Capability and Project Manager

UKRI International; Swindon; Hybrid; GBP 46,000 - 50,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Defined benefit pension

30 days annual leave

Employee discounts and offers

Employee assistance programme

Flexible working options

Job summary

UKRI is seeking a programme leader to drive capability and talent development across the Project Deliver and Improvements directorate at Polaris House, Swindon. You will shape career pathways, lead apprenticeships, and partner with HR to enhance capability maturity and organisational excellence.

You will also manage priority projects with governance, risk, and change management, while applying project management expertise to deliver benefits and outcomes.

Qualifications

• Experience leading and managing others; coaching and developing skills.
• Experience engaging with and influencing a range of internal and external stakeholders.
• Experience delivering medium-scale projects or major workstreams in public-sector environments and aligned with recognised project delivery standards.
• PM qualifications such as Agile PM Foundation, PRINCE2 Foundation, or APM PMQ, with proven embedding in projects.
• Educated to degree level in a relevant discipline, or equivalent professional experience.
• Ability to build productive relationships and influence decisions.
• Ability to create and present a compelling vision, set direction and adapt to ambiguity and change.
• Ability to recognise, anticipate and effectively deal with conflict.

Responsibilities

• Lead the PD&I capability and talent development programme, including managing apprenticeships (10%).
• Develop professional pathways, learning interventions and succession planning activities (20%).
• Build strategic relationships with stakeholders, HR and external partners (15%).
• Deliver projects to agreed time, cost, quality and benefit objectives (30%).
• Manage project governance, risks, resources and change (10%).
• Promote a culture of professional excellence, continuous improvement and high performance (15%).

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Project management

People management

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline

Job description

UKRI.

Salary: £46,743 per annum.

Band: UKRI Band E.

Contract Type: Fixed Term, 23 months (cover for temporary move).

Hours: Full time.

Location: Polaris House, Swindon, Wiltshire - Hybrid working (Min 2 days per week in the office).

Closing Date: Sunday 27th September.

About the role

This role is primarily focused on Capability Management, leading the development and embedding of project delivery, change and continuous improvement capability across the Project Deliver and Improvements directorate. You will play a key role in delivering capability and career development initiatives that support the attraction, development and retention of a skilled and diverse workforce, ensuring PD&I continues to provide a high-quality service to UKRI. This is a fantastic opportunity for a project professional to move into a capability space and broaden their horizons with a new challenge.

Working closely with the Head of Change Capability, Project Profession Centre Lead, HR colleagues and senior stakeholders, you will lead talent development programmes, apprenticeships, career pathways and professional development activities, helping to grow capability maturity and professional excellence across the function. You will also line manage colleagues within talent development programmes, supporting their learning, performance and career progression.

Alongside capability responsibilities, the role will undertake project management activities, leading the delivery of priority projects and improvement initiatives. This will involve providing effective project leadership, stakeholder engagement, governance and delivery management to ensure agreed outcomes and benefits are achieved. This project delivery element provides an opportunity to apply professional project management expertise while maintaining a primary focus on capability development and organisational improvement.

Your responsibilities

• Lead the PD&I capability and talent development programme. Including managing apprenticeships (10%).


• Develop professional pathways, learning interventions and succession planning activities (20%).


• Build strategic relationships with stakeholders, HR and external partners (15%).


• Deliver projects to agreed time, cost, quality and benefit objectives (30%).


• Manage project governance, risks, resources and change (10%).


• Promote a culture of professional excellence, continuous improvement and high performance (15%).

Personal Specification

The below criteria will be scored during Shortlisting (S), Interview (I) or both (S&I).

Essential

• Experience of leading and managing others, motivating coaching and developing skills and capability. Demonstrates ability to act as role model (S&I).


• Experience of successfully engaging with and influencing a range of internal and external stakeholders (S).


• Experience delivering medium scale projects or major workstreams in research or public-sector environments and in line with recognised project delivery standards such as the PDCF of the Civil Service (S&I).


• Project Management Qualification such as Agile PM Foundation, PRINCE2 Foundation, APM PMQ, or equivalent and demonstratable experience of embedding these methods within projects and or programmes (S&I).


• Educated to degree level in a relevant discipline, or equivalent experience in a professional projects’ environment (S).


• Ability to build productive relationships and influence decisions (S&I).


• Ability to create and present a compelling vision, set direction and adapt to ambiguity and change (I).


• Ability to recognise, anticipate and effectively deal with conflict (I).

Benefits

We recognise and value our employees as individuals and aim to provide a favourable pay and rewards package. We are committed to supporting employees' development and promote a culture of continuous learning!

A list of benefits below:

• An outstanding defined benefit pension scheme.


• 30 days' annual leave in addition to 10.5 public and privilege days (full time equivalent).


• Employee discounts and offers on retail and leisure activities.


• Employee assistance programme, providing confidential help and advice.


• Flexible working options.

Plus many more benefits and wellbeing initiatives that enable our employees to have a great work life balance!

For further information on our benefits please see:

Benefits of working at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)

UKRI is an Equal Opportunity & Disability Confident Employer.

Please note, if you will require sponsorship to work in the UK, as part of your sponsorship application, you and any dependants travelling with you, will be required to pay costs directly to The Home Office for the application before you start your role with us. UKRI is normally able to reimburse some, or all of these fees after you have become an employee and this can be discussed with the Hiring Manager. For more information, please visithttps://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa/how-much-it-costs or contact [e-mail].