Senior Project Manager

University of Manchester; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

29 days annual leave

Generous pension

Flexible and hybrid working

Staff benefits access

Job summary

University of Manchester is seeking a senior leader to drive delivery of complex capital projects across the university estate. You will guide projects from planning through to handover, balancing time, cost, quality and safety with sustainability goals.

In this role you will advise senior stakeholders, manage consultants and contractors, and uphold robust governance and controls. A strong track record in NEC-based contracts and multi-stakeholder programmes is essential.

Qualifications

• Substantial experience of leading complex, high value and strategically important capital projects and programmes within a large, multi stakeholder organisation.
• Proven ability to manage standalone projects and programmes of multiple interdependent workstreams, including planning, dependencies, risks, governance, reporting and delivery to agreed outcomes.
• Demonstrable experience operating with a high degree of autonomy and professional judgement, advising senior stakeholders and governance forums on complex project, programme, commercial and delivery matters.
• Excellent knowledge of construction procurement, contract administration and commercial management, including NEC contracts and effective management of consultant and contractor performance.
• Highly developed stakeholder management, influencing, analytical and communication skills, with the ability to interpret complex information, manage competing priorities and provide clear recommendations in high risk or uncertain situations.

Responsibilities

• Provide autonomous senior client side leadership for complex, high value and strategically important capital projects and programmes, from initiation and brief development through delivery, handover and operational use.
• Take ownership of multiple concurrent projects and programmes, managing interdependencies, risks, resources, approvals, constraints and stakeholder impacts to achieve agreed scope, time, cost, quality and safety outcomes.
• Own robust financial and project controls, including significant budgets, cashflow forecasts, schedules, risk registers, change control and performance reporting, providing clear delivery confidence to senior stakeholders.
• Provide authoritative commercial and professional leadership, shaping procurement and contracting strategies and managing consultant and contractor appointments, performance, cost risk, change and claims to secure value for money.
• Lead senior stakeholder engagement across academic, professional services and operational areas, managing competing priorities and translating complex technical, commercial and programme information into clear recommendations and decisions.
• Provide professional leadership to multidisciplinary teams, consultants and contractors, setting performance standards, challenging underperformance and intervening where delivery is off track to agree and implement recovery actions.

Skills

Project leadership

Programme management

Autonomy

Contract management

NEC contracts

Stakeholder management

Communication

Job description

The Role:

As a senior member of the Estates and Facilities Major Projects team, you will lead the delivery of complex, high value and strategically important capital projects and programmes across the University estate.

Working with a high degree of autonomy, you will take projects from planning through to completion, managing multiple priorities, risks, budgets and stakeholders to ensure successful delivery against time, cost, quality, safety and sustainability objectives.

You will act as a trusted adviser to senior stakeholders, providing expert professional and commercial advice, managing consultants and contractors, and resolving complex delivery challenges. You will also play a key role in strengthening project and programme governance, controls and ways of working across Major Projects, helping ensure the University’s capital investment delivers long term value.

Your Responsibilities Will Include:

• Provide autonomous senior client side leadership for complex, high value and strategically important capital projects and programmes, from initiation and brief development through delivery, handover and operational use.
• Take ownership of multiple concurrent projects and programmes, managing interdependencies, risks, resources, approvals, constraints and stakeholder impacts to achieve agreed scope, time, cost, quality and safety outcomes.
• Own robust financial and project controls, including significant budgets, cashflow forecasts, schedules, risk registers, change control and performance reporting, providing clear delivery confidence to senior stakeholders.
• Provide authoritative commercial and professional leadership, shaping procurement and contracting strategies and managing consultant and contractor appointments, performance, cost risk, change and claims to secure value for money.
• Lead senior stakeholder engagement across academic, professional services and operational areas, managing competing priorities and translating complex technical, commercial and programme information into clear recommendations and decisions.
• Provide professional leadership to multidisciplinary teams, consultants and contractors, setting performance standards, challenging underperformance and intervening where delivery is off track to agree and implement recovery actions.

About You:

• Substantial experience of leading complex, high value and strategically important capital projects and programmes within a large, multi stakeholder organisation.
• Proven ability to manage standalone projects and programmes of multiple interdependent workstreams, including planning, dependencies, risks, governance, reporting and delivery to agreed outcomes.
• Demonstrable experience operating with a high degree of autonomy and professional judgement, advising senior stakeholders and governance forums on complex project, programme, commercial and delivery matters.
• Excellent knowledge of construction procurement, contract administration and commercial management, including NEC contracts and effective management of consultant and contractor performance.
• Highly developed stakeholder management, influencing, analytical and communication skills, with the ability to interpret complex information, manage competing priorities and provide clear recommendations in high risk or uncertain situations.

What You Will Get:

• 29 days annual leave, plus bank holidays and December closure days
• Generous pension scheme
• Flexible and hybrid working
• Access to a wide range of staff benefits, including discounts, wellbeing support, and development programmes

Explore full benefits: www.manchester.ac.uk/connect/jobs/benefits-working-here

For informal enquiries please contact the Talent Attraction Team [e-mail]