Project and Change Manager

About the job

Key information

• This role requires offers flexible working arrangements, including hybrid working.
• 30 days’ annual leave (in addition to bank holidays).
• Professional development opportunities.
• A chance to be part of a forward-thinking team committed to improving lives.
• A 1-year Fixed Term Contract. 37 Hours a week.

What will I be doing?

As a Project and Change Manager, you’ll play a key role in our Inspiring Innovation Programme, supporting change across children and families. We are looking for experienced Project and Change Managers who can lead projects that redefine how services work, improve outcomes for children and families and make a lasting impact.

This is not just about delivering projects; it’s about shaping the future of children’s services. You’ll help turn bold ideas into practical solutions, working at the hear of an ambitious programme that champions innovation and collaboration.

We’re working to improve the lives of children here in Somerset – and you’ll take ownership of projects that matter, including:

• Home and Horizons – our award-winning wraparound service for children who are looked after; providing safe homes, specialist foster homes, and therapeutic education.
• Family Hubs – delivering a new government directive to create integrated support for families, starting with a 0-5 offer and expanding to all ages.
• Fostering and Kinship -building a resilient local fostering and kinship network, supporting carers to stay in the role and attracting new families so more children can grow up in stable, loving homes within their community.

You will deliver:

• End-to-end project management for one of our transformation initiatives.
• Development of service models that improve visibility and support for children and families.
• Effective risk management, benefits tracking and performance reporting to ensure successful outcomes.
• Contribution to Somerset’s ambition for children and families through innovation and collaboration.

Join our inspiring innovation programme – Help to drive change across children’s services.

What kind of experience or qualifications do I need?

We offer ongoing support, training and guidance to help you be the best you can be. But it will really help if you:

• Have experience translating strategic objectives into clear, deliverable plans with robust governance.
• Can build collaborative relationships across multi-agency teams.
• Can manage budgets, risks, tracking benefits, and report on performance.
• Can use data and evidence to inform decisions and drive improvement.
• Are a confident communicator and persuasive to influence and engage diverse audiences.
• Are adaptable to changing priorities and work flexible in a fast-paced environment.
• Have strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Experience of managing capital programmes and budgets – we have a number of roles available, one which will require this experience.

We’re proud to be here for the people of Somerset. And that means everyone in Somerset. An important part of this is ensuring that we are as diverse and inclusive as the people and communities we serve.

We welcome applications from a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences to enrich our team. You can always contact the hiring manager for a chat if there’s anything you want to talk about before you apply.

What is in it for me?

We are proud to offer an environment that is supportive and rewarding, working as part of a team who are passionate about the work they do to improve the lives of people in Somerset.

We offer great training and development opportunities, with supportive management. As well as this, we have some fantastic employee benefits available:

• We promote a healthy work-life balance and offer flexible working arrangements wherever possible, including working from home.
• Generous annual leave allowance, with the opportunity to purchase additional leave
• Staff discounts in gyms.
• Employee Assistance for the times you may need some support and a variety of employee wellbeing services.
• Auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme and optional pension enhancement through our Additional Voluntary Contribution scheme.
• A Flexible Benefits Scheme via salary sacrifice to obtain a cycle for work and health screenings.
• My Staff Shop offering discounts in shops, online shopping, restaurants, cinema tickets, insurance benefits and more…

Supporting documents and information

When completing your application/CV please provide your full employment history and ensure that any gaps in employment are explained. Please start with your current or most recent employment.

For an informal chat about the role, you can contact Caroline Barnes, Children’s Services – Programme & Projects Lead at caroline.barnes@somerset.gov.uk

The salary for the role is Grade 9, ranging from £41,771 to £46, 142 per annum.

If you have all the information you need, just hit the apply button – we can’t wait to hear from you.

Apply on the Somerset Council website

Apply now