Senior Project Manager

Grade: PO6  Salary: £54,267-£57,402 Full time - Permanent Closing Date: 22/10/2026 Directorate: Children’s Services Organisation : London Borough of Waltham Forest Salary: PO6 £54,267-£57,402 Contract Type: Full time, permanent Working hours per week: 36 Application Deadline: 22/10/2026 Proposed Interview Date(s): TBC Reference: 2243 About Us: Bursting with culture, energy, and opportunity, the London Borough of Waltham Forest is a fantastic and exciting place to work. We are a highly ambitious borough. Driven by culture and the innate creativity of our residents, we have developed new and innovative ways to build our communities. Our Council is relentlessly resident-focused, insight-led, digitally driven and commercially minded; a Council focused on meeting the needs of our existing and future residents. London Borough of Waltham Forest is one of the Mayor of London’s Good Work Standard employers. This accreditation is a proof of our commitment to creating a healthy, fair and inclusive workplace. This includes fair pay and conditions, workplace well-being, skills and progression and diversity and recruitment. About the role: We are seeking a highly motivated individual with project management experience through working in SEND. This is an exciting opportunity to lead the delivery of Waltham Forest’s SEND Reform Plan for the next 3 years. This role will be pivotal in transforming council services, embedding strong partnership working across the council, health services and education settings and improving outcomes for children and young people. In this role, you will lead complex projects to deliver on national reforms and improve inclusion, which will include implementing and delivering a neighbourhood-based Experts at Hand model. You will ensure projects are co-designed with parents / carers, children and young people and professionals across the SEND system and provide strategic project leadership to ensure successful programme delivery. >> Click here to download the Role Profile << Key Responsibilities: Drive the implementation of the Experts at Hand (EAH) Delivery Model. Formulate and manage project plans, milestones, risks, dependencies, and reporting systems. Ensure robust programme governance and reporting structures are established. Cultivate and sustain strong relationships with schools, educational settings, parents / carers, NHS partners, and other SEND stakeholders. Coordinate programme communications, engagement activities, evaluation, and performance reporting. Track project progress and identify opportunities for enhancement and service development. Collaborate with and report back to the SEND Reform Programme Board and other governance structures. Where necessary, handle procurement, commissioning, contract management and recruitment tasks to ensure timely programme delivery. Essential requirements: Demonstrated project management experience within complex public sector programmes. Relevant Project Management qualification or equivalent experience. Strong skills in delivering co-production, co-design and stakeholder engagement. Experience in partnership collaboration and working across multi-agency environments, including education, health, and local government partners. Proven experience in delivering SEND Improvement or SEND Reform projects. Proficiency in managing programme governance, reporting, risks, and delivery plans. Excellent communication, facilitation, and influencing abilities. Capability to manage multiple priorities and deliver results within tight deadlines Desirable requirements: Experience working with Local Authority SEND Services. Knowledge of current SEND legislation, reforms, and improvement programmes. Understanding of partnership-based programme delivery models. Proven experience in delivering co-production with parents / carers and children and young people. Qualifications and Requirements: You will bring: Experience of leading complex projects in a large, fast‑paced organisation. Str