CWCA: Performance & Delivery Officer

Job description

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Performance & Delivery Officer to join the Cheshire & Warrington Combined Authority's newly formed Finance function.

This is an excellent opportunity to play a key role in providing effective delivery oversight, performance monitoring and assurance support across Cheshire and Warrington Combined Authority programmes and funded activity, as part of devolution.

This role is currently hosted on behalf of the Combined Authority by Cheshire West & Chester Council.

This is an agile role, based in Warrington, with travel across the Cheshire & Warrington sub region.

The role will contribute to the Authority's arrangements for managing and investing public money and ensuring that programmes operate in accordance with the Local Assurance Frameworkand relevant funding requirements. This will include oversight of grants and investments made through the Mayoral Investment Fund. It will also ensure that timely returns are made to central government and other funders as appropriate.

Key responsibilities

1. Funding and financial monitoring

• Monitor funding allocations, commitments, expenditure and forecast outturn across relevant programmes and projects.
• Maintain accurate records of funding allocations and programme spend.
• Work with finance colleagues and programme leads to identify variances, underspends, overspends and potential funding pressures.
• Support monitoring of grant conditions, eligible expenditure and funding deadlines.
• Identify emerging financial issues and escalate these through the appropriate programme and governance arrangements.
• Support the preparation of financial and performance information for programme boards and senior management.

2. Delivery and performance monitoring

• Maintain oversight of programme and project delivery against agreed plans, milestones, outputs and outcomes.
• Track progress against key performance indicators and delivery targets.
• Maintain programme-level delivery plans and milestone trackers.
• Work with programme leads and delivery partners to understand the causes of variance and agree appropriate remedial action.
• Ensure that performance information is timely, accurate, consistent and supported by appropriate evidence.

3. Partner and stakeholder coordination

• Liaise with Cheshire East Council, Cheshire West and Chester Council, Warrington Borough Council, central government and other delivery partners to obtain and provide regular programme and performance updates.
• Coordinate reporting cycles and ensure partners understand information and evidence requirements.
• Build effective working relationships with programme managers, finance officers and partner organisations.
• Act as a central point of coordination for routine delivery and performance information.

4. Performance reporting and dashboards

• Produce regular performance reports, dashboards and management information.
• Translate detailed programme information into clear, concise reporting for senior officers and governance boards.
• Highlight key achievements, exceptions, risks, issues and areas requiring intervention.
• Develop and maintain appropriate performance measures and reporting templates.
• Support the production of reports for Combined Authority committees, boards and other governance forums.

5. Governance and assurance

• Support programme and governance meetings through the preparation of performance information, dashboards and supporting papers.
• Track agreed actions through to completion and provide updates on outstanding matters.
• Support programme managers in preparing information required for assurance and gateway processes.
• Identify where delivery activity may require escalation, further scrutiny or formal intervention.
• Ensure relevant documentation and evidence is maintained in accordance with the Authority's governance and assurance requirements.
• Support compliance with the Local Assurance Framework.

Full detail on the person specification can be found in the attached Job Role Profile.