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Job Title: Project Officer
Starting Salary: £34,434 progressing to £37,280 per annum (pro rata for part time) - Pay award pending
Hours: 37
Base Location: Farnham House, Stevenage -Hybrid Working. The role is expected to be present in the office 3-4 days a month. Ability to travel across Hertfordshire required, but driving licence not essential.
Contract Type: Fixed Term/Secondment 2 years
Directorate: Childrens Services

About the team

The Improvement & Transformation Team work across the Inclusion & Skills and Education Directorates within Children’s Services, delivering projects and programmes that support the continuous improvement of services. In particular, we focus on Special Education Needs & Disabilities (SEND) and Inclusion, driving improvement work that leads to better outcomes for children and young people.

This is an exciting time to join the team, we are recruiting various project and programme roles to support delivery of the Hertfordshire SEND Reform Plan. You will work with partners across the SEND Local Area Partnership including local authority services, health, education, and parent carer representatives, delivering elements of the plan, enabling the partnership to deliver its commitments to reform the local SEND system, improve experiences for children and young people, and prepare for wider national reforms.

You will be joining a well-established and supportive team with a track record of forging partnerships and delivering high impact within SEND and Inclusion.

About the role

We are looking for an organised, motivated Project Officer to support delivery of the SEND Reform Plan.

As a Project Officer, you will work closely with Project Managers and Improvement Managers within our team and wider stakeholders within the SEND Partnership to support delivery of projects. You will coordinate project activity, ensuring project meetings are scheduled, documentation is updated and support the Programme Management Office with reporting and communications.

This is a great opportunity for individuals who enjoy coordinating projects and working with a wide range of stakeholders. If you’re motivated by meaningful change, thrive in complex environments, and want to help shape the future of local services that support children and young people, we’d love to hear from you.

Key Responsibilities:

• Coordinate project activities and timelines, ensuring tasks, milestones and documentation are well organised and kept up to date to support effective delivery.
• Prepare high-quality reports, presentations and data summaries, using established tools, templates and project management systems.
• Analyse project information and data, identifying trends and contributing to insights to support decision-making and progress tracking.
• Organise and support project meetings, including scheduling, preparing materials, and capturing clear notes, actions and decisions.
• Support the planning and delivery of workshops, events and engagement activities, ensuring smooth coordination with partners and stakeholders.
• Act as a point of contact for project queries, responding to enquiries, resolving routine issues and escalating where appropriate.
• Support consistent and high-quality communications, working with Project Managers and Improvement Managers to ensure stakeholders are kept informed and engaged.
• Maintaining accurate records, monitoring progress and helping ensure activity aligns with key objectives.

About you

Essential:

• Experience supporting or coordinating projects, with a good understanding of project management methods, tools and documentation.
• Excellent organisational and planning skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities, maintain pace and deliver to deadlines.
• Good analytical skills, with the ability to interpret data and present information clearly.
• Strong problem-solving skills, able to identify issues, propose practical solutions and support implementation.
• Strong digital and ICT skills, with confidence using tools to support project delivery, reporting and stakeholder engagement.
• Clear communication and presentation skills, with the ability to engage with a range of stakeholders and prepare high-quality written reports.
• Attention to detail and a commitment to producing high quality work.
• A collaborative approach, with willingness to support colleagues and contribute to wider team outcomes.
• Resilience and adaptability, with the ability to work effectively in complex environments with evolving priorities.

Desirable

• Supporting delivery of projects within a cross-organisational or partnership environment
• Knowledge of national SEND policy, inclusion, and/or support for children with additional learning needs

This role will be at the centre of SEND reform and improvement in Hertfordshire, as part of a growing team. It is a fast-paced area but very rewarding. This is a great opportunity to make a real difference to the lives of children and young people with SEND in Hertfordshire.

We welcome applications from candidates who currently reside in the UK with established proof of right to work documentation. We are not able to offer sponsorship at this time for this role.

This job role is Level 9. Please locate the job profile here: Job profiles: Project & programme

To hear more about this opportunity please contact erin.bradley1@hertfordshire.gov.uk for an informal discussion about the role.

Interview Date: 28th August - Face to Face, Stevenage

Benefits of working for us

How to apply

As part of your application, please upload your most recent CV. Ensure your CV is up to date with your employment history (including any employment gaps), and including any training/qualifications. We encourage you to include examples of where you have demonstrated the requirements/criteria in the advert / job profile to allow the panel to fully recognise your skills and abilities. You will have the opportunity to include a short covering paragraph within your application to give us a little more information about your skills, knowledge, and experiences.

Secondment
This role is open to secondments for eligible employees who work for HCC. If you wish to apply on a secondment basis, you must have your line manager’s approval before submitting your application. You will be asked to confirm this within your application form. If you are not eligible for a secondment (e.g., you are currently on a fixed‑term contract that would end before this positions ends) or you indicate that your manager cannot support a secondment, your application will be considered on a fixed‑term contract basis instead.

Additional information

We are changing
Hertfordshire County Councilis undergoing Local Government Reorganisation (LGR). If you are employed by Hertfordshire County on 1 April 2028, it is expected that most roles will transfer to the newly-created unitary councils on existing terms and conditions under TUPE (Transfer of Undertakings – Protection of Employment) principles.

LGR is one of the biggest changes we will face in a generation. It will reshape how we work and how services are organised and gives us a real opportunity to build something better. To find out more, visit https://www.hertfordshire-lgr.co.uk/

Disability Confident
We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer and guarantee an interview to anyone disclosing a disability whose application meets the minimum criteria for the post.

English Fluency
The ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post (for those whose language is a signed language the provision of a sign language interpreter who speaks English to the necessary standard of fluency will be required). Further information about the legal requirement can be found here.