R&D Project Manager - Facility & Systems

Imperial Brands; West Kirby; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus scheme

Job summary

Imperial Brands is seeking an experienced Project Manager for a 12-month fixed-term contract at our Liverpool Research, Development & Innovation site. You will lead a portfolio of strategic initiatives, including a facility enhancement programme, warehouse upgrade, and the UNIFY enterprise system implementation, driving change across a fast-paced R&D operation.

This role emphasizes governance, cross-functional collaboration, and seamless handover in a live environment, with opportunities to

Qualifications

• Significant project management experience in highly regulated environments (R&D, life sciences, pharma).
• Experience delivering capital projects including facility refurbishments and upgrades.
• Lifecycle leadership from requirements to handover and closure.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end delivery of facility enhancement programmes within an live R&D environment.
• Coordinate refurbishment and construction activities ensuring business continuity and compliance.
• Deliver the Warehouse Upgrade Programme with minimal disruption to operations.
• Implement UNIFY enterprise system with central teams and end users.
• Establish portfolio governance including budgeting, scheduling, RAID, and reporting.
• Build cross-functional relationships across R&D, Facilities, Regulatory, IT, Finance.

Skills

Project management

Stakeholder management

Budgeting

Change control

Cross-functional collaboration

Tools

UNIFY enterprise system

Job description

The Role

12-month fixed-term contract (FTC) role

Join Imperial Brands and be part of an exciting transformation driven by innovation, investment, and ambitious growth. Based at our Liverpool Research, Development & Innovation site, this is a unique opportunity for an experienced Project Manager to lead a portfolio of strategic initiatives that will shape the future of our R&D capabilities.

As Project Manager supporting our Facilities & Systems, you will be at the heart of a facility enhancement program, a programme designed to create a future-ready environment that enhances scientific innovation, collaboration, and employee experience. Alongside this flagship project, you'll drive the delivery of a major warehouse upgrade and a new enterprise-wide system implementation, influencing critical business change across a dynamic and fast-paced R&D operation.

This is an opportunity to make a visible, lasting impact within a global organisation of 25,000 colleagues worldwide.

Principle Accountabilities

• Lead the end-to-end delivery of our exciting facility enhancement program, managing programme plans, communications, milestones, risks, dependencies, budgets, and change control to successfully deliver a R&D facility transformation programme.
• Coordinate refurbishment and construction activities within a live R&D environment, ensuring business continuity, regulatory compliance, operational readiness, and successful handover of enhanced facilities.
• Deliver a critical Warehouse Upgrade Programme, translating regulatory and business requirements into practical implementation plans while maintaining uninterrupted warehouse operations.
• Lead the local implementation of the UNIFY enterprise system, partnering with central project teams, IT, stakeholders, and end users to drive business readiness, change management, and successful adoption.
• Establish robust project governance across the portfolio, including reporting, financial management, supplier performance, RAID management, forecasting, and stakeholder updates for senior leadership.
• Build strong cross-functional relationships across R&D, Facilities, Regulatory, HSE, IT, Finance, Procurement, and People teams, ensuring clear communication, effective decision-making, and a positive employee experience throughout periods of change.

Skills and Experience Required

• Significant project management experience within R&D, life sciences, pharmaceuticals, FMCG, manufacturing, engineering, or other highly regulated environments.
• Proven success delivering capital projects, including facility refurbishments, laboratory upgrades, workplace transformations, and infrastructure improvements.
• Experience managing projects through the full lifecycle, from requirements and design through to implementation, handover, and project closure.
• Strong expertise in project controls, including budgeting, scheduling, risk management, change control, and dependency management.
• Demonstrated ability to lead multiple contractors, suppliers, and cross-functional stakeholders while delivering projects in live operational environments.
• Excellent stakeholder management, communication, and influencing skills, with experience partnering with senior leaders, Finance, Procurement, and business teams to drive successful outcomes.

What We Offer

In return for playing your part in building our future, you will receive a comprehensive compensation package with salary, bonus scheme and further benefits as well inspiring places to work and collaborate with purpose. Here at Imperial we will give you the opportunity to grow and learn, innovate at pace and be a part of our purpose to forge a path to a healthier future for moments of relaxation and pleasure for our consumers.

Everyone Belongs

Everyone belongs in Imperial. We are proud of being a truly inclusive organisation. We encourage and welcome applications from people of all ages, genders, ethnicities, nationalities, disabilities, sexual orientation, religions or beliefs and of neuro divergence. We give fair and equal consideration to all our applicants.

About Us

We're a truly international company, fourth largest in our industry and operating across 120 markets. An inclusive, innovative global FMCG business supported by 25,000 employees. As we embrace a new era of growth, we are transforming. Our ways of working and culture are driven by a challenger mindset, constantly questioning the status quo where people can bring their best selves to work. Our agility and collaboration are driving our ambitions, innovation and success all supported by our award-winning development programmes that creates exciting and rewarding career opportunities for all. Encouraging inclusion at local levels and supporting a developing and robust diversity agenda globally, we’re fully committed to creating and maintaining an environment that celebrates and respects difference.

As a matter of policy, Imperial Tobacco or its subsidiaries never requests or requires payment as part of any recruitment process.