Project Manager

National Centre for Social Research; Islington; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 32,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading social research organization in the UK is seeking a Project Manager for a 12-month contract. The role involves managing internal change projects and ensuring effective communication across departments. Applicants should have strong communication skills, experience in complex project management, and be able to work under pressure. Benefits include a competitive salary, flexible working, and generous holiday allowance.

Benefits

25 days holiday plus bank holidays

Generous pension scheme

Life insurance

Cycle to Work scheme

Career development opportunities

Qualifications

• Experience in delivering change projects.
• Proven ability to manage interdepartmental tasks.
• Resilient and motivated under pressure.

Responsibilities

• Manage internal project from start to finish.
• Create and maintain project plans.
• Communicate with stakeholders effectively.
• Monitor project progress and governance.
• Distribute status reports as needed.

Skills

Excellent communication and interpersonal skills

Strong interdepartmental and stakeholder relationship management

Experience of organising others and of organising complicated activities

Proven ability to work well under pressure

Proactive and highly motivated

Strong analytical and critical thinking skills

Education

Qualifications in project management basics

Job description

Project Manager

Application Deadline: 14 August 2025

Department: Social Surveys

Employment Type: Contract

Location: London, UK

Compensation: £30,000 - £32,000 / year

Description

Role: Project Manager
Location: London or Ashton Gate (Hybrid Working)
Salary: £30,000-£32,000
Department: Social Surveys
Contract: 12-Month Fixed Term Contract

Summary of Role:
Provides end-to-end project management for the setup and delivery of internal change projects as required, producing plans, coordinating activities across departments, collating updates to produce status reports.

You will work on several change projects, applying NatCen best practice standards and policies.

Support colleagues across the business to improve our capability to deliver effective business change.

Key to your success will be developing strong relationships with specialist teams, ensuring that tasks are delegated correctly, and that risks and issues are dealt with quickly and effectively or escalated.

To perform any other reasonable duties that NatCen may require that are consistent with the broad nature of the job.

The role holder will embody NatCen’s values and behaviours to ensure they can effectively work with the range of internal and external personnel involved in change and transformation projects.

Key Responsibilities

For projects you have been assigned to:

• Confirm project scope, acting as point of contact between stakeholders across the end-to-end business.
• Produce, maintain and communicate project plans and timetables.
• Allocate tasks to relevant business areas.
• Ensure project requirements are documented, and where there are any changes that these are captured and impacted areas are informed using the change management process.
• Ensuring good project governance including risk management, change control and project reviews.
• Monitor progress against timetable/plans and ensuring effective corrective actions are in place whenever there is a divergence
• Collating and distributing reports as required.
• Liaise with project Sponsors to highlight issues that could be hindering the success of the project, including follow up to ensure any agreed mitigation action plans are carried

To perform any other reasonable duties that NatCen may require that are consistent with the broad nature of the job.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

Essential:

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Strong interdepartmental and stakeholder relationship management
• Experience of organising others and of organising complicated activities; developing delivery plans
• Proven ability to work well under pressure and to tight deadlines
• Proactive and highly motivated to deliver projects successfully
• Resilient in the face of setbacks
• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills

Desirable:

• Knowledge and experience of survey research processes
• Qualifications in the basics of project management (e.g., Change Management, Agile, Prince2)

Benefits

As well as a competitive salary, an excellent working environment (including a home/office hybrid working environment), you will be working for the largest independent social research organisation in the UK. We are proud of the benefits we offer our employees which include:

• 25 days holiday (plus 8 bank holidays) and flexible working
• Generous company pension scheme
• Life insurance and health cash plan
• Cycle to Work scheme and season ticket loan
• Career development, professional subscriptions support and mentoring support from industry-leading experts.