Senior Project Controls Lead – Governance & Delivery

United Utilities; England; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

26 days annual leave

Pension contribution up to 14%

Annual bonus up to 10.5%

Enhanced parental leave

Flexible working options

Wellbeing support & assistance

Voluntary flexible benefits

Job summary

United Utilities is seeking a Project Controls Manager to own governance, controls and assurance across a major portfolio, partnering with the Head of Programme Management to drive robust controls and deliverability.

You will lead the programme controls cycle, prepare governance packs, manage risk, cost, schedule and change, and develop the PMO's project controls capability within a regulated environment.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in Project Controls, PMO or Programme Delivery environments.
• Strong understanding of governance, assurance and project controls disciplines including planning, cost, risk, change and performance management.
• Experience operating within a complex, highly regulated environment.
• Experience producing and managing governance packs, steering forums and stage-gate reviews.
• Excellent analytical skills with the ability to interpret complex information and identify key insights.
• Strong stakeholder management skills and the confidence to constructively challenge when required.
• Experience leading process improvement and embedding best practice.
• Previous people management experience, with the ability to build and develop high-performing teams.

Responsibilities

• Own and continuously improve project controls standards, frameworks and governance arrangements across the portfolio.
• Lead the monthly programme controls cycle, ensuring performance, risk, cost, schedule and change information is accurate and robust.
• Develop and maintain the governance lookahead, ensuring upcoming approvals, milestones and assurance activities are clearly planned and tracked.
• Provide assurance that project artefacts, reporting and governance materials are complete, credible and fit for purpose.
• Create, coordinate and quality-check governance packs and gateway review materials, ensuring a "right first time" approach.
• Monitor project health, including risk management, governance compliance and performance indicators.
• Oversee change control, risk and issue management processes, ensuring early warning issues are visible and escalated appropriately.
• Challenge and support stakeholders to improve the quality, consistency and integrity of project information.
• Lead third-party assurance activities where required.
• Manage and develop project controls capability within the PMO team, including line management responsibility.
• Drive continuous improvement across systems, reporting and project control processes.

Skills

Project controls

PMO / programme delivery

Governance

Cost management

Risk management

Change management

Stakeholder management

Process improvement

People management

Tools

Microsoft Project

Excel

Job description

United Utilities is seeking a Project Controls Manager to own governance, controls and assurance across a major portfolio, partnering with the Head of Programme Management to drive robust controls and deliverability.

You will lead the programme controls cycle, prepare governance packs, manage risk, cost, schedule and change, and develop the PMO's project controls capability within a regulated environment.