Project Manager (Synergy Programme)

Department for Work and Pensions (DWP); Manchester; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) in Manchester is seeking a Project Manager to lead delivery of complex programmes across HR, Finance and Procurement. You will build cohesive plans, manage interdependencies, engage senior stakeholders and drive changes with governance in multi-partner environments.

Ideal candidates will hold a recognised PPM qualification and have experience in shared services transformations, supplier management and delivery at pace in politically sensitive settings.

Qualifications

• Experience delivering within large-scale, complex Shared Services transformation programmes.
• Experience in supplier deliverables and senior stakeholder engagement.
• Ability to establish governance, assurance and reporting frameworks.

Responsibilities

• Lead, monitor and drive delivery of complex programmes with multiple teams and stakeholders.
• Develop cohesive project plans, resourcing models and progress reporting.
• Manage interdependencies and governance to keep delivery on track.

Skills

Programme delivery

Stakeholder engagement

Project planning

Governance

Leadership

Education

PPM qualification (PRINCE2/ MSP/ Agile PM)

Job description

The Project Manager roles will be aligned to the following teams.

• Business Process Service (BPS) Delivery Mobilisation
• Independent Shared Service Contract 2 (ISSC2) Exit and Transition

Successful candidates may be expected to be involved in the following:

• Lead, monitor and drive the delivery of individual complex programmes/projects with competing priorities with multiple teams, partners and stakeholders to prepare, plan and deliver the changes agreed at pace.
• Use appropriate Project Methodologies to build and design cohesive project plans, resource modelling and progress reporting whilst working in ambiguity, to identify, monitor project risks and issues, applying mitigation, controls and escalation as appropriate; enabling alignment with the wider programme through the Programme Management Office.
• Help manage the demands of competing workstreams, working through others to deliver key milestones and manage interdependencies to ensure projects, activities and the governance needs of the programme remain on track.
• Identify and manage stakeholder relationships managing multiple internal partners and HR colleagues and external relationships as appropriate to design how we will work together in the future and ensure an effective transition to those new ways of working.
• Promote effective individual and team performance by contributing to the Synergy programme by sharing knowledge, effective problem solving and by supporting others through coaching and supporting individuals' personal development.

Person specification

Candidates must be able to demonstrate the following essential criteria:

Shared Services Transformation, Supplier Management and Complex Programme Delivery - Experience of leading delivery within large-scale, complex Shared Services transformation programmes, with a strong understanding of the challenges associated with delivering change across HR, Finance and Procurement services in a multi-department, multi-supplier environment. (Lead Criteria)

Supplier Deliverable Management and Senior Stakeholder Engagement - Experience of managing and assuring the quality of contractual supplier deliverables across complex multi-supplier environments. Demonstrable ability to build effective relationships with senior stakeholders, influence decision-making, challenge constructively and hold suppliers and stakeholders accountable for delivering key outcomes, dependencies and programme milestones.

Governance, Assurance and Dependency Management - Ability to establish, implement and manage effective governance, assurance and reporting frameworks to oversee contractual obligations, programme dependencies and delivery risks. Experienced in ensuring that complex cross-organisational dependencies are identified, managed and escalated appropriately while holding senior leaders and delivery partners to account.

Cross-Contract Supplier and Third-Party Management - Proven experience managing supplier-to-supplier and third-party dependencies, including negotiating authority and contractual interfaces across multiple delivery partners, system integrators and business process service providers. Skilled in managing change, resolving conflicts and maintaining alignment to support successful end-to-end delivery.

Project Planning, Delivery and Technical Oversight - Experience of project management in complex technical environments, including defining scope, deliverables, timescales, resources, budget and key risks. Ability to develop and maintain integrated plans and provide a consolidated delivery view to support governance, decision-making and delivery confidence.

Leadership, Collaboration and Delivery at Pace - Proven track record of leading within multi-disciplinary teams, working alongside technical specialists, suppliers and operational stakeholders in politically sensitive and complex environments. Comfortable making informed decisions in ambiguous situations, adapting to changing priorities and delivering results at pace while maintaining focus on strategic outcomes.

Qualifications/Accreditation - Candidates must hold, or be willing to work towards, a recognised PPM practitioner level qualification (e.g. PRINCE2, Agile PM, MSP, P30 or equivalent) to be considered for this opportunity.