Project Manager - Operations

National Highways; Penenden Heath; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A major infrastructure agency in the South East is seeking a Project Manager to oversee the delivery of various projects as part of a 5-year programme. You will manage external contractors, ensure high standards of performance, and maintain stakeholder communication. Ideal candidates should have a recognised engineering qualification and proven project management experience. This role is essential for ensuring the agency's reputation while driving successful project outcomes.

Qualifications

• Proven portfolio and project management experience, related qualifications desirable.
• Evidence of contract management, specifically with NEC 4 forms.
• Good understanding of legislation and construction practices.

Responsibilities

• Plan and manage the successful delivery of multiple projects.
• Oversee performance of contractors and ensure governance standards.
• Develop and maintain relationships with key stakeholders.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Project management

Risk management

Education

Recognised qualification in relevant engineering discipline

Job description

About the job.

National Highways is excited to offer a fantastic opportunity for a Project Manager to join our team in the South East region. As a Project Manager, you will play a vital role in planning and managing the successful delivery of a portfolio of projects within our region's 5‑year rolling capital programme.

You will oversee the performance of multiple external contractors and consultants, ensuring the highest standards of governance, quality assurance, health and safety, and technical compliance across the supply chain and National Highways. Your expertise will be key to achieving agreed project outcomes while adhering to mandatory and delegated responsibilities, driving excellence in every phase of the project lifecycle.

This role can be based from our Guildford, Basingstoke or Maidstone office.

• Develop and maintain strong collaborative relationships with the Regional Management Team, Programme Delivery Managers, key stakeholders, suppliers and across National Highways teams. Ensure mutual understanding of the portfolio's strategic and delivery objectives, to review and report on delivery performance, to agree solutions that resolve complex issues and to prepare project business cases.
• Programme management, financial reporting and risk management against the capital expenditure budgets for all projects in scope, ensuring effective financial and contractual practices are in place and adhered to by all project resources.
• Ensure National Highways reputation is maintained throughout delivery of projects by delivering best practice customer and stakeholder communications. Proactively manage interaction with communities, stakeholders, transport operators, road users and businesses.
• Proactively identify and drive opportunities for improvements and implement required changes in own area of responsibility: champion and share portfolio management best practices across Operations.
• Manage and evaluate risks, issues, dependencies and constraints associated with the portfolio, leading the development and implementation of solutions to overcome these.

About you.

• Recognised qualification in relevant engineering discipline and/or with relevant experience in the delivery of Technology, Mechanical and Electrical projects and portfolios
• Proven portfolio and project management experience (related qualifications (e.g. MSP, APM, Prince2) is desirable)
• Evidence of contract management with specific experience of NEC 4 forms of contract
• Good understanding of relevant legislation, technical standards and needs, construction practices in Construction
• Excellent stakeholder management

About us.

Here at National Highways, we manage and improve England's motorways and major A roads, helping our customers have safer, smoother and more reliable journeys. Our priorities are safety, customers and delivery, and at the core of this, are our values of passion, integrity, safety, teamwork and ownership.

Operations is at the heart of keeping the strategic road network moving and ensuring our customers get the best possible experience when using our roads.

We address over 39,000 customer enquiries every month, plan and deliver all maintenance activities on the network, drive efficiencies and improvements across our systems and roads, and respond to incidents across 4,500 miles of motorways and major A‑roads that we manage. All to make sure National Highways customers have safer, smoother, and more reliable journeys.

External candidates will be offered a starting salary at the lower end of the pay scale, while current employees will be appointed in accordance with our established pay policy.

We are committed to creating a diverse environment and welcome applicants from all backgrounds.