Project Manager Level 2

Working Hours: 35 Hours per week

Contract Type: Full-Time, Permanent

Closing Date: 01 January 2025

Interview Method: In Person (Face to Face)

The City Council is looking for a Project Manager, to help deliver our ambitious new Housing Strategy.

Based in the Strategic Housing team, the new Project Manager will play a leading role within the Growth & Development Directorate – set up to deliver on key housing market objectives in line with the sustainable economic transformation of the city.

About the Team

The Housing Strategy Team is responsible for advancing Manchester’s Housing Strategy, which includes an ambitious goal of 36,000 new homes by 2032 (with 10,000 affordable homes). Our team champions projects designed to increase housing supply, improve housing quality, and support vulnerable residents in secure housing environments. The team also manages the city’s Enabling Independence Accommodation Strategy, which fosters independence through innovative housing solutions across Manchester. By collaborating closely with other departments, commissioners, and housing providers, we work to ensure Manchester’s housing landscape evolves and grows in line with residents’ needs.

About the Role

As a Project Manager within Manchester City Council’s Housing Strategy Team, you will play a pivotal role in advancing Manchester’s housing goals by developing and delivering impactful projects that support the Housing Strategy. For example:

• You will lead critical projects supporting the Enabling Independence Accommodation Strategy (EIAS), which aims to increase safe, supportive, and accessible housing for Manchester’s residents.
• The Project Manager will work directly with strategic managers, commissioners, housing providers, and key stakeholders to identify housing challenges and implement impactful solutions.
• You’ll define project scopes and set clear objectives that meet citywide housing needs, including work to develop a pipeline of specialised housing for people with varying support needs
• You will develop innovative partnerships that blend housing with social care services and grow the availability of affordable housing options for residents to move-on in to as they grow more independent.
• Your duties will include organising and facilitating forums and stakeholder networks, keeping lines of communication open, clear, and productive.
• You’ll lead and support “task and finish” groups for specific initiatives, ensuring timely completion and alignment with Manchester’s strategic priorities.
• Regular reporting and briefing are also key components of the role; you will produce high-quality documents that synthesise complex data, making it accessible to senior leadership and other decision-makers to support informed policy development.

This is a unique opportunity for an experienced project manager with a passion for public service and social impact. Your role as Project Manager will not only shape the future of housing in Manchester but also play a vital part in ensuring that all residents have access to safe, affordable, and high-quality housing solutions tailored to meet their needs.

For an informal discussion about the role please contact [email protected]

Why Manchester

Manchester is often ranked as one of the best cities in the world to live within international media circles, with ‘nightlife’, ‘creativity’, ‘community spirit’, ‘friendliness’ and ‘getting to know your neighbours’ top of the list. We are home to the UK’s largest indoor arena, its second largest international airport, major sporting venues, great public transport options, and is right in the heart of the nation’s motorway network. On our doorstep are National Parks, areas of outstanding natural beauty and stunning coastlines. Within the City, our 600,000 residents live in every kind of housing from modern residential skyscrapers, traditional Victorian terraced neighbourhoods, to leafy suburban districts.

This role involves blended / hybrid working. You may be able to work from home or remotely some of the time, or for certain tasks or limited days or hours. For the remainder of the time, you will be required to work at council sites or offices. This will depend on your role’s responsibilities and your personal circumstances.

Our Values

At Manchester City Council, we value our community and diversity, with a strong commitment to equality, fairness, and inclusion. We are proud of Manchester’s heritage, passionate about its future, and embrace teamwork, innovation, and trust.

Join Us

This is an exciting opportunity for a motivated professional to contribute to Manchester’s growth and transformation. If you’re ready to make a difference in the housing sector and align with Manchester’s values, we’d love to hear from you. To apply, simply complete an application and submit an expression of interest along with a copy of you CV.

Apply today to shape the future of housing in Manchester!

The successful candidate will have the following skills:

• Project Management: Proficient in structured project management, with a track record of successfully delivering complex projects to scope, time, and budget.
• Planning and Organization: Strong time-management and organizational skills to set realistic schedules and prioritize multiple workstreams.
• Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to convey complex information effectively across varied audiences.
• Analytical: Ability to synthesise and evaluate complex data from multiple sources to inform strategic decision-making.
• Strategic Thinking: Capacity to contribute to the development of housing policy and innovate within the housing sector.
• People Management: Proven ability to lead, coach, and support team members towards achieving objectives.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Develop relationships with senior officers and partners, producing high-quality reports and briefings. Facilitate forums, building networks that encourage open, collaborative communication.
• Commissioning and Partnership Building: Skilled in leveraging knowledge and resources from partners to shape commissioning intentions and promote strategic housing solutions.

In accordance with Home Office guidance, successful candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK before commencement of employment. This is not a role we consider to be eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route based on Manchester City Council policy. Candidates are therefore encouraged to consider their own right to work options without the requirement for Manchester City Council sponsorship. 

We’re the local government authority for Manchester, and have teams across the city helping to make this a great place to live for everyone. We’re proud to do local government differently, in a city with an international reputation for diversity, creativity, culture and passion. 

When you join us, you’re joining a team of over 7,000 council staff helping to make our ambition for Manchester a reality. Whatever your role, you’ll be supporting our residents and communities to be the best they can be, and helping to build a Manchester that's fairer for everyone who lives, works, volunteers, studies or plays here. 

To make our ambition a reality, every person we recruit needs to play their its part. It takes a certain type of behaviour, attitude and way of working to get Manchester where it wants to be. Our people and partners have agreed five ‘behaviours’ – the grounding for how we must work together and treat one another:

• We take time to listen and understand
• We work together and trust each other
• We show that we value our differences and treat each other fairly
• We ‘own it’ and we’re not afraid to try new things
• We’re proud and passionate about Manchester

A career with us means you can be yourself, thrive, and build the career your talent and ambition deserve.

Creating an inclusive team at Manchester City Council 

At Manchester City Council, we strive to create a fair and inclusive workplace that is as diverse as the communities we serve.  We want to further increase the diversity of our workforce, in particular the number of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic staff and disabled staff at all levels of the Council. This advert is open to all applicants, and we would particularly encourage applications from candidates identifying with one or both of those characteristics.   

If you want to find out more about the role, our ways of working, flexible arrangements or any workplace adjustments, please let us know by emailing [email protected]. If you are invited to interview, we will ask you if you require any adjustments for you to best demonstrate your suitability for the role in the interview process.   

Guaranteed Interview Scheme

As part of our commitment to inclusion, we offer guaranteed interviews for specific groups of people. To qualify, you'll need to meet the minimum requirements for the role, and identify with one of the below criteria:

• Members of the Armed Forces and veterans
• Are currently in care, or have previously been in care
• If you consider yourself to be disabled or if you have a long-term health condition

Accessibility 

As a Disability Confident Employer, we provide support for employees with physical or mental-health conditions, a disability or neurodiversity. Our workplaces are accessible by design, and we make workplace adjustments including providing aids, adaptations and equipment. These, combined with our flexible working policies such as disability-related leave, enable our employees to perform their role, thrive and be their authentic selves in work. 

When you join us 

We want everyone to be able to be themselves at work and give their best. If you need additional support to undertake the duties of the role, we’ll make every effort to source any necessary aids, adaptations or equipment. If, however, any task proves to be unachievable, we will look at redesigning parts of the role. 

Other relevant information 

Why work for us
Who we are - Manchester City Council 
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