Education Capital and Place Planning Officer

Education Capital and Place Planning Officer – Inside IR35

Purpose of the job

To ensure the Clients meet their statutory duty to secure sufficient education provision across North Northamptonshire:

Planning and reviewing of demand across the area

Contributing to the commissioning and establishing of new places in consultation with other statutory bodies.

Contributing to the development and on-going review of policies and procedures in respect of the planning and commissioning of 0-25 educational provision in line with established and changing national policies.

Facilitate the conversion process whereby maintained schools become academies, operating independently from the Client.

The Education Capital and Place Planning Officer will support the client’s delivery of its statutory duty to provide sufficient school places by identifying need and the determination of how school places should be provided through the delivery of new capital projects.

The post holder will support the improvement of the maintained schools estate and, in particular, in its decarbonisation and adoption of the DfE’s Good Estate Management System (GEMS) for effective use of their devolved maintenance funding. This will be achieved through leading and co-ordinating the delivery of an effective project management service team, including professional service consultants and contractors.

As well as lead and co-ordinate on the delivery of school capital projects ensuring that specification, quality, deadline and budget targets and any other relevant requirements are met

Person Specification

Attributes

Education, Qualifications and Training

Educated to degree level or equivalent qualification e.g. NVQ 4, HNC
Evidence of commitment to continuing personal and professional development.

Experience and Knowledge

Experience of managing and contributing to commissioning or procurement and tendering of projects.
Understanding of the analysis of demographic data, school capacity information and available information on housing developments to determine the impact of these on individual schools/groups of schools.
Identifying and assessing options for developing existing schools.
Acting as advisor to Headteachers and governing bodies in respect of capital projects.
Up to date specialist knowledge and understanding of DfE Design guidance and Education Act 2011 and the responsibility of the Client to fulfil their statutory duties to provide sufficient school places.
Experience of working with multiple partners to deliver a desired outcome
In depth understanding of project management methodologies.
Proven ability to use project management tolls and systems to monitor progress against established milestones and deliver intended outcomes.
Using existing property information, including school capacity and suitability data to determine the size, scale and nature of building works required.
Understanding the role of regulatory bodies in relation to the provision of early years and childcare, school and post 16 places.

Ability and Skills

Proficient in spoken English
Ability to develop professional rapport with stakeholders at all levels.
Communicate and engage whilst working with school governance and agencies as well as young people and their families.
Ability to interpret cost plans for capital projects and financial profiles for schemes within budget.
Interpret demographic data and pupil forecasts to prepare school review/organisation proposals.
Adapting working approach to suits the needs of the work.
Ability to organise workload and take a flexible approach when matters arise.
Able to work on occasion outside of normal working hours (governing body meetings and public consultations)
Ability to work to statutory deadlines and manage workload to meet capital project completion dates, NCC reporting deadlines for senior officers and members.
Proven ICT skills
Ability to work with a large diverse team and organisation.
Ability to foresee and take appropriate, corrective action to address potential problems.
Ability to foster and develop robust relationships with key stakeholders, including Councillors, Directors and representatives from the DfE, Multi Academy Trusts, Trade Unions, Headteachers, Governors, Parents, Early Years sector.

Rate of Pay

PAYE: £330.22

Umbrella: £425

Location: Northampton(Remote WFH with occasional need to visit School’s around the Northamptonshire area)