We have a fantastic opportunity for a Capital Project Manager to join our central Estates and Projects Team as part of the Harris Federation head office in East Croydon. This is an exciting opportunity to join a growing and progressive Multi Academy Trust in a role which has a sense of purpose and the chance to make an impact across the Federation, and to make a difference to the young people of London.

The Harris Federation is a highly successful not for profit education charity with 51 schools across London, educating some 40,000 young people. Over the past thirty years, we have implemented ideas and initiatives that have transformed the opportunities of pupils from working class and disadvantaged backgrounds. We are looking for a forward thinking project manager who has a genuine interest to work in Education and a desire to help our academies.

The Capital Project Manager will be responsible for delivering the capital developments across the estate, including a focus on new schools, sustainability projects and efficiency standards. As Project Manager, you will be responsible for the planning, implementation, procurement, and delivery of a high-quality services across the whole estate.

About Us

The Harris Federation mission is to transform education in London so that every student in a Harris Academy receives an outstanding education. Closing the gap between children from disadvantaged backgrounds and their peers has always been a core mission. 

The founder, Chairman and sponsor of the Harris Federation, Lord Harris of Peckham, opened our first school in 1990. We now have 51 primary and secondary academies across London and Essex, employing over 5,000 staff and educating some 40,000 young people. 

We are widely recognised as a force for social mobility and we are immensely proud of the role that our alumni are now beginning to play in the world and of what we believe our current generation of pupils will go on to achieve. As a large, successful group of academies, we have the size and scope to be far more than the sum of our parts. 

Main Areas of Responsibility

Reporting to the Head of Estates and Projects, the Harris Federation is now looking to appoint a dynamic, enthusiastic, and forward-thinking Capital Project Manager to oversee the management and development of the school estate, work with the estates team and focus on the delivery of the three-year strategic priorities to ensure that the service to schools is exceptional.

This is a fantastic opportunity to join a well recognised and high performing Multi Academy Trust and the chance to work within a highly collaborative environment where you will:

Project Management

• Project Manage the priority, delivery, and budgets of the School Condition Allocation (SCA) projects from inception to end of defects.
• Project Manage the successful opening and delivery of free school projects, working with the DfE, design teams and local authorities.
• Project Manage and support the management of the condition and maintenance of the school estate. Supporting the asset management processes.
• Project Manage the capital elements of academy conversion projects.
• Planning, implementation, procurement, and delivery of a high-quality service in relation to all estate and projects work.
• Manage and monitor external technical advisors.
• Manage H&S through the lifecycle of all projects.
• Management third party suppliers and consultants employed directly by Harris Federation.
• Manage the consultations, admissions, branding, marketing, FF&E and uniform of all new schools.

Compliance

• Provide professional services to the individual schools and ensure that the Federation complies with relevant property legislation, regulations and guidance.
• Assist with the development of all policies and procedures concerning the Harris Federation estate.
• Assist with the framework for all estates related statutory elements including overseeing the implementation and reporting of all audits.

Capital Planning

• Contribute to the prioritisation and allocation of capital funds in line with the Federation’s objectives.
• Oversee capital projects across the Federation.

Sustainability

• Assist in the development of a carbon reduction strategy across the Federation.

Reporting

• Project Manage and support the delivery of all key building programmes throughout the Federation, reporting to the Head of Estates and Projects.
• Project Manage the delivery of SCA projects and the successful opening and delivery of free school projects, working with the DfE, design teams and local authorities.
• Contribute to monthly reports on the performance of projects to the Commercial and Compliance Director.

Qualifications & Experience

We are looking for a highly motivated individual who has experience of managing projects and working with either Education, Charities, Third Sector, Not for Profit or wider Public Sector organisations. The successful post holder will need to be professional and have the personal skills to champion and drive high quality project management support.

We are interested to hear from individuals with:

Essential

• Degree or equivalent experience in a project management environment Evidence of continued professional development
• Project management experience within Education, Not for Profit or Public Sector industries/organisations
• Able to interpret and present complex information to inform robust recommendations for evidence-based practice and decision-making
• Proven and well-developed interpersonal skills, including excellent communication both written and verbal
• Experience of coordinating projects in complex and challenging environments Demonstrable successful delivery of project outputs to required time, quality and cost
• Good administrative, finance and organisational skills
• Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office 365 applications including strong Excel skills
• Ability to work independently and flexibly with own initiative on various ongoing projects
• Professional working ethic and a commitment to high standards
• Ability to ensure that confidentiality is always maintained
• Ability to upskill oneself with new areas of expertise
• Experience of managing a team and developing good working relationships

Desirable

• Postgraduate project management qualification, or equivalent experience, or relevant professional qualification
• Knowledge and/or experience of working within a Multi Academy Trust
• Strong presentation skills to aid in knowledge transfer and to help represent the Harris Federation with both internal and external stakeholders

Next Steps

If you have any questions about the post, or would like to speak with the Head of Estates and Projects, please contact us via e-mail.

Before applying, please download the Job Pack for full details on the job responsibilities and person specification. You will need this when completing your application.

Please note: we may hold interviews as and when applications are received and we reserve the right to offer to a candidate prior to the closing date. We only accept applications submitted online via our careers website and which are completed before the closing deadline. With this in mind, we encourage you to apply as soon as possible and advise you check the job information as per the listing on our careers site.

Rewards & Benefits

Our people are at the heart of our success. We have developed a strong culture of collaboration and best practice, with professional development and career planning at its centre. We invest in our staff with support, coaching, mentoring, and a wide range of top-quality training programmes delivered at every level to senior leadership.

We look for talented individuals who share our vision for creating exceptional places of learning, and are committed to ensuring that every child in London has access to the best possible education.

In addition to the opportunities for career progression, training and development, we also offer a competitive rewards and benefits package which includes our Harris Allowance, a Performance and Loyalty Bonus, Pension Scheme, a Wellbeing Cash Plan and many other benefits. Our head office staff also benefit from flexible working on a core hours basis, offering the opportunity to choose the working hours that suit you.

Safeguarding Notice

The Harris Federation and all our academies are committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, and we expect all our staff and volunteers to share in this commitment. All offers of employment are subject to an Enhanced DBS check, references, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check will be completed for all applicants. Before applying, please review our Policy Statement on the Recruitment of Ex-Offenders.

Equal Opportunities

The Harris Federation is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified candidates.

As a provider of employment and education, we value the diversity of our staff and students, and all our staff are equally valued and respected. We are committed to providing a fair, equitable and mutually supportive learning and working environment for our students and staff.