Animal and Plant Health Agency
Senior Project Support Officer
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Exciting Opportunity for 2 Senior Project Support Officers
Do you have the leadership skills to guide project support teams and drive consistent, high-quality delivery across complex portfolios? Are you motivated by influencing senior decision-making, coordinating multi-project delivery, and embedding best practice to strengthen programme outcomes?
If so, we would love to hear from you!
About APHA
Animal and Plant Health Agency is a brilliant place to work where our people feel valued, can express themselves authentically, and contribute to meaningful impact.
We are committed to being an inclusive employer, offering equitable opportunities for all individuals. We seek to build a diverse workforce by attractiong applications from all backgrounds, particularly underrepresented groups.
We actively support flexible working, including full-time, job share, and part-time options to accommodate individual needs.
Job Description
We are opening 2 Senior Project Support Officer positions within two critical teams:
- 1 Permanent role in the Central Portfolio Management Office (CPMO)
- 1 Fixed-term (18-month) role in the Borders and Trade Programme, which could also suit secondment.
The Role
You will play a pivotal role in leading and coordinating project and programme support activities as a key liaison for governance, reporting, and assurance. As a line manager, you will guide and develop Project Support Officers, ensuring high-quality, consistent delivery across all initiatives. Leveraging your expertise in standards, tools, and governance, you will support strategic objectives and take ownership of managing upwards—delivering clear, well-structured advice to senior leaders to strengthen decision-making, escalate concerns promptly, and drive best practice embedding.
Central Portfolio Management Office (CPMO) – Permanent Role
The CPMO acts as an independent, supportive entity, providing comprehensive guidance on standards, governance, reporting, and assurance for programme delivery. This portfolio includes:
- Borders and Trade (B&T) Programme
- Priority Policy (PP)
- Digital & Operational Services (DOS) Programme
- Delivering Sustainable Futures (DSF) Programme
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As a Senior Project Support Officer in CPMO, you will:
- Lead and deliver PMO standards and team performance across the PP, DOS, and DSF portfolios.
- Support Applied Public Health (APHA’s Sustainable Futures Strategy) and other organisational initiatives as they unfold.
Borders and Trade Programme – Fixed-Term (18 Months)
This role operates under the guidance of the Senior PMO Lead, preparing APHA for changes arising from UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement negotiations. Key responsibilities include:
- Facilitating processes and system adjustments for biosecurity, food safety, and safe trade and plant movement.
- Ensuring resilient delivery through complex operational changes.
Key Responsibilities
1. Leadership & Management
- Provide clear leadership for the PMO community, ensuring alignment on priorities and job expectations.
- Model professional behaviours, drive high-quality standards, and support teams through agile performance in complex environments.
- Lead capability development through coaching and mentoring during organisational change.
- Manage upwards effectively, delivering clear adivsc and escalating risks/issues to support confident decision-making.
2. Governance & Reporting
- Lead governance and reporting activities, aligning with APHA and wider government standards.
- Apply PMO processes, templates, and best practice to deliver consistent, high-quality results across programmes.
- Produce timely, clear reports/dashboards to inform senior leaders effectively.
3. Planning & Scheduling
- Collaborate across multiple projects to ensure coordinated delivery planning.
- Maintain milestones, dependencies, and constraints via reliable schedule updates.
- Support forward planning and capacity prioritization to optimise resource utilisation.
4. Stakeholder Engagement
- Serve as the central contact for programme-project-governance communication.
- Build strong, trustworthy stakeholder relationships across APHA teams.
- Resolve issues/dependencies promptly while offering transparent progress updates and tailored advice.
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5. Continuous Improvement
- Champion best practice with continuous learning from past experiences.
- Drive improvements in processes, tools, and reporting approaches.
- Enable PMO development and support digital solution application for enhanced clarity and efficiency.
6. Financial & Resource Management
- Monitor resource allocation/usage for organisational and project support priorities.
- Assist in capacity workforce planning and prioritisation across the portfolio.
7. Risk, Issue & Dependency Management
- Manage consolidated risks/dependencies with clear ownership and mitigation plans.
- Escalate concerns urgently with apoiative impact analysis/recommended solutions.
Person Specification
We seek candidates who can demonstrate:
- Proven experience in project, programme, or portfolio environments—ideally with PMO focus in governance/reporting/assurance.
- Senior team leadership in setting objectives, performance reviews, and capability development.
- Strong organisational planning and change management capabilities, with an agile approach to competeing priorities.
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, capable of influencing stakeholders at all levels with clarity.
- Comprehensive PMO function knowledge, with capability to embed standards across projects/programmes.
Required Qualifications
A recognised qualification in:
- APM Programme/ Project Foundation, PRINCE2, MSP, MoP, OR relevant equivalent experience.
Benefits
Competitive salary of £42,665 + employer contribution of £12,362 to the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension Scheme.
Additional benefits include: ✔ Up to 30 days annual leave (long-term increase by 1 day annually). ✔ Extensive Learning & Development opportunities linked to your role. ✔ Discounted access to retail, travel, and lifestyle offers. ✔ Bonuses, salary-sacrifice options, and an employee discount scheme.
Flexible working options are a priority to meet varied personal circumstances.
Apply or learn more: Senior Project Support Officer Civil Service Jobs – GOV.UK.
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