personal growth.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in your community while building your career.
- Qualifications: Strong communication skills and project delivery experience are essential.
The predicted salary is between 52413 - 58865 £ per year.
This is a genuinely unique opportunity to help ensure that Southampton City Council leaves a lasting legacy of improved services, stronger communities and sustainable transformation before we merge with neighbouring councils and transition into a brand-new authority. Aligned to the Southampton 2035 City Plan and SCC Corporate Plan, our programmes and projects are critical to achieving that ambition.
We are seeking talented and ambitious colleagues to join our growing Projects and Change team on a fixed term in a range of roles: from Programme Managers and Project Managers through to Assistant Project Managers, Project Support Officers and Project Assurance Officers. For colleagues in Southampton City Council, we can offer positions on a secondment basis, with approval from your manager.
About the Team: Our Projects and Change service sits at the heart of the council, providing expertise across programme and project management, business analysis, change management and PMO services. The team works with services across the organisation, supporting strategic transformation, service improvement, digital innovation, governance, benefits realisation and organisational change. What makes our team special is our collaborative and supportive culture. We bring together professionals with diverse expertise who are passionate about improving outcomes for residents. We are committed to continuous learning, innovation, strong governance and delivering meaningful change. Our colleagues work on some of the council's highest-profile projects, influencing decisions that shape the future of Southampton and the wider region.
About the Roles: Depending on the role, you will:
- Lead and deliver complex programmes and projects from inception to implementation.
- Support major organisational change and local government reorganisation activity.
- Work closely with senior leaders, elected members, partner organisations and frontline services.
- Provide project planning, governance, assurance and performance reporting.
- Identify and manage risks, issues, dependencies and benefits.
- Support the delivery of projects that improve outcomes for residents and communities.
- Help embed robust programme and project management practices across the organisation.
You could be working on projects linked to transformation, digital innovation, customer experience, prevention and early intervention, growth and regeneration, sustainability, organisational development, or the transition to the new unitary authority. These areas align to the city priorities and the council's corporate objectives.
About You: We are looking for people who have:
- Strong stakeholder management and communication skills.
- Good organisational and planning skills with attention to detail.
- Experience of governance, reporting or assurance processes.
- The ability to manage risks, issues and competing priorities.
- Excellent IT skills, including Microsoft Office (particularly Excel, Teams and reporting tools).
- Project or programme delivery experience appropriate to the grade and job description.
Whether you are an experienced programme leader or looking to build your career in project delivery, we would love to hear from you.
Our Commitment to Inclusion: Southampton City Council is committed to creating a diverse workforce that reflects the communities we serve. We actively welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and are particularly keen to hear from candidates with care experience. We recognise the valuable skills, resilience, insight and lived experience that care-experienced colleagues bring to our organisation and are committed to creating an environment where everyone can thrive.
Why Join Us? This is more than a project management role. It is an opportunity to help deliver Southampton's final chapter as a unitary council while shaping the foundations of a new organisation. Your work will influence how services are delivered for many years to come, leaving a lasting legacy for residents, communities and future generations. We would love to hear from you.
What we can offer you:
- Salary: The salary band for this role is £52,413 - £58,865 per annum. The starting salary is £52,413 with annual progression through the salary bands.
- Excellent local government pension with 15.2% employer contribution.
- Death in service benefit of x3 salary, and optional salary sacrifice shared cost AVC (additional voluntary contribution).
- Generous holiday 25–31 days, based on role and service.
- Flexible working options (role-dependent).
- Family-friendly policies - Maternity, Paternity, Adoption, Shared/Unpaid Parental Leave, Time off for Dependents.
- Training and development, including coaching and mentoring.
- Health and wellbeing support - Employee Assistance Programme, Menopause Pledge, Mental Health First Aiders and access to a variety of staff networks.
- Veteran-friendly employer with the Armed Forces Covenant.
- Retail discounts and savings through the Southampton City Council benefits platform.
- Discounted memberships at local sports and fitness centres.
- Sustainable travel benefits - low emission car scheme, cycle to work, season ticket loans.
- Employee volunteering scheme with 2 paid days leave to volunteer.
For further information on our benefits package please visit Employee benefits (southampton.gov.uk).
Interview Information: Please note that interviews are scheduled for week commencing 17 August 2026.
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