Senior Project Manager

Job description

VIY Senior Project Manager

Job specification

About Volunteer It Yourself (VIY)

VIY combines volunteering and DIY by challenging young people aged 14-24 to learn trade and building skills, on the job, by helping to refurbish and transform youth and community facilities in need of essential improvements (e.g. youth clubs, community centres, sports clubs, and arts, music and cultural venues).

The majority of young people who take part and benefit are disengaged or excluded from mainstream education and training, at risk of disengagement, and/or unemployed.

VIY participants are mentored by professional tradespeople and gain vocational skills accreditations as well as access to further training, work placement and apprenticeship opportunities with local providers and employers beyond the project.

VIY launched in 2011 and, to date, over 600 youth and community buildings across England and Wales have been repaired/refurbished, involving 12,000 young people and 1,100 trade skills mentors, with 4,500 young people gaining a City & Guilds accreditation.

VIY is scaling rapidly, reaching and benefitting even more young people and communities with the support of our partners, including Travis Perkins, GLA, Sport England, Postcode Lottery, Youth Futures Foundation, multiple local authorities, and other grant funders and commissioners. As such, we are now looking for driven and ambitious Senior Project Managers to join the team at this exciting stage.

Job purpose

VIY has been funded through the Community Renewal Fund to deliver multiple local community projects in partnership with three local authorities. The Fund is designed to help pilot programmes and new approaches in local communities to invest in people and boost skills. Between now and July 2022, VIY will be helping over 1000 young people at risk of marginalisation, by supporting them to learn and apply vocational construction skills whilst breathing life back into buildings at the heart of communities in Nottingham/ Nottinghamshire and Norfolk.

To deliver this exciting programme, VIY is looking to recruit Project Managers to manage multiple projects between January 2022 and July 2022.

We are looking for people with a minimum of three years' experience in project management, who are excited about shaping an extraordinary offer for young people to help regenerate their communities and shape their futures. The right candidate will be an organised and passionate person with a proactive, hands-on attitude and the ability to cultivate relationships, motivate and influence people, spot opportunities and solve problems.

VIY is fast moving and challenging and this role will require energy, determination and flexibility.

The role

Accountable to: VIY Programme Director

Location: VIY is looking for Senior Project Managers who are based in Nottinghamshire and Norfolk, or who are willing to regularly travel to/across the county.

Duties

The Senior Project Manager (SPM) will be responsible for on the ground project delivery of a number of sites. In addition, the SPM will manage a team of Project Managers, providing operational support and acting as the point of contact for the escalation of any issues.

Project Management

Lead on the set-up and delivery of individual VIY projects on-the-ground, including the engagement of clubs, the management of trade skills mentors, project logistics and the overall building and youth outcomes of the project

Liaise with relevant VIY partners, such as Local Authorities and National Governing Bodies to help identify potential projects

Work with the Youth Engagement team to ensure appropriate identification, support and progressions of young people onto the projects and beyond

Scope project works with support from VIY's Lead Mentor team, Project Management team and Construction Manager and develop appropriate budgets

Engage with key partners such as Travis Perkins, Dulux and Toolstation to source materials and tools for the project

Work with VIY's Lead Mentor team, Project Management team and health and safety support to ensure a high standard of safety is maintained across these projects

Track and report on delivery-focused outcomes/milestones (e.g. no. of projects, no. of young people and trade skills mentors taking part, no. of accreditations and progressions achieved)

Day-to-day communication with Lead Mentors

Support implementation of monitoring and evaluation plans, including the use of our Salesforce CRM

Liaise with Communications Manager to identify positive comms opportunities relating to young people/ volunteers/ mentors

Regularly travel to project sites as part of the process of scoping and managing the project throughout its duration

Leadership/ line-management

Manage and provide operational support to Project Managers

Maintain close communication with Project Managers to ensure clear understanding of the progress and status of every project

Work closely with the Programme Director, to ensure the portfolio of projects are collectively on track to deliver the Programmes KPIs

Manage the escalation of any issues e.g health and safety, budget, resources, materials etc

Oversee and manage the project budgets

Support with the identification of potential projects

Full job description is attached to this advert.