Commercial Project Manager

Outcomes First Group; Bolton; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading educational organization is seeking a Commercial Project Manager to lead transformational projects and manage business change initiatives. This role requires significant experience in project management, stakeholder engagement, and change management. Located in Bolton with a hybrid work model, the position offers a salary of up to £50,000 per annum, alongside an exceptional benefits package including life assurance and flexible working arrangements focused on wellbeing.

Benefits

Life Assurance

Pension Scheme

Mental Health Support Services

Cycle to Work Schemes

Qualifications

• Significant experience managing complex employee cases in a large organisation.
• Strong knowledge of UK employment law and HR best practices.
• Demonstrated experience in organisational change processes.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage strategic projects that drive business transformation.
• Develop and implement change management plans.
• Create and manage detailed project plans and timelines.

Skills

UK Employment Law Knowledge

Communication Skills

Organisational Skills

Change Management

Education

Certification in Project Management (e.g., PRINCE2, PMP)

Tools

Business Systems

Cloud-Based Solutions

Job description

We’re reimagining work/life balance – and you could be part of it.

At OFG, we're proud to be part of the 4-Day Working Week trial – a bold step toward giving our teams more time to recharge, refresh, and enjoy life outside of work.

That means you could be working 80% of your usual hours, while still earning 100% of your pay.

If the trial proves successful, we’ll roll out the 4DWW across the Group – making now the perfect time to join #TeamOFG and help shape the future of work.

Job Title

Commercial Project Manager

Salary

Up To £50,000 not pro rata (dependent on experience and qualifications)

Location

Hybrid - Bolton Office On average 2 days per week

Contract

Fixed Term Contract- 12 Months

Hours

37.5 hours per week, Mon-Fri 9-5

About Us

At Outcomes First Group, we believe every child can thrive when given the right environment for success. As one of the world’s leading providers in our sector, we deliver exceptional, research-led education tailored to each individual, with smaller class sizes and personalised learning plans. Our vision is to empower every child with a world-class education that nurtures potential and inspires lifelong learning, our mission is to unlock that potential through personalised learning and opportunity, and our promise is simple: we listen, we work together, and we are accountable to one another to make the remarkable happen.

The role

The Project Manager at Outcomes First Group will be responsible for leading and managing strategic projects that drive organisation wide business transformation. Will lead on-site and virtual, multi-skilled teams, internally and externally and lead the planning and successful delivery of projects, on time, to quality and budget.

The Project Manager will take ownership of implementing effective business change approaches to maximise successful project delivery and business wide engagement, in a way that is aligned with Outcomes First Group’s mission to provide high-quality care and education to children and young adults. This role is key in ensuring that projects not only achieve their desired outcomes but also support the long‑term success and growth of the organisation.

What you'll do

• Lead Business Change Projects: Manage and deliver end-to-end business change projects, including budget management and resource demand management, ensuring alignment with organisational goals and strategies,
• Stakeholder Engagement: Build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders, including senior leadership, department heads, and operational teams, ensuring effective communication and support for change initiatives.
• Change Management: Develop and implement change management plans, including end user adoption strategies and colleague and pupil engagement to ensure transitions minimal disruption, driving advocacy for change.
• Business Requirements and Process Improvement: Work collaboratively with Business Analysts to support the definition of business requirements and the design and implementation of new and improved business processes enhance efficiency and effectiveness across the organisation.
• Risk and Issue Management: Proactively identify and manage project risks and resolve issues to ensure projects are delivered on time, within scope, and on budget.
• Project Planning and Execution: Create and manage detailed project plans, project timelines, allocate resources, and ensure timely delivery of project milestones and deliverables.
• Project Methodology: Able to work effectively using a range of methodologies including Prince2 and Agile.
• Project Governance: Complete all required project documentation including Status Reports, PID, RAID and lead project review meetings and huddles.
• Budget Management: Lead the creation of project Business Cases and manage the secured budget.
• Team Leadership: Lead and motivate cross‑functional project teams, ensuring collaboration, clear roles, and successful execution of projects.
• Compliance and Quality Assurance: Ensure all change initiatives comply with organisational policies, industry regulations, and quality standards including Data Protection.

What we're looking for

• Significant experience managing complex employee cases in a large, multi‑site or matrix organisation.
• Strong knowledge of UK employment law and HR best practice.
• Proven ability to coach and influence managers and senior leaders.
• Demonstrated experience in organisational change processes (restructures, redundancies, consultations, TUPE).
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to handle sensitive matters with professionalism.
• Strong organisation and prioritisation skills, with the ability to manage a high caseload.

Desirable Experience

• Experience in the education, healthcare, or social care sectors, particularly in organisations providing services to vulnerable groups.
• Familiarity with business systems and IT transformations in regulated environments.
• Certification in project management (e.g., PRINCE2, PMP) or change management methodologies (e.g., Prosci).
• Experience in vendor management or managing third‑party service providers in business change initiatives.
• Familiarity with cloud‑based solutions and IT systems in a business change context.

Benefits

Your health and wellbeing are important to us, so you’ll get an exceptional reward package including:

• Life Assurance
• Pension scheme with options to increase your contributions
• “Your Wellbeing Matters” – access to a wide range of first‑class mental health support services and physical health checks
• Family Growth Support - inclusive benefits package covering enhanced maternity and paternity leave, along with paid fertility treatment support.

And a market‑leading benefit offering through our Flexible Benefits Platform, Vista, enables you to choose the package that’s right for you, including:

• A wide range of health, wellbeing, and insurance benefits
• 100’s of discount options valid in the UK and abroad
• Cycle to Work Schemes
• Electric Car Purchase Scheme
• Critical illness cover

Commitment to child welfare

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and we expect all employees to share this commitment and undertake appropriate checks.

Checks

All applicants will be subject to social media checks and successful applicants to a fully enhanced DBS.

Equal Opportunities

We are an Equal Opportunities Employer.

4DWW note

4DWW is subject to successful completion of your probation period and is not a contractual benefit.

Vacancy closure

We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications.

Recruitment process

Outcomes First Group is committed to carrying out a fair, thorough and efficient recruitment process in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education. Whilst we aim to keep applicants informed throughout, Outcomes First Group does not accept liability for any loss of earnings or other associated costs incurred by applicants as a result of delays or changes in the compliance process. All stages of the compliance process are subject to necessary safeguarding checks and compliance with statutory requirements, which may affect timescales.