Project Support Officer Level 2

Job Introduction

We’re looking for an exceptional Project Support Officer – Level 2, to help us make a difference to our planet.

As our Project Support Officer, the job may be suitable for hybrid working, which is where an employee works part of the week in the office and part of the week from home. This is a voluntary, non-contractual arrangement and the location advertised will be your contractual place of work.

Our opportunity is full time, 37 hours per week, but we would also consider applicants wishing to work a minimum of 30 hours per week and we will also try our best to consider those intending to work a job share.  Our people are at the heart of what we do and we'll do our best to agree a working pattern that works for everyone. 

World changing work

From science to technology, from meteorology to management, and from planning to communication, our expertise helps us stand out as the authority on weather accuracy and climate prediction. We help individuals, industries and government to make better decisions to stay safe and thrive. This is the Met Office. This is who we are.

• We’re a force for good - focusing on our environmental and social impact
• We’re experts by nature - always learning and developing to do things better
• We live and breathe it - putting our purpose at the heart of decision-making
• We’re better together - understanding partnerships and inclusivity make us greater
• We keep evolving - pushing boundaries to make tomorrow better for our customers

Your world of expertise

The role of the Project Support Officer covers a diverse range of activities to support the delivery of Met Office projects and programmes. The Project Support Officer will enable the smooth running of assigned projects by supporting the respective Project Manager and Programme Management teams through the operation of project management processes, and the co-ordination of project management actions and activities on their behalf. You may work across a number of different projects as part of your role.  

Your key duties

• Planning and scheduling – Implement and maintain appropriate systems to enable effective planning and scheduling. 
• Monitoring and reporting – Establish and maintain project controls, keeping the project manager aware of the project status. Prepare project performance reports, presenting statistics and researching new information. 
• Admin – Ensure organisational tasks are carried out efficiently. Manage and monitor compliance of the project with Departmental Security, Health and Safety, Equality and Diversity, Business Continuity and Business Planning.
• Resources – Lead a team responsible for identifying, developing and deploying resources. Manage workforce planning, providing information for effective decision making to the Project Manager. Procurement of supplies and services related to project support within Delegated Financial Authority limits. 
• Stakeholder – Manage professional relationships with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders, and act as lead point of contact for some external parties. Draft and sign-off correspondence. 
• Financial control – Monitor project spend and contribute to the compilation of budgets and the development of the business case. Ensures an accurate asset register is maintained. 
• Risks and issues – Manage potential risk areas, working with risk managers and escalating as appropriate.

Why join us

Our work is life-changing, often life-saving and always life-enhancing. The Met Office is accredited as a 'Great Place to Work UK 2023' and in addition has achieved a place on both the UK's 'Best Workplaces in Tech' and 'Best Workplaces for Women' lists. 

As our Project Support Officer – Level 2, your total reward package will be up to £46,974.00 annually, which includes: 

• £33,794.00 base pay 
• An outstanding Civil Service pension, with an average employer contribution of 27% 
• Annual Leave starting at 27.5 days (plus Bank Holidays) rising to 32.5 days (plus Bank Holidays) after 5 years and option to buy or sell up to 5 days per year of annual leave  

Essential Criteria, skills and experience:

1. Good understanding of project and programme management and evidence of supporting multiple projects / programmes, including planning, resources, finances, risks and benefits (Expert by Nature).
2. Excellent communication skills, with a proven track record of successful liaison with stakeholders (Better Together).
3. Experience of managing risks, issues and lessons learned as part of project / programme governance. 
4. Proven ability to prioritise a challenging workload with excellent organisational and administrative skills.
5. Experience of administering SharePoint or other file sharing platforms to ensure access is controlled in line with information management policies. 

Desirable Criteria:

We encourage you to apply if you believe you meet our essential criteria, but we’re also keen to discover if you have:

How to apply 

If you share our values, we’d love to hear from you! Click apply to begin your application. Please complete your career history and provide evidence against each of the essential criteria in the supporting statement questionnaire. We recommend candidates use the CARL method (Context, Action, Result and Learning) for presenting evidence of experience and skills. 

Closing date 16/09/2024 at 23:59 with first stage interviews commencing from 30/09/2024. You will hear from us once the closing date has passed. 

How we can help 

If you are considering applying and need support to do so, please contact us via careers@metoffice.gov.uk. You can request adjustments either within your application or by contacting us. Should you be offered an interview, please be aware there may be a selection exercise which could include a presentation, written test or a scenario-based activity. You can select in your application to be considered under the Disability Confident Scheme. To be invited to interview/assessment under this scheme, your application must meet the essential criteria for the role. 

We understand that great minds don’t always think alike and as an equal opportunities employer we welcome applications from those with all protected characteristics. We recruit on merit, fairness, and open competition in line with the Civil Service Code. 

We can only accept applications from those eligible to live and work in the UK - please refer to GOV.UK for information. We require Security clearance, for which you need to have resided in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5 years to be eligible. You will need to achieve full security clearance within your first 6 months with us.