Project Delivery & Capability Manager

Alzheimer's Research UK; Great Abington; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Alzheimer's Research UK is seeking a Project Delivery & Capability Manager to lead the ongoing development of the Project Management Framework and drive organisational delivery maturity. You will coach teams, partner with senior stakeholders and coordinate cross-organisational initiatives to realise ARUK’s strategic priorities.

You will manage the Project Delivery team, including the Senior Projects Officer, and work in a hybrid model with two days in the office and flexible remote options.

Qualifications

• Experience managing cross-organisational projects across diverse functions.
• Ability to establish delivery plans, governance and success measures.
• Proven track record coaching and supporting project teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead development and embedding of ARUK’s Project Management Framework.
• Coach and partner with project teams to ensure successful delivery of strategic initiatives.
• Line manage Senior Projects Officer and develop team capability.
• Support Agile ways of working and maximise organisational delivery capability.
• Foster collaboration across the Strategy & Governance Directorate and wider organisation.

Skills

Cross-organisation project management

Stakeholder management

Coaching & mentoring

Project management frameworks

Waterfall & Agile

Communication skills

Analytical thinking

Negotiation & influencing

MS Office/PM tools (Excel, Smartsheet,

PRINCE2/APM qualification

Education

PRINCE2/APM certification

Tools

Excel

Smartsheet

MS Projects

Job description

The Project Delivery & Capability Manager plays a key role in enabling the successful delivery of the ARUK’s 10-year strategy through the development and embedding of an effective, scalable and proportionate Project Management Framework.

This role would suit someone who combines strong project management expertise with excellent relationship-building skills and is motivated by coaching, influencing and partnering with colleagues across an organisation. We are seeking a generalist who can work across diverse business functions, helping teams deliver strategic initiatives effectively, rather than a specialist focused on a single technical or operational discipline.

Managing the Project Delivery team and with line management responsibility for the Senior Projects Officer, the post holder will help drive organisational project management maturity by acting as a trusted partner, advisor and expert for project and programme teams across the charity. Through coaching, consultation, training and hands-on partnering support, the role will help ensure major, cross-organisational strategic initiatives are set up for success and delivered effectively.

Key Responsibilities:

Project Management Framework and Organisational Capability

• In collaboration with the Head of Programme Management, lead the ongoing development, implementation and continuous improvement of the charity's Project Management Framework, ensuring it remains fit for purpose, proportionate and aligned to organisational priorities and ARUK’s impact-focused annual planning approach
• Act as a centre of excellence for project management at ARUK, partnering with colleagues across the organisation to provide expert advice, guidance and challenge; use active listening, curiosity and adaptability to tailor support and drive successful delivery outcomes
• Develop, maintain and promote project management standards, templates, guidance and other resources that support consistent and effective project delivery, providing colleagues with practical tools that support decision-making, reduce complexity, and improve outcomes
• Design and deliver project management training, workshops and consultations, to increase project management capability and maturity across the organisation, empowering teams to successfully deliver projects in proportion to their scope, scale, and complexity
• Partner with colleagues in the Organisational Development and Learning & Development team to ensure project management capability-building aligns with broader organisational development priorities
• Monitor and evaluate the adoption of project management practices, identifying opportunities to improve project delivery effectiveness across the organisation
• Oversee the maintenance and continuous development of project management resources, intranet content and self-service guidance materials

Strategic Project and Programme Partnering

• Proactively partner with leaders of large, complex and strategically important projects and programmes to strengthen delivery planning, governance and execution
• Provide specialist support and challenge in areas including project set-up, governance, stakeholder management, risk management, dependency mapping, sequencing, phased delivery planning and project review
• Facilitate effective coordination between interconnected projects and programmes, helping teams identify and manage cross-organisational dependencies, risks and impacts.
• Support project and programme teams in establishing clear delivery plans, governance structures, decision-making routes and success measures
• Build strong and collaborative relationships with project sponsors, senior stakeholders and delivery teams to foster a culture of accountability, learning and continuous improvement

Line management and Team Development

• Line manage the Senior Projects Officer, maintaining oversight of team resource and delegating work as appropriate to ensure continued opportunity to embed and further develop their skills and knowledge
• Provide clear instruction and guidance to the Senior Projects Officer, and engage in coaching and goal-setting conversations, empowering them to succeed and develop in their role
• Continuously seek opportunities to collaborate with colleagues in the Strategy & Governance Directorate, contributing to Directorate’s influence and success in partnering with the wider organisation

Community of Practice and Continuous Improvement

• Support the Head of Programme Management in the development and facilitation of ARUK’s Project Management Community of Practice, creating opportunities for collaboration, shared learning and peer support.
• Encourage the adoption of common approaches, standards and tools across projects and programmes.
• Capture, share and embed lessons learned and best practice from projects and programmes across the organisation.
• Identify emerging trends, approaches and innovations in project and programme management and assess their relevance for adoption within the charity.
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement and learning that strengthens organisational delivery capability.

Selective Project Delivery

• Lead selected high-risk, high-complexity or business-critical projects where project management support is required and capacity is available.
• Establish and maintain effective project governance, plans, reporting, risk management and stakeholder engagement arrangements for assigned projects.
• Ensure project outcomes, benefits and lessons learned are successfully transitioned into business-as-usual operations.

Knowledge, skills and experience needed:

• Experience managing cross-organisational projects, including developing project plans, allocating tasks, and managing risks, decisions, and changes.
• Sound knowledge of project management methodologies (Waterfall, Agile), alongside evidence of successfully sharing this knowledge with colleagues via training, partnering, or other knowledge-sharing activities
• Evidence developing, implementing or evolving project management frameworks, standards or governance approaches within a complex organisation, with a focus on effective delivery over restrictive processes
• Experience of partnering with cross-organisational projects teams, and actively collaborating with colleagues on joint initiatives
• Experience supporting organisational change, adoption, or implementation activities as part of project delivery
• Demonstrable ability to work with, influence, and advise a variety of internal and external stakeholders at all levels
• Working knowledge of project management tools such as Excel, Smartsheet, MS Projects or similar
• Project Management qualification (e.g. PRINCE2, APM), or evidence of equivalent project management learning or experience
• Excellent communication and people management skills, with an ability to build relationships, trust, and inspire confidence and respect at all levels.
• Strong team player who can work both independently and collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders
• Excellent planning and organisational skills, and the ability to manage a varied workload and reprioritise work in accordance with the organisation’s needs
• Excellent listening skills, demonstrating flexibility, curiosity and an ability to learn
• Demonstrates good negotiation and influencing skills
• Demonstrates a proactive and pragmatic approach to investigating and solving problems, strives for continuous improvement and identifies ways to deliver creative and innovative solutions
• A good blend of strategic and analytical thinking; with an ability to see the bigger picture and make appropriate recommendations
• Ability to absorb and process new information quickly
• Strong ethical standards and a high level of personal integrity and empathy

Additional Information:

Ways of working: As part of our Agile ways of working you will be required to work approximately 2 days a week from the office, which is subject to the requirements of the role and the business needs. Flexibility on where you work can be split between working from home and our office.

Roles that are classed as part of the Agile ways of working are not able to claim any costs for Mileage/Travel on Public Transport, Accommodation and/or Meals. This includes when attending the office for various meetings/events.

Our Office: Our office is at 3 Riverside, Granta Park, Great Abington, Cambridge, CB21 6AD.

Please download the Vacancy Pack on our website for more information.

As part of our commitment to being an inclusive employer and ensuring fairness and consistency in our selection process, we will handle your CV and application with the utmost confidentiality. Should you require any adjustments at either the application or interview stage, please contact us at [e-mail].