Liverpool City Council has secured UK Shared Prosperity Funding and as a result, we’re looking for a Governance and Assurance Officer to join our team on a fixed term contract to provide effective governance and compliance of our funded projects from inception to closure until 31 March 2025 . You will design and implement project and programme management best practice across the organisation, scrutinise and support the delivery of key City Council projects and programmes.

Key Responsibilities include but not limited to;

• Develop close relationships with programme/ project leads and senior managers giving leadership, support, challenge and scrutiny to ensure and influence successful delivery of key programmes/projects.
• Maintain high standards/compliance by completing independent assurance on key programmes/projects, concentrating on fulfilment of strategy, the impact on business operations and other areas of concern.
• Create, review and distribute project, programme and portfolio reports including commentary on performance & deviations when appropriate to reporting deadlines.
• Ensuring appropriate approvals and authorisation, correct control and reporting structures are in place to aid project and programme compliance.
• Independently verify programme/project financial information, review estimated costs and setting of an agreed budget. Monitor programmes/projects financial situation and escalate where needed. Assess benefits planning and realisation (financial and non-financial) to identify gaps, overlaps and conflicts.
• Provide expert advice to LCC staff (including programme/ project managers), providing coaching/ mentoring as needed. To build and maintain a register of approved training courses and a library of resources. Lead and facilitate workshops, undertake skills assessments and carry out development training.
• Record and use ‘lessons learnt’ from key programmes/projects to help support future project and programme activity.
• Review the justification for undertaking a project. To support delivery teams to ensure benefits, costs and risks of alternative options have been captured and they can gain management commitment and approval for investment in the project.
• Act as programme/ project manager when needed for corporate programmes/ projects, ensuring outcomes are delivered to scope, budget, time and risk. Manage and lead programme/ project teams as appropriate.
• Develop an understanding of risks at strategic level, developing a project risk management policy for compliance based on corporate risk policy. Identify programme/project risks, review, evaluate and escalate information to board, ensuring risks have nominated owners and are proactively managed.
• Develop the City Council’s commitment to equal opportunities and to promote non-discriminatory practices in all aspects of work undertaken.
• Supervision of junior staff & supporting the development of delivery staff members.
• Monitor financial performance, seek savings and efficiencies by exploring opportunities to draw funding where appropriate.
• Explore different options for funding and income generation.

You will understand project and programme best practice and be able to apply this to processes and tools, as well as be able to clearly communicate this to others. Have strong understanding of business case justification, financial management and benefits planning so that you can review other people’s work and suggest improvements.

If you would like to talk to a member of the team about the role or have an informal discussion, please contact Patsy Lewis on Patsy.Lewis@liverpool.gov.uk.