Essential Criteria
- You must clearly demonstrate on your application form under each question, how, and to what extent you meet the required criteria; failure to do so may result in you not being shortlisted. You should clearly demonstrate this for both the essential and desirable criteria, where relevant.
- You must demonstrate how you meet the criteria by the closing date for applications, unless the criteria state otherwise.
- The stage in the process when the criteria will be measured is outlined in the table below.
- Shortlisting will be carried out on the basis of the essential criteria set out in Section 1 using the information provided by you on your application form.
- The Selection Panel reserves the right to shortlist only those applicants that it believes most strongly meet the criteria for the role.
- In the event of an excessive number of applications, the Selection Panel reserves the right to apply any desirable criteria as outlined in Section 3 at shortlisting, in which case these will be applied in the order listed. It is important, therefore, that you also clearly demonstrate on your application form how you meet any desirable criteria.
Additional Essential Criteria (Interview Stage)
- Knowledge of the current and anticipated challenges facing the Education Authority.
- Knowledge of Project Management tools and associated project documentation.
- Demonstrate experience of making managerial and technical decisions.
- Excellent communication skills, with the ability to talk and present to a range of audiences, acting as a translator between parties.
- Ability to work collaboratively with a range of Business Stakeholders, understand the needs of Services, Schools, and other stakeholders, and translate service improvements into achievable technical deliverables and project outcomes.
- Managing relationships with internal and external suppliers at all levels, to ensure that project deliverables are produced on time, on budget and to the required quality. Negotiating and securing ‘best value for money’ agreements when buying products and services from external suppliers.
- The ability to deliver high performance whilst working under pressure on multiple projects within project timeframes.
- Strong collaborative skills to build genuine and productive relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
- A customer focused passion for creating solutions with a positive attitude to implementing improvements and change.
- Excellent proven analytical and creative thinking and an informed evidence‑based approach to decision-making.
- Strong risk management skills.
- Evidence of how your experience and approach to work reflect EA’s ethos and values.
Desirable Criteria
- PRINCE2 Certified or have experience in the use of PRINCE methodology.
Job Purpose
- Lead and co‑ordinate project activities to achieve the overall objectives within specified time and budget constraints.
- Manage a project team and be responsible for the successful implementation of multiple ICT projects to support the core business areas of the Education Authority.
- Manage all RAID items relating to assigned projects and provide regular updates to ICT Management.
- Liaise with EA Services to define project technical and business requirements.
- Liaise with DE in respect of the Business Case funding for projects over the delegated limit.
- Inform the DTS Programme Board of project progress and provide DDS PMO with regular status reports as defined within the reporting guidelines.
Scope and Context
- The postholder will lead and co‑coordinate the procurement and implementation of several Business‑Driven Technology projects across EA Services within defined timescales, costs and quality standards.
- The postholder will work with the Delivery Manager and PMO to report on progress against agreed timescales and costs, and will also take the lead in resolving any issues that may arise with assigned contractors where applicable.
- Projects assigned to the postholder within the DTS Programme of Work must adhere to their project plans and approved requirements.
Main Duties and Responsibilities
- Co‑ordinate the preparation of business cases for projects aligned to the DTS Programme of Work.
- Establish the documentation necessary, including technical specifications for the relevant full business case.
- Work with the business and DTS to update the full business cases throughout the assigned projects.
- Lead and co‑coordinate the procurement of multiple projects within the Programme.
- Oversee the implementation of multiple projects across EA services within defined timescales and budget.
- Report to the DTS Programme Board and PMO on the progress of the DTS projects against agreed time and cost constraints.
- Act as key contact and work in partnership with the appointed contractor in terms of implementation and support issues throughout the project life cycle.
DTS Programme of Work
- Co‑ordinate the preparation of business cases for projects aligned to the DTS Programme of Work.
- Establish the documentation necessary, including technical specifications for the relevant full business case.
- Work with the business and DTS to update the full business cases throughout the assigned projects.
- Lead and co‑coordinate the procurement of multiple projects within the Programme.
- Oversee the implementation of multiple projects across EA services within defined timescales and budget.
- Report to the DTS Programme Board and PMO on the progress of the DTS projects against agreed time and cost constraints.
Project Management, including System Procurement, Implementation and Performance
- Project Planning, including test plans, cut‑over plans, and training plans.
- Ensure all project milestones are properly identified for all phases of the project and that they are met through effective management of and communication with the project/implementation team.
- Adhere to the system of monitoring and reporting against project objectives and timescales.
- Manage the projects with defined environment including:
- Detail planning.
- Monitoring of costs.
- Quality assurance.
- Prepare project documentation for the DTS Programme Board, attend as necessary and facilitate Project Board Meetings.
Staff Management, Including Resource Requirements, Planning and Monitoring Progress
- Define detailed activities and project team accountabilities.
- Define project resource requirements to meet the projects’ objectives and ensure they are provided when required.
- Provide guidance and direction to members of the project team.
- Allocate work packages to the project team.
Management of Key Relationships to Ensure Effective Interaction between Various Partners
- Liaise with appointed contractors as required and monitor the contractor’s performance against contracts and agreed timelines.
- Liaise with relevant officers within EA, DE, contractor, etc. in relation to the successful development and implementation of the systems within the DTS Programme of work.
- Ensure appropriate interface arrangements, where necessary, are designed between the new system and legacy systems.
- Undertake any other duties which from time to time may be required by the DTS Programme Board.
Risk Management
- Identify and manage risks that may arise within their area of responsibility and develop controls to mitigate them, ensuring any risks or issues are escalated appropriately before they develop into an issue.
- Report to DTS Programme Board on risks and management thereof.
This job description may be reviewed in light of changing circumstances and is not intended to be rigid and inflexible; it provides guidelines within which the individual works. Other duties of a similar nature and appropriate to the grade may be assigned from time to time.
In accordance with Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act (1998), the post‑holder is expected to promote good relations, equality of opportunity and pay due regard for equality legislation at all times.
Disclosure of Criminal Background
The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups (Northern Ireland) Order 2007 defines working directly with children or young people or in specified places as ‘regulated activity’. In the event that you are recommended for appointment to a post that involves ‘regulated activity’, the Education Authority will be required to undertake an Enhanced Disclosure of Criminal Background. The applicant will be expected to meet the cost of an Enhanced Disclosure Certificate; details of how to make payment will be sent at the pre‑employment stage.
The Education Authority is an Equal Opportunities Employer.
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