Programme Coordinator in Bristol

The West of England Mayoral Combined Authority is looking for a well-organised and motivated Programme Coordinator to join the Democratic Services team. We are looking for someone who is confident and capable of working closely with colleagues at all levels in the organisation and with our Unitary Authority and regional partners to support the delivery of the regional growth strategy and our mayor’s priorities. This role is key to supporting project and programme managers to understand governance arrangements and to schedule the briefings necessary to deliver timely decision making in a democratic organisation. This work will give the post holder significant insight into the plans and projects that will deliver the ambitious vision for our region. Attention to detail and confident communication will be essential to support colleagues to plan their projects, meet deadlines and briefing requirements, and implement decisions made. You will need to be well-organised, motivated by the challenges of working in a fast-paced environment and inspired by the opportunity to support regionally significant projects.

To provide programme support to key parts of the organisation’s decision pathway. The role is central to ensuring projects and programmes have the right engagement with the senior officers and political leaders of the region. Briefings to support project and programme development and decision making are essential for effective governance in a public body. You will support this briefings and approvals process for projects throughout their lifecycle and at key meetings including both internal and regional meetings. This will be a diverse and busy role. You will need to be responsive to supporting the needs of the Mayor and senior leaders ensuring decisions and approvals have the appropriate visibility, sign-off and audit trail.

The post-holder will have specific responsibility for scheduling and forward planning briefings and meeting agendas, working with project and programme managers to ensure decisions are made in a timely manner. In addition, providing support to key meetings of senior staff, making all necessary arrangements to ensure meetings run smoothly, ensuring papers and briefings are prepared and circulated in good time, taking minutes and following up on actions. Coordinating and supporting the reporting requirements of organisational processes, including the organisations decision pathway and forward plan, you will provide the support that ensures the relevant governance and assurance requirements are met.

The role requires someone who has some knowledge of project management and local government project processes as well as confidence in all elements of the Office IT suite. You will be comfortable dealing with senior managers and partners, ensuring high quality advice and support is provided to the Mayor and regional leaders. The successful candidate will be highly organised, have strong communication skills, and be able to prioritise and handle multiple issues concurrently.

We are based in a new bright and airy office, with all the latest technology, close to Bristol Temple Meads Train Station. Alongside the opportunity to make a real difference to the people who visit, live and work in the West of England, we offer an excellent benefits package including:

• 26 days annual leave, plus bank holidays, rising to 31 days after 5 years continuous service.
• 2 days of paid leave each year to volunteer.
• Local Government Pension Scheme (one of the most generous pension schemes in the UK).
• Flexible, family-friendly and hybrid working options to ensure you achieve the best work/life balance and career goals.
• Reduced bus fare travel across the West of England.

We believe in fostering a culture of continuous learning and development, empowering you to thrive in your career. We prioritise your growth and success by providing a diverse range of learning and development opportunities. Our goal is to keep you motivated, equipped with essential skills, and confident in delivering excellent services.

The salary for this role is £34,434 - £37,280. This is the full-time equivalent salary, and will be pro-rata for part-time. We advertise salary ranges for job roles, with new appointments for external candidates typically starting at the lowest salary point. In exceptional cases, where higher skill levels or experience are applicable, the salary point may be adjusted to secure the best candidate. This approach allows for potential year-on-year salary increases, offering progression and appropriate rewards to employees.

As a founding Member of the West of England Good Employment Charter and accredited Living Wage Employer, we’re committed to creating a diverse environment where all our employees can thrive. We make sure all qualified applicants receive consideration for employment and we particularly welcome applications from under-represented groups without regard to race, colour, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or citizenship status.

As part of our commitment to fair and inclusive recruitment, we provide interview questions to all shortlisted candidates in advance/on request. This approach helps ensure everyone can demonstrate their skills, knowledge and experience fully, and supports our duties under the Equality Act 2010. You will also be asked follow-up questions during the interview to explore your responses in more detail.

If you have an accessibility need, disability, condition or need any additional support that means you might require changes to the application or recruitment process, please get in touch with our Resourcing Team at Resourcing@westofengland-ca.gov.uk. We are here to assist and accommodate your needs.

We want to understand the real person behind each application. While we recognise that some applicants may use AI tools, these should support your writing rather than replace your own voice. AI can be a helpful aid, but your personal insight and individuality are what matter most to us.

Our role closes at midnight on the closing date. Please note this vacancy may close early or be extended depending on the number of applications so please don’t wait to apply. If you have started your application, we’ll give you notice of the new closing date by email.

We’re not engaging with agencies for this role. Any CVs received from agencies will be considered as unsolicited and the property of the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority, with no obligation to pay agency fees.