Principal Project Manager

Quartzelec; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Contributory salary sacrifice pension scheme

Life insurance (4x salary)

Enhanced annual leave entitlement

Company-funded gym subsidy payments

Free 24/7 remote GP service

Job summary

Quartzelec is seeking a Principal Project Manager to lead a complex plant retrofit project in the UK Hydro Industry. This role requires overseeing the project lifecycle including planning, execution, and financial control, while collaborating with multidisciplinary teams. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in managing high‑risk engineering projects, exceptional leadership skills, and a proven track record in project management. Benefits include a pension scheme, life insurance, enhanced annual leave, and a gym subsidy.

Qualifications

• Proven track record in Project Management of complex, high‑risk, multidisciplinary projects.
• Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence and drive a team‑orientated culture.
• Proven commercial acumen with excellent negotiation and contract management skills.
• Experience in risk management and the ability to work under pressure.

Responsibilities

• Lead, manage and coordinate project teams to achieve project objectives.
• Drive high standards of safety, operational performance and continuous improvement.
• Define project scope and objectives, involving all relevant stakeholders.
• Oversee all site activity during installation and commissioning phases.
• Ensure all stages of the project are planned, monitored, evaluated and reported.
• Collaborate with factory operations during build and manufacturing phases.
• Work closely with engineering teams to support design and manufacturing processes.
• Maintain and enforce quality management and control procedures.
• Full P&L responsibility for the project, including budget control and forecasting.

Skills

Project Management

Interpersonal skills

Contract management

Risk management

Job description

We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced Principal Project Manager to lead a complex, multi‑stage plant retrofit project within the UK Hydro Industry. This is a high‑profile role with responsibility for the full operational, financial, customer and employee strategy throughout the duration of the project.

You will oversee the complete project lifecycle - planning, execution, financial control, stakeholder engagement, change management and project reporting. Working closely with the Head of Projects and senior stakeholders, you will ensure the project is delivered safely, efficiently, and in line with all commercial, technical and regulatory expectations.

This role offers the chance to make a significant impact on a major engineering project while working with multidisciplinary teams across design, manufacturing, site operations and commercial functions.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, manage and coordinate project teams to achieve project objectives.
• Drive high standards of safety, operational performance and continuous improvement.
• Define project scope and objectives, involving all relevant stakeholders, ensuring technical feasibility and resource alignment.
• Oversee all site activity during installation and commissioning phases.
• Ensure all stages of the project are planned, monitored, evaluated and reported appropriately.
• Collaborate with factory operations during build and manufacturing phases to ensure on‑time and in‑budget delivery.
• Work closely with engineering teams to support design, manufacturing and technical processes.
• Manage purchasing activities including supplier engagement and contract negotiation.
• Maintain and enforce quality management and control procedures across the full project lifecycle.
• Ensure all operations comply with company policies and Safety Rules.
• Full P&L responsibility for the project, including budget, cash flow, cost control and forecasting.
• Prepare and maintain accurate financial forecasts for the project.
• Monitor and control project costs to prevent overruns and maximise profitability.
• Administer and manage commercial contracts, including NEC and FIDIC agreements.
• Control and manage contract variations to protect commercial outcomes.

You will bring a strong background in delivering large, complex and high‑risk engineering projects, ideally within a multidiscipline environment. You are a confident leader who can motivate and coordinate teams at all levels while maintaining exceptional standards of safety, quality and commercial performance.

Qualifications

• A proven track record in Project Management of complex, high‑risk, multidisciplinary projects.
• Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence and drive a team‑orientated culture.
• Proven commercial acumen with excellent negotiation and contract management skills.
• Experience in risk management and the ability to work under pressure.

Benefits

• Contributory salary sacrifice pension scheme
• Life insurance (4x your salary)
• Enhanced annual leave entitlement, in addition to bank holidays
• Company-funded gym subsidy payments
• Free 24/7 remote GP service and other health support benefits

Additionally, you'll have access to a wide range of supplementary benefits, including:

• Employee Assistance Programme
• Extensive professional development through our in‑house training academy
• Career‑enhancing training events
• Exclusive employee discounts and various concessions via our corporate perks platform

How to Apply

If you are interested in applying for this role please send your CV and letter of application explaining how you meet the requirements of the role to:-

Quartzelec is an equal opportunities employer.

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