Senior Project Manager

Jobtailor; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 98,000; Full time

Job summary

Jobtailor is seeking an experienced civil infrastructure professional to lead or support the Roads & Bridges package from design through delivery in a UK context. You will coordinate with client teams, consultants, contractors and statutory authorities to ensure safe, cost-effective, program-aligned outcomes.

The role requires strong programme, risk and interface management, with knowledge of NEC contracts and UK standards.

Qualifications

• Proven experience delivering roads, highways, bridges or major civil infrastructure projects.
• Experience working on complex multi-stakeholder programmes with statutory authority, utility, rail and highways interfaces.
• Experience of NEC forms of contract and major infrastructure governance environments is desirable.
• For SPM level: ability to lead defined workstreams and manage contractor / designer interfaces with limited supervision.
• For Associate / Senior Associate level: ability to lead significant packages, manage senior stakeholders and take accountability for delivery outcomes.
• Understanding of UK highways and infrastructure delivery requirements, including DMRB, local authority highways and bridge-related design / delivery processes.

Responsibilities

• Lead or support the leadership of the Roads & Bridges package from design through construction, testing, handover and close-out.
• Maintain ownership of scope, programme, cost, quality, risk and safety outcomes.
• Coordinate delivery inputs across client, consultant, contractor, statutory authority and internal teams.
• Establish governance rhythms to support timely delivery.
• Manage planning and delivery of highways, roads, bridges, earthworks, drainage and utilities interfaces.

Skills

Project leadership

Stakeholder management

Programme management

Risk management

Interface management

UK highways delivery

Construction logistics

NEC contracts experience

Multi-stakeholder coordination

Delivery governance

Education

Civil engineering degree

Job description

Responsibilities

• Lead, or support the leadership of, the Roads & Bridges package from design and procurement through construction, testing, handover and close-out.
• Maintain ownership of defined scope, programme, cost, quality, risk and safety outcomes, proportionate to role level.
• Coordinate delivery inputs across client, consultant, contractor, statutory authority and internal RLB teams.
• Establish clear priorities, decision routes and governance rhythms to support timely delivery.
• Manage the planning and delivery of highways, roads, bridges, earthworks, drainage, utilities interfaces and associated infrastructure works.
• Apply knowledge of relevant UK infrastructure standards, including DMRB and local authority highway requirements.
• Support technical assurance, design reviews, constructability reviews and delivery readiness assessments.
• Ensure design, procurement and delivery solutions are buildable, safe, cost-effective, and aligned to programme objectives.
• Lead or manage interfaces where works are in proximity to operational railways, including possessions, access constraints, asset protection requirements, approvals, safety protocols and interface risk management.
• Coordinate with Network Rail, rail operators, designers, contractors and the client team to ensure railway interface risks are identified, controlled and escalated appropriately.
• Ensure that design and construction methodologies properly address proximity to live rail assets, railway operational constraints and third-party approval requirements.
• Plan and manage works affecting or adjacent to live highways environments, including traffic management, temporary works, site access, public interface, road safety, abnormal loads and construction logistics.
• Coordinate with National Highways, local highway authorities, emergency services, utility providers and contractors to minimise disruption and maintain safe continuity of highway operations.
• Ensure logistics strategies support phased delivery, workforce access, materials movement, traffic routing, compound planning and safe segregation between construction activity and live highway users.
• Embed RLB’s model for major programme delivery, using UK private-sector best practice as the starting point for excellence.
• Champion early supply chain engagement, outcome-based delivery, fair risk allocation, value-based procurement and disciplined change control.
• Promote digital information management, BIM-aligned working, productivity measurement, modern methods of construction and whole-life carbon awareness where appropriate.
• Manage interfaces with National Highways, Network Rail, local authorities, utility providers, adjacent packages and internal programme functions.
• Support timely submission, review and approval of statutory, technical and regulatory documentation.
• Build effective working relationships with senior client, stakeholder, contractor and consultant representatives.
• Support procurement strategy, tender documentation, evaluation and appointment processes for design and construction contracts.
• Manage contractor mobilisation, site access, logistics planning, performance reporting and delivery issue resolution.
• Work closely with cost management, commercial and project controls colleagues to protect client outcomes.
• Identify, manage and escalate design, approvals, logistics, interface, safety, programme and commercial risks.
• Contribute to package reporting including progress, milestones, constraints, decisions, risks, opportunities, cost, quality, safety and carbon.
• Support robust governance, change control, lessons learned and continuous improvement across the programme.

Qualifications

• Proven experience delivering roads, highways, bridges or major civil infrastructure projects in a consultancy, contractor, client or public-sector infrastructure environment.
• Experience working on complex multi-stakeholder programmes with statutory authority, utility, rail and highways interfaces.
• Experience of NEC forms of contract and major infrastructure governance environments is desirable.
• For SPM level: ability to lead defined workstreams and manage contractor / designer interfaces with limited supervision.
• For Associate / Senior Associate level: ability to lead significant packages, manage senior stakeholders and take accountability for delivery outcomes.
• Understanding of UK highways and infrastructure delivery requirements, including DMRB, local authority highways and bridge-related design / delivery processes.
• Practical understanding of working near operational railways, live highway environments, traffic management and construction logistics.
• Strong programme, risk, change, reporting, stakeholder and interface management capability.
• Able to translate technical constraints into actionable delivery plans and decisions.
• Construction project management, civil engineering or related qualification preferred, or equivalent technical delivery experience.
• Membership of an appropriate professional body such as APM, ICE, RICS, CIOB or equivalent is desirable.