Portfolio Delivery Partner

This role sits within the Major Projects Portfolio (MPP) as part of the Project Delivery Division (PDD). The team operates as a central project delivery and change management function with strategic oversight of Department for Business, Science, Innovation and Trade (BIST) major projects and project delivery best practice.

This is an exciting time to join the Major Projects Portfolio office, which supports an expanding portfolio of projects and programmes delivering on ministerial priorities, following the department settlement in the Spending Review. The Major Projects Portfolio office plays a vital role in enabling strategic alignment, improving delivery confidence and supporting senior decision-makers with high-quality insights and assurance.

The team also support the projects as Portfolio Delivery Partners (PDP), where we serve as subject matter experts, critical friends, and providing support to help projects to deliver their agreed benefits. We ensure projects are set up for success and help to remove blockers, broker, support and challenge.

As a PDP you will work across multiple projects and programmes, helping to embed delivery discipline, improve reporting and governance and support project teams in achieving their objectives.

We are looking for a G7 Project Delivery expert. More information about what is required for competency in a G7 Project Delivery role can be found in the Government’s Project Delivery Capability Framework.

Key responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Providing expertise to projects, advising and guiding them through the project delivery life cycle and towards successful project completion.
• Challenging project delivery performance, advising on solutions and ensuring major risks are identified at Group/Departmental level.
• Facilitating solutions to aid project delivery, such as planning, risk, problem-solving and lessons learned sessions and workshops.
• Working with the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA) to ensure oversight and appropriate treatment for those projects that are classed as part of the Governments Major Projects Portfolio, including pipeline projects.
• Managing senior level stakeholders and working strategically to identify solutions to complex problems.
• Working across the division to advise, assist and consult, as appropriate, to ensure the business cases and management (delivery) strategies of the Major projects and programmes are robust and set up for success.
• Working alongside other project delivery business partners in ensuring group dependencies are identified and tracked.
• Working to an agreed vision and standard for project delivery, and to champion the use of best practice project planning standards, tools, and processes.
• Building and maintaining external networks to access and further develop technical and professional best practice.
• Working with the other teams within PDD to ensure the best advice and guidance to assist the major projects programmes with delivery, can be achieved.

A Project Delivery qualification at Practitioner level will be expected for this role.

Examples of suitable qualifications are, but not limited to:

• Managing Successful Programmes Practitioner
• Management of Risk Practitioner
• Managing Portfolios Practitioner
• Agile Project Management Practitioner
• APM Project Management Qualification
• APM Chartered Project Professional
• Project Leadership Programme
• PMI Project Management Professional
• Managing Projects and Leading Workstreams

Evidence to support qualifications will be required prior to interview.

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths, Experience and Technical skills.

Interviews for this vacancy will be conducted virtually. We will, however, consider in-person interviews by exception.

Please ensure that you check your emails regularly as all updates from us will be sent to you this way.

To apply for this post, you will be asked to complete the following as part of the online application:

• A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Provide employment history that relates to the essential criteria and ensure that any gaps in employment history within the last 2 years are explained. The CV should not exceed more than 2 x A4 pages.
• A Personal Statement of up to 750 words, explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role in reference to the essential criteria.

It is likely that the sift will take place 1-2 weeks after the closing date and interviews 3-5 weeks after the closing date, though this is subject to change.

Your application will be sifted against the Experience criteria of the Civil Service Success Profiles.

In the event of a large number of applicants, an initial short sift will be conducted on the CV. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

Candidates who pass the sift will be invited to interview, where we will assess you on the Success Profiles elements of Behaviours, Technical and Strengths.

As part of your interview, you will be asked to deliver a short oral presentation to assess Technical skills, details will be provided 5 days prior to your interview.

Please note, following a recent change to the Machinery of Government, the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) will be renamed to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (BIST) as of 20th July 2026. BIST will connect the UK’s world-class science and technology base directly to the businesses, places and workers that will drive good growth across the country. Such changes will not affect the selection process for this campaign; however, we wanted to take this opportunity to advise you of the recent changes to our department.

You can find further information here regarding recent governmental changes Machinery of Government changes: Fact Sheet - GOV.UK.

Reasonable Adjustments

We are committed to supporting candidates so they can perform at their best throughout the recruitment process. This includes making reasonable adjustments to our process. In order to request an adjustment:

Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section on the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process.

Alternatively contact the Government Recruitment Service at DBTrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

Please see attached Candidate Pack for further information on: Diversity and Inclusion; Benefits; Learning and Development; Working Patterns and what we deliver as a department.

Further Information:

• A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made. Reserve Lists will be for each location and appointments made in merit order based on location preferences.
• Any move to the Department for Business and Trade from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments.
• The Department will not consider sponsoring a visa or issuing a Certificate of Sponsorship. We are unable to offer advice on any Visa and Immigration cases.
• New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.
• Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty. Any applicant who has details held on the IFD will be refused employment.
• A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.
• Terms and Conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.
• Please note – the successful candidate will be expected to remain in post for a minimum of 18 months before being released for another role.
• Candidates that do not quite meet the standard for this role may be offered a position at a lower grade.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service /Disclosure Scotland/Access NI on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk

For further information on the Access NI confidential checking service telephone: the Access NI Helpline on 0300 200 7888 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email accessni@ani.x.gsi.gov.uk

Vetting

The requirement for SC clearance is to have been present in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5 years. Failure to meet the residency requirements will result in your security clearance application being rejected.

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the Demystifying Vetting website.

Feedback

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.