Senior Project Manager

Cambridge University Press & Assessment; Cambridge; Hybrid; GBP 43,000 - 59,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading educational organization in the UK is seeking a Senior Project Manager to guide the development of high-quality educational resources. The ideal candidate will possess robust project planning skills and proven experience in managing teams effectively. This hybrid role allows flexible working arrangements, ensuring you can balance teamwork and independent tasks. Successful candidates will benefit from competitive salaries, comprehensive health benefits, and a supportive work environment focused on professional growth.

Benefits

28 days annual leave plus bank holidays

Private medical and Permanent Health Insurance

Discretionary annual bonus

Group personal pension scheme

Life assurance up to 4 x annual salary

Green travel schemes

Qualifications

• Proven expertise in project planning and execution.
• Exceptional communication skills to motivate teams.
• Familiarity with publishing processes and digital asset management.

Responsibilities

• Lead the delivery of high-quality educational resources.
• Manage a sub-team of project managers.
• Collaborate with stakeholders and senior leadership.

Skills

Project planning

Risk management

Supplier negotiation

Exceptional communication

Team leadership

Collaboration

Education

Formal project management qualifications (e.g., APM, PRINCE2, Agile)

Job description

Job Title: Senior Project Manager

Salary: £43,800 - £58,500 depending on skills and experience

Location: Cambridge, Hybrid

Contract: Permanent

Hours: Full-Time, 35 hours per week

Overview

Shaping the Future of Educational Excellence: We are looking to recruit a Senior Project Manager to play a key role in creating educational resources that make a real difference worldwide.

We are Cambridge University Press & Assessment, a world-leading academic publisher and assessment organisation and a proud part of the University of Cambridge.

About the role

The Senior Project Manager will lead the delivery of high-quality print and digital educational resources from concept to publication. This involves managing a sub-team of project managers and ensuring that all projects meet schedules, budgets, and quality standards.

• Project Planning & Execution: Drive the planning and execution of product development, ensuring that schedules, budgets, and quality targets are consistently met.
• Stakeholder Collaboration: Collaborate with stakeholders and project teams, and present robust delivery plans to senior leadership.
• Risk & Change Management: Manage risks, oversee change processes, and lead communication strategies to keep projects aligned with strategic objectives.
• Production Oversight: Guide the production phase, working closely with authors, suppliers, and endorsing bodies to meet stringent standards.
• Continuous Improvement: Champion continuous improvement by reviewing workflows and implementing lessons

Additional responsibilities and accountabilities include

• Team Leadership: Lead and motivate a talented sub-team of project managers, fostering a collaborative and high-performing environment.
• Supplier Negotiation: Negotiate with suppliers to ensure value and quality in project delivery.
• Communication: Maintain exceptional communication with all stakeholders, ensuring transparency and alignment throughout the project lifecycle.
• Adherence to Standards: Ensure all deliverables meet both internal and external standards, including compliance with publishing processes and digital asset management requirements.
• Reporting & Presentation: Regularly report progress and present updates to senior leadership, highlighting achievements, risks, and mitigation strategies.
• Workflow Optimisation: Continuously review and optimise project workflows for efficiency and effectiveness.

This position has been classified as a hybrid role, requiring the selected candidate to typically spend 40-60% of their time collaborating and connecting face-to-face at their dedicated location. Aside from our hybrid principles, other flexible working requests will be considered from the first day of employment, including other work arrangements should you require adjustments due to a disability or long-term health condition.

About You

You are an experienced project and team manager with a strong track record of delivering impactful educational solutions. Essential criteria include proven expertise in project planning, risk management, and supplier negotiation; exceptional communication skills with the ability to motivate teams through complex projects; a collaborative approach to uniting diverse stakeholders; familiarity with publishing processes and digital asset management (such as ePub, audio, and video); and a consistent record of delivering within deadlines and budgets, demonstrating keen attention to detail.

If you meet the above minimum requirements, we encourage you to apply. Your application will be even stronger if you can also demonstrate the following desirable criteria :

• holding formal project management qualifications (e.g., APM, PRINCE2, Agile).

For a detailed job description, please refer to the link at the bottom of the advert on our careers site.

We are a Disability Confident (DC) employer that is committed to equality and inclusion ensuring our recruitment process is accessible to all. The DC scheme's Offer of an Interview commitment applies to applicants who opt in, and disclose a disability or a long-term health condition, and best meet the minimum criteria for the role. In instances where interviewing all qualifying candidates is not practicable, we prioritise those who best meet the minimum criteria, as we would for applicants who do not have a disability or long-term health condition.

Cambridge University Press & Assessment is an approved UK employer for the sponsorship of eligible roles and applicants under the Skilled Worker visa route. Please refer to the gov.uk website for guidance to understand your own eligibility based on the role you are applying for.

Rewards and benefits

We will support you to be at your best in work and to live well outside of it. In addition to competitive salaries, we offer a world-class, flexible rewards package, featuring family-friendly and planet-friendly benefits including :

• 28 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• Private medical and Permanent Health Insurance
• Discretionary annual bonus
• Group personal pension scheme
• Life assurance up to 4 x annual salary
• Green travel schemes

Ready to pursue your potential? Apply now.

We aim to support candidates by making our interview process clear and transparent. The closing date for all applications will be 4th January 2026. We will review applications on an ongoing basis, and shortlisted candidates can expect interviews to take place from 12th January 2026.

If you are shortlisted and progressed through the stages, you can expect :

• First stage competency-based interview with a second stage to be confirmed

If you require any reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process due to a disability or a long-term health condition, there will be an opportunity for you to inform us via the online application form. We will do our best to accommodate your needs.

Please note that successful applicants will be subject to satisfactory background checks including DBS due to working in a regulated industry.

We are committed to an equitable recruitment process. As such, applications must be submitted via our official online application procedure. Please refrain from sending your CV directly to our recruiters. If you experience technical difficulties or require additional support with submitting your online application, contact the Recruiter.

Why join us

Joining us is your opportunity to pursue potential. You will belong to a collaborative team that is exploring new and better ways to serve students, teachers and researchers across the globe - for the benefit of individuals, society and the world. Sharing our mission will inspire your own growth, development and progress, in an environment which embraces difference, change and aspiration.

Pursuing Your Potential

At Cambridge University Press & Assessment, we are dedicated to fostering an environment where your career aspirations are not only recognised but actively supported. Whether you are looking for new responsibilities within your current team, interested in a promotion or secondment, or exploring a different career path, we offer various resources to support your professional development. Our Online Learning Platform, leadership development pathways, and mentorship schemes are readily available to all employees, ensuring you have the tools to reach your fullest potential.

If you are ready to take the next step in your Cambridge journey, we welcome your application. Together, we continue to shape a culture where everyone feels empowered to succeed and motivated to make a difference—for ourselves, for each other, and for learners worldwide.