Senior Project Manager

Astute People; Cambridge; Hybrid; GBP 75,000 - 86,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Car allowance

Private medical cover

Pension 5% employer contribution

Life insurance

Job summary

Astute is partnering with a global professional business to recruit a Senior Project Manager for its Cambridge / East Anglia office. The role offers a salary of around £75,000 and a £4,000 annual car allowance with hybrid working.

You will lead complex real estate projects, interface with clients at a strategic level, define governance and deliver value across time, cost, quality, and risk. Significant travel UK-wide and international opportunities may apply.

Qualifications

• Degree in construction, engineering, real estate, project management or related discipline; exceptional relevant experience may be considered.
• Professional membership or accreditation such as APM, RICS, PMI or CIOB is desirable, with APM particularly valued.
• Substantial consultancy-side or client-side project management experience within real estate.
• Strong track record leading projects at a strategic, client-facing level.
• Experience managing significant project values, budgets, programmes and multidisciplinary stakeholder groups.
• Experience within life sciences, healthcare or commercial real estate sectors.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with confidence presenting to senior stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead the delivery of complex real estate projects, ensuring client objectives are achieved to time, cost, quality, technical and performance standards.
• Act as the principal day-to-day client interface, building trusted relationships and maintaining clear communication throughout the project lifecycle.
• Advise clients at project conception on delivery strategies, options, risks and the most effective route to achieving their objectives.
• Define success criteria, governance arrangements, processes, reporting structures and project controls.
• Develop and maintain detailed project plans, programmes and key milestones.
• Manage quality, safety, health and environmental considerations across the commission.
• Apply performance-management techniques and KPIs to monitor progress and drive improvement.
• Lead change control, risk management and issue resolution.
• Identify and develop opportunities with existing and prospective clients.
• Recognise and act on cross-selling opportunities across the wider business.
• Support bids, proposals and formal client pitches.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen project management services and ways of working.

Skills

Client-facing leadership

Strategic delivery

Stakeholder management

Communication skills

Education

Degree in construction/real estate/PM

APM/RICS/PMI/CIOB desirable

Job description

Astute is partnering with a global professional business specialising in programme, project, cost and commercial management, to recruit a Senior Project Manager for its Cambridge / East Anglia office.

The strategically important Senior Project Manager (Real Estate) role comes with a salary of approximately £75,000, a £4,000 annual car allowance, and hybrid working.

Responsibilities and duties of the Senior Project Manager - Real Estate role

• Reporting to the Associate Director / Director, you will:
• Lead the delivery of complex real estate projects, ensuring client objectives are achieved to agreed time, cost, quality, technical and performance standards.
• Act as the principal day-to-day client interface, building trusted relationships and maintaining clear communication throughout the project lifecycle.
• Advise clients at project conception on delivery strategies, options, risks and the most effective route to achieving their objectives.
• Define success criteria, governance arrangements, processes, reporting structures and project controls.
• Develop and maintain detailed project plans, programmes and key milestones.
• Manage quality, safety, health and environmental considerations across the commission.
• Apply performance-management techniques and KPIs to monitor progress and drive improvement.
• Lead change control, risk management and issue resolution.
• Identify and develop opportunities with existing and prospective clients.
• Recognise and act on cross-selling opportunities across the wider business.
• Support bids, proposals and formal client pitches.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen project management services and ways of working.

Professional qualifications

• A degree in construction, engineering, real estate, project management or a related discipline. Exceptional relevant experience may also be considered.
• Professional membership or accreditation such as APM, RICS, PMI or CIOB is desirable, with APM particularly valued.
• Substantial consultancy-side or client-side project management experience within real estate.
• A strong record of leading projects at a strategic, client-facing level.
• Experience managing significant project values, budgets, programmes and multidisciplinary stakeholder groups.
• Experience within one or more of the following sectors: life sciences, healthcare or commercial real estate.
• Strong knowledge of project governance, controls, change management, risk, reporting and commercial oversight.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with confidence presenting advice and recommendations to senior stakeholders.
• Willingness to travel within the UK and internationally when required.
• Security clearance, including Ministry of Justice clearance, would be advantageous for selected commissions but is not essential.

Personal skills

• Client-focused and confident operating as a senior point of contact.
• Strategic and commercially aware, with strong project delivery experience.
• An excellent communicator who can build trusted relationships with senior stakeholders.
• Collaborative and entrepreneurial in their approach.
• Comfortable managing complex projects, competing priorities and multidisciplinary teams.
• Proactive in identifying opportunities and developing client relationships.
• Focused on achieving high-quality outcomes while maintaining strong governance, risk and commercial controls.
• Keen to develop their career within a business that supports structured progression and internal promotion.

Salary and benefits of the Senior Project Manager - Real Estate role

• Salary: Approximately £75,000, with flexibility for an exceptional candidate.
• Car allowance: £4,000 per annum.
• Working pattern: Hybrid, typically around three days per week in the office or on a client site, with home working available for the remainder.
• Annual leave: 25 days.
• Pension: 5% employer contribution.
• Healthcare: Private medical cover.
• Insurance: Permanent health insurance and life insurance.
• Reviews: Annual salary and grade reviews.
• Career development: Structured career development and opportunities for internal promotion, leadership progression, international mobility and movement into other sectors.
• Location: Cambridge / East Anglia, with some projects requiring deployment to a client site.
• Working hours: Monday to Friday, with flexible start and finish times potentially available by agreement with the line manager.

Astute People are acting as an employment agency in relation to this vacancy. We do not discriminate on the grounds of age, race, gender, disability, creed or sexual orientation and comply with all relevant UK legislation. We encourage applications from individuals from all backgrounds but candidates must be able to demonstrate their ability to work in the UK. Astute is also committed to the government's Disability Confident Employer initiative. We endeavour to get back to everyone, however, if you have not heard anything after 7 days, please consider your application unsuccessful