Associate Director - Project Management

Aldwych Consulting; Greater London; On-site; GBP 85,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Aldwych Consulting is seeking an experienced Associate Director-level Project Manager to lead a major central London development valued at around £500 million. You will join in the early design and mobilisation stage to provide strategic leadership as the design and consultant teams are appointed and the programme moves toward delivery.

The role requires delivering projects at £100–150 million, leading a team of five Project Managers, and coordinating with the client and wider project team to

Qualifications

• Significant experience at Associate Director or equivalent level.
• Proven track record of delivering projects valued at £100m–£150m.
• Experience working for, or closely alongside, a major developer, investor, development manager or client-side organisation.
• Strong knowledge of major commercial, mixed-use or complex central London developments.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary consultant and design teams through the early stages of a project.
• Excellent understanding of project governance, procurement, programme management and risk.
• The ability to lead and motivate an established team of Project Managers whilst maintaining a "one team" ethos.
• Strong commercial experience and the confidence to advise senior client stakeholders.
• Experience working within a transparent and highly scrutinised procurement environment.
• Excellent communication, stakeholder management and reporting skills.

Responsibilities

• Providing strategic project leadership across a complex, large-scale development.
• Leading, managing and developing the project management team.
• Supporting the appointment and mobilisation of the design and consultant teams.
• Establishing robust project governance, reporting and decision-making processes.
• Overseeing programme, risk, procurement, commercial performance and stakeholder management.
• Acting as a senior point of contact for the client and wider project team.
• Challenging consultants and contractors to protect the programme and achieve the required outcomes.
• Maintaining clear and transparent reporting throughout the project.
• Ensuring procurement decisions and expenditure meet the standards required by a highly accountable procurement process.
• Identifying and resolving strategic risks before they affect delivery.
• Supporting the project director and peers to work collaboratively when reporting to board level within the client organisation.

Skills

Project leadership

Team leadership

Governance

Procurement

Risk management

Stakeholder management

Client-facing

Commercial awareness

Communication

Job description

Associate Director - Project Management

Location: Central London

Salary: Circa 85,000- 95,000

Start date: October 2026

The Opportunity

A leading global project and programme management consultancy is seeking an experienced Associate Director-level Project Manager to take a senior leadership role on a major central London development valued at approximately 500 million.
The successful candidate will join during the early design and mobilisation stage, providing strategic leadership as the design and consultant teams are appointed and the programme moves towards delivery.
This position requires an experienced project leader who has delivered major developments valued at more than 100 million to 150 million, ideally with a developer, client-side or development management background.

The Role

Working alongside the Client Director, you will lead a project management team of approximately five Project Managers and take responsibility for the successful planning and delivery of the programme.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Providing strategic project leadership across a complex, large-scale development.
• Leading, managing and developing the project management team.
• Supporting the appointment and mobilisation of the design and consultant teams.
• Establishing robust project governance, reporting and decision-making processes.
• Overseeing programme, risk, procurement, commercial performance and stakeholder management.
• Acting as a senior point of contact for the client and wider project team.
• Challenging consultants and contractors to protect the programme and achieve the required outcomes.
• Maintaining clear and transparent reporting throughout the project.
• Ensuring procurement decisions and expenditure meet the standards required by a highly accountable procurement process.
• Identifying and resolving strategic risks before they affect delivery.
• Supporting the project director and peers to work collaboratively when reporting to board level within the client organisation.

Candidate Requirements

• Significant experience at Associate Director or equivalent level.
• A strong track record of leading projects valued at more than 100 million to 150 million.
• Experience working for, or closely alongside, a major developer, investor, development manager or client-side organisation.
• Strong knowledge of major commercial, mixed-use or complex central London developments.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary consultant and design teams through the early stages of a project.
• Excellent understanding of project governance, procurement, programme management and risk.
• The ability to lead and motivate an established team of Project Managers whilst maintaining a "one team" ethos.
• Strong commercial experience and the confidence to advise senior client stakeholders.
• Experience working within a transparent and highly scrutinised procurement environment.
• Excellent communication, stakeholder management and reporting skills.

This is an opportunity to take a leading role on one of London's most significant forthcoming developments. The position offers involvement from the early design and procurement stages, leadership of an established project management team and direct engagement with senior client stakeholders throughout a complex and high‑profile programme.

Aldwych Consulting values diversity and promotes equality. No terminology in this advert is intended to discriminate against any of the protected characteristics that fall under the Equality Act 2010. We encourage and welcome applications from all sections of society and are happy to discuss reasonable adjustments and/or additional arrangements as required to support your application.

Candidates must be eligible to live and work in the UK.