Graduate Project Trainee

Graduate Project Trainee

Fixed Term, Full Time

£29,468 to £34,668 per annum

Location: Chelmsford

Working Style: Anywhere worker

Closing Date: 12th July

Please note this vacancy is available as a fixed term contract or secondment opportunity for up to 24 months

Start your career in project management while making a real difference. At Essex County Council, our projects don't just deliver change-they improve services and outcomes for over 1.8 million residents.

As a Graduate Project Trainee, you'll play an active role in delivering high impact programmes across one of the most ambitious transformation agendas in local government. From supporting digital innovation and service redesign to contributing to projects in social care, infrastructure, and resident experience, you'll gain hands on experience from the very start.

Through a structured two year programme, you'll rotate across the Transformation Team, working alongside experienced project professionals who will support your development. You'll get involved in real project delivery-helping to plan and coordinate activities, track progress, manage risks and issues, and support governance and reporting. You'll be contributing, learning, and building confidence every day.

Alongside your practical experience, you'll work towards a recognised project management qualification, with access to training, mentoring, and a strong professional community that's committed to helping you grow.

The Opportunity

As a Graduate Project Trainee, you will play a key role in supporting the delivery of programmes and projects while developing a strong understanding of project management within a local government environment.

Working alongside experienced project professionals, you will contribute to delivery by supporting planning and coordination activities, maintaining key documentation, and assisting with governance and reporting. You will help monitor progress, support the management of risks and issues, and ensure that project activities are delivered efficiently and to a high standard.

Accountabilities

• Responsible for maintaining appropriate systems to ensure effective planning and scheduling of projects.
• Assist in maintaining project controls and producing project reports to ensure adequate and regular monitoring of project progress.
• Work collaboratively with a broad and diverse group of internal and external stakeholders including senior management, including facilitating project meetings, workshops and reviews.
• Responsible for effectively monitoring specific project spend and providing information required to support business case sign off to ensure Project and Programme Managers are kept up to date on progress.
• Draft project governance documentation (e.g. business cases) for the Project or Programme Manager to approve.
• Responsible for taking the lead on highlighting potential areas for risk and escalating as appropriate to the Project/Programme Manager, recommending ways to mitigate such risks.
• Responsible for leading specific workstreams within projects to ensure delivery of agreed outcomes within time, cost and constraints. This will include design of workstream and delivery approach.
• Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework.

The Experience You Will Bring

• Educated to degree level in any discipline or equivalent qualification.
• Evidence of continuing professional development and expert knowledge in a relevant professional area, including membership of essential professional memberships (e.g. HCPC, CIPD).
• Working knowledge and understanding of Microsoft Office packages.
• Ability to communicate effectively with people at all levels.
• Ability to work cooperatively with others to successfully achieve tasks and deliver results.
• Willing to assist in developing solutions to tackle problems and achieve outcomes.
• Curious and inspired to work in an agile environment where you can learn and develop.
• Basic understanding of Project Management to enable effective contributions to proposals and decisions to be made.

Interview Process

Our interview process is designed to be engaging, fast paced, and give you the chance to really stand out.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to complete a one way video interview. This is your opportunity to showcase your experience, personality, and values. Following a thorough review of the one way interview, successful applicants will be invited to attend an in person assessment centre in Chelmsford, where you'll bring your skills to life and meet the team. From there, the top performers will be invited to a final MS Teams interview to explore your potential in more detail, with decisions made shortly afterwards.

Every stage is carefully reviewed, and only the strongest candidates will progress to the next stage - so bring your best and make each stage count!

EEO Statement

Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We're committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process. We're also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.