Salary: Grade - J, £44,790 to £49,827
Hours: 36 Hours, Full Time
Contract: 12 Months Fixed Term or a Secondment for Internal Employees
Location: The Royal Borough of Kingston and The London Borough of Sutton
The South London Partnership (SLP) is working with London Councils to deliver an exciting and innovative “Internet of Things” (IoT) project across the five South London Councils of Croydon, Kingston upon Thames, Merton, Richmond upon Thames and Sutton. The programme (also known as “The InnOvaTe Project”) will enable the boroughs to deliver a multi-purpose IoT platform which will connect various sensors in various projects across borough boundaries. This will use the latest IoT technologies to obtain new data insights using internet-connected sensors, with minimal human intervention to support and drive economic growth across the sub-region.
The project will bring together technology and places to create spaces that address challenges in our communities and opportunities to help people live better, healthier lives and live independently for longer.
The overall goal is to learn how IoT as a technology can support business retention and
sustainable economic growth but also understand how it may also deliver significant savings to borough budgets. Sutton has been tasked to ensure the programme as a whole delivers a sustainability plan and approach that can be used to drive IoT adoption within the boroughs as a result of the work to be undertaken over a 3.5 year period of learning and pilot study.
The project is focused on the testing of practical case studies that will enable informed decisions to drive new enterprising opportunities, attract interest and create appetite for people and businesses to come to work and live in South London. These case studies will cover a range of sectors, some examples of this include: transportation optimisation and parking; improvements to adult social care and health services through “connected care”; environmental sustainability and improved air quality; and supporting local economic growth, amongst others. Given recent events, this objective has been shifted to include economic recovery and Covid-19 responses.
About the roleWe are looking to bring in additional capacity to drive forward and assist with the delivery of the IoT programme within the Borough. It is envisaged that the successful candidate will be building on outline or established Use Cases (UC’s) and it will be their responsibility to progress forward the UC’s in association with internal and external partners to allow the trials to occur. In addition a key part of the role is to ensure accurate and timely reporting and this will need to be done in association with our evaluation partner Kingston University.
Examples of projects in the pipeline are:
Covid 19 Early Response sensor solution
Traffic Insights and Social Distancing
Gullies and Culvert monitoring
Fly Tipping notification
Building structure and safety of residents sensors
Air Quality monitoring
We are looking for experienced and talented Practitioner Leads with a solid understanding of IoT and who ideally have a Project Manager / Delivery Manager background. On a day to day basis you would be working on developing / documenting Use Cases. Preparing tender packs and ensuring all appropriate representation at meetings. The core responsibility will be to ensure the successful coordination and implementation of the selected IoT solution within the selected borough. A key element to this role will be the handling of communications both internally and externally across multiple service areas, borough representatives and suppliers.
The role is offered as a 12 month fixed term contract to ensure the successful delivery of the IoT projects in Sutton, and will involve working closely with the shared ICT service and colleagues throughout the council.
Your key responsibilities will be to:
Build and maintain teams ensuring they are motivated and thinking creatively in terms of the problems and opportunities that IoT may assist in solving
Liaise with all relevant partners be they internal, external including partner organisations e.g. other boroughs / GLA / SLP / LOTI and vendors
To become the IoT “champion” within your borough and feeding into the wider IoT Programme
Providing regular reporting for a variety of audiences, ensuring the content is relevant and informative
Identify and manage risks within the projects
Liaise with and coordinate the activities of end users, suppliers and the internal service delivery teams
Monitor project spend and forecast including reporting into the IoT Programme office to ensure any deviation / over or underspend is understood and controlled by the IoT Programme office
Plan and effect the transition into the live environment.
For this position, we invite applications from candidates with proven experience in stakeholder management, strong communication skills, IoT experience and solid project management experience. Experience of working within a local government environment is highly desirable.
About YouThe successful candidate will demonstrate the following key skills and experience:
Work successfully with all key stakeholders including residents, businesses, communities, partner organisations and other public services
The ability to communicate to a range of audiences at a high standard using a variety of different methods and styles
The ability to work proactively and cooperatively with colleagues, partners, internal and external stakeholders developing positive, open working relationships that inspire new ideas to solve problems and achieve Council goals
Some technical understanding of IoT solutions in order to develop, deliver and commission use cases / proof of concept projects
Experience of commissioning commercial services including market analysis, the development and implementation of alternative delivery models and contract management
Direct experience of leading and delivering projects, particularly using an agile implementation approach
The ability to manage and monitor the progress of projects, including undertaking financial reviews, through reporting, evaluation, providing detailed progress reports including evidence and analysis and presenting it in a creative and engaging format to the appropriate authorities including project leads, relevant Committees and project boards
The ability to ensure projects meet internal and client expectations with respect to quality, delivery timelines and strategy including being able to prioritise workloads and projects, and managing a mix of projects and balancing competing demands
Knowledge of approaches to delivering projects in local government and their practical application, including legal knowledge and experience
You will be assertive but personable in approach as Practitioner Lead, and be able to build productive relationships quickly to ensure that we are providing the best possible service to our users and adding value to the Programme and Borough.
Our benefits:Kingston Council has good access to central London and our offices are a short walk from the station based in the middle of the historic and vibrant high street next to the open spaces of the river Thames, offering a wide range of shops, restaurants and leisure facilities; all making for a desirable place to live and work.
The successful candidate will have access to a wide range of staff benefits, some of which include:
· 29 days annual leave - In addition you will receive 8 statutory bank holidays
· Local government pension scheme
· Interest free season loan ticket
· Cycle to work and Zip Car Scheme
· Discounts on a range of local shops, restaurants, gyms and leisure centres
· Comprehensive Learning and Development programme
· A forward thinking and networked organisation where employee’s views are valued
· Modern and flexible working environment allowing employees to benefit from agile working practices
We also offer a range of family friendly, inclusive employment policies, flexible working arrangements, staff engagement forums, and inclusive staff networks who help drive our diversity agenda.
ApplyBefore applying please refer to the
role profile and ensure you meet the essential criteria. You will then need to complete the online application through The Royal Borough of Kingston, adding a supporting statement addressing how you meet the criteria outlined on the
role profile. Some of our positions require CV only.
Due to the ongoing covid-19 pandemic, we will be conducting all interviews virtually through Google Meets. If you are successful after shortlisting, you will receive an invitation to interview to book a time slot then closer to the interview, you will receive an email with your Google Meet link from the manager.If you would like to find out more about this exciting opportunity, please contact David Grasty, Corporate Head of Digital Strategy & Portfolio on david.grasty@kingston.gov.uk or 07920 590953 to request an informal discussion.
Royal Borough of Kingston is now an accredited London Living Wage Employer
Our Living Wage commitment means that everyone working at the Royal Borough of Kingston, regardless of whether they are permanent employees or third-party contractors and suppliers receive the London Living Wage. The real Living Wage is higher than the government’s minimum, or National Living Wage, and is an independently calculated hourly rate of pay that is based on the actual cost of living.
It is our policy to ensure that all employees are recruited, trained and promoted on the basis of ability, the requirements of the job and similar, objective criteria. All employees are equally encouraged to take advantage of the opportunities for training and career development. It is also our policy to ensure that no employee or job applicant should receive more or less favourable treatment on the grounds of race, nationality, colour, ethnic or national origin, age, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, religion, or disability in any matters to do with employment.
Closing Date: 15th March 2021
Interview Date: 17th-19th March 2021
We reserve the right to close this vacancy once a sufficient number of applications has been received. Therefore, it is strongly advised that you complete and return your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.