Project Assurance and Operations Manager

Reply; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Reply, based in Manchester, seeks a Project Assurance and Operations Manager to oversee client project governance and ensure smooth day-to-day consulting operations. You will drive auditable processes, accurate forecasting, and robust financial controls across the portfolio.

You will also support resourcing, invoicing, timesheets, and business operations, delivering clear leadership reports and proactive risk management in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Experience in project governance, PMO, project assurance, or project coordination.
• Solid understanding of project financials (forecasting, revenue, margin) and core financial processes including invoicing and accounts receivable.
• Strong data and reporting skills, proficient in Excel; capable of creating clear presentations.

Responsibilities

• Lead a portfolio-wide project assurance process with auditable documentation (RAID logs, status reports, governance records).
• Review and challenge project reporting and financials (forecasts, revenue recognition, margins).
• Track risks, issues, and portfolio trends; provide timely visibility to leadership and partners.
• Maintain and improve the project assurance framework with checklists and escalation routes.
• Oversee SoW creation, PO tracking, invoicing, and accounts receivable; produce monthly leadership reports on financials and utilisation.
• Manage resource tracking and timesheet approvals; ensure accurate allocation of effort.
• Coordinate business operations including marketing materials, travel, room bookings, assets, and team events/offsites.
• Support people operations by managing joiner/mover/leaver processes, holiday and sickness trends.

Skills

Project governance

PMO governance

Financial forecasting

Revenue recognition

Invoicing

Accounts receivable

Stakeholder mgmt

Data analysis

PowerPoint/Canva

AI tools

Job description

Project Assurance and Operations Manager

About Reply:

Reply specialises in designing and implementing solutions based on new communication channels and digital media. Structured as a network of highly specialised companies, Reply supports leading European industrial groups in sectors such as Telco & Media, Industry and Services, Banking and Insurance, and Public Administration, helping define and develop business models enabled by new paradigms such as AI, Cloud Computing, Digital Media, and the Internet of Things. Reply’s services include Consulting, System Integration, and Digital Services.

Role Overview:

This Project Assurance & Operations Manager role provides independent oversight across a portfolio of client projects while ensuring the smooth day-to-day running of the consulting business. Sitting at the intersection of project governance, financial management, and operations, you will ensure projects are consistently governed, accurately forecasted, and fully auditable. You will drive high-quality reporting, risk and issue visibility, and robust financial controls, while also supporting core operational processes such as resourcing, invoicing, timesheets, and business operations.

Responsibilities:

• Lead a consistent, portfolio-wide project assurance process, ensuring every project maintains complete, auditable documentation (RAID logs, status reports, governance records).
• Review and challenge project reporting and financials (forecasts, revenue recognition, margins), identifying gaps or discrepancies before leadership or client reviews.
• Track and escape key risks, issues, and portfolio trends, giving partners and leadership timely visibility of items needing their attention.
• Maintain and improve the project assurance framework, including checklists, review cadence, and escalation routes, sharing best practice across delivery teams.
• Oversee core financial operations such as SoW creation, PO tracking, invoicing, and accounts receivable, and produce monthly leadership reports on financial performance and utilisation.
• Manage resource tracking and timesheet approvals, ensuring accurate allocation of effort against projects and future forecasts.
• Coordinate business operations including marketing materials, travel, room bookings, company assets, and team events/offsites.
• Support people operations by managing joiner/mover/leaver processes, monitoring holiday and sickness trends, and capturing and tracking actions from leadership meetings.

About the Candidate:

• Highly organised, detail-oriented professional with strong analytical skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced consulting environment.
• Experienced in project governance, PMO, project assurance, or project coordination, with confidence reviewing documentation and ensuring audit-ready standards.
• Solid understanding of project financials (forecasting, revenue, margin) and core financial processes including invoicing, reporting, and accounts receivable.
• Comfortable with data and reporting, proficient in Excel-based analysis, and confident building clear, compelling presentations using tools such as PowerPoint, Canva, or AI tools.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills, with the confidence to challenge, elevate risks, and engage directly with partners and senior leadership.
• Proactive, solutions-focused mindset, able to show initiative, improve processes, and support effective resource/workforce planning.
• Open to exploring and leveraging AI tools to enhance productivity in reporting, analysis, and operational processes.

Reply is an Equal Opportunities Employer and committed to embracing diversity in the workplace. We provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type regardless of age, sexual orientation, gender, identity, pregnancy, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, disability, medical history, skin colour, marital status or parental status or any other characteristic protected by the Law.

Reply is committed to making sure that our selection methods are fair to everyone. To help you during the recruitment process, please let us know of any Reasonable Adjustments you may need.