The Housing and Land directorate is responsible for the Mayor’s plans to deliver new and improved homes and strong communities.  Working closely with boroughs and partners, we manage the Mayor’s housing investment programmes and land and property assets to support the building of affordable homes, job creation and regeneration.

About the team

The Operational Policy and Performance Team is part of the Investment and Operations Unit in the Housing and Land directorate, led by Dan Maton as Assistant Director Investment and Operations.

Operational Policy and Performance works across the full breadth of Housing and Land’s work. It is a truly collaborative, multi-disciplinary team working with our delivery teams, programmes teams and policy team to support and enable everyone in the directorate to deliver effectively, consistently and within our GLA governance procedures.

The performance element of the team where this role sits, consists of a Senior Programme Co-ordinator, Portfolio and Governance Manager and a Programme and Performance Manager (this role).

About the role

The role of Programme and Performance Manager will involve working with our delivery teams, programmes teams and policy team to support and enable everyone in the directorate to deliver effectively, consistently, and within GLA governance procedures. We are looking for someone with the ability to work across multiple programmes and portfolios, leading and co-ordinating the delivery of effective communications and programme management. The role requires a can-do attitude providing leadership across a range of functions in the directorate. This role involves working with multiple stakeholders both within Housing and Land, and across the wider GLA.

Key Areas of Responsibility include:

• Undertake key programme management activities on behalf of the directorate, ensuring appropriate governance procedures are implemented to support effective programme delivery and decision making.
• Drive a culture of best practice and continuous improvement, ensuring robust programme management processes are implemented, and reviewing and evaluating as appropriate.
• Provide guidance and support to colleagues and delivery teams across the directorate in relation to governance, programme, and performance management.
• Lead on the co-ordination and implementation of the decisions pipeline and processes on behalf of Housing and Land.
• Provide programme management support to the directorate’s EDI programme, working with colleagues to monitor progress against actions and KPIs.
• Lead on the management and oversight of a range directorate-wide initiatives.
• Support the monitoring of programme and portfolio-level risks and issues, ensuring robust risk management approaches are in place.
• Support with directorate management and monitoring of expenditure against programme and project budgets.
• Co-ordinate and analyse large volumes of programme data, using tools such as MS Excel, Power BI and Asana as required.

No two days are the same, but will likely include:

• Co-ordinating information and analysis to enable effective programme management on multiple programmes and portfolios.
• Driving effective programme and performance management across the directorate by enabling effective collaboration and integration across multiple teams and units.

• Driving delivery and providing assurance to increase performance by tracking programme progress against targets, budgets, milestones, and KPIs.

• Providing ad-hoc support to project leads and other stakeholders with regards to programme and performance related queries.
• Tracking financial performance against budgets.
• Ongoing implementation and running of directorate wide initiatives and processes including governance and decision-making processes.

Staff at the GLA are working in our offices 2-3 days per week. A good balance of time spent working remotely, in the office together with colleagues and with partners across London is an important aspect of the role. We promote flexible approaches to working and try to ensure an inclusive and supportive environment that enables our staff to be successful. This may include reasonable adjustments or other flexibilities around working hours and locations.

Skills, knowledge and experience

To be considered for the role you must meet the following essential criteria:

• Experience of working with large investment programmes or similar, with evidence of using strategic and analytical skills to support project, programme and portfolio delivery, including using performance management frameworks to implement and monitor successful delivery.
• Proficient in the use of IT systems including advanced experience of using tools such as MS Excel, Power BI, Asana or other equivalent data analysis and project management tools.
• Thorough knowledge of project, programme and portfolio management techniques, including financial analysis, risk management and evaluation.
• Problem Solving (GLA behavioural competency level 3)
• Communicating and Influencing (GLA behavioural competency level 2)
• Research and Analysis (GLA behavioural competency level 2)

Behavioural competencies

Problem Solving 

… is analysing and interpreting situations from a variety of viewpoints and finding creative, workable and timely solutions.

Why is it important?

The GLA has a strong reputation as a hub for London-related research. Quality information and insight will help us develop and substantiate robust policy and decisions, which will lead to tangible benefits for Londoners.

Level 3 indicators of effective performance

• Clarifies ambiguous problems, questioning assumptions to reach a fuller understanding

• Actively challenges the status quo to find new ways of doing things, looking for good practice

• Seeks and incorporates diverse perspectives to help produce workable strategies to address complex issues

• Initiates consultation on opportunities to improve work processes
• Supports the organisation to implement innovative suggestions

Research and Analysis  

… is gathering intelligence (information, opinion and data) from varied sources, making sense of it, testing its validity and drawing conclusions that can lead to practical benefits.

Why is it important?

The GLA has a strong reputation as a hub for London-related research. Quality information and insight will help us develop and substantiate robust policy and decisions, which will lead to tangible benefits for Londoners.

Level 2 indicators of effective performance

• Proactively seeks new information sources to progress research agendas and address gaps in knowledge

• Grasps limitations of or assumptions behind data sources, disregarding those that lack quality

• Analyses and integrates qualitative and quantitative data to find new insights

• Translates research outcomes into concise, meaningful reports

• Identifies relevant and practical research questions for the future

Planning and Organising 

… is thinking ahead, managing time, priorities and risk, and developing structured and efficient approaches to deliver work on time and to a high standard.

Why is it important?

Success is measured by results. We will be judged by our ability to turn ideas and opportunities into concrete actions, working in partnership with others to deliver clear outcomes for Londoners in priority areas.

Level 3 indicators of effective performance

• Monitors allocation of resources, anticipating changing requirements that may impact work delivery

• Ensures evaluation processes are in place to measure project benefits

• Gains buy-in and commitment to project delivery from diverse stakeholders

• Implements quality measures to ensure directorate output is of a high standard

• Translates political vision into action plans and deliverables

Communicating and Influencing 

… is presenting information and arguments clearly and convincingly so that others see us as credible and articulate, and engage with us.

Why is it important?

So that we can effectively engage our diverse audience – colleagues, external partners and Londoners – and ensure they understand, respond to what we do and help us to deliver.

Level 2 indicators of effective performance

• Communicates openly and inclusively with internal and external stakeholders

• Clearly articulates the key points of an argument, in both verbal and written communication

• Persuades others, using evidence-based knowledge, modifying approach to deliver message effectively

• Challenges the views of others in an open and constructive way

• Presents a credible and positive image both internally and externally