Project jobs in United Kingdom

Howden is a global insurance group with employee ownership at its heart. Together, we have pushed the boundaries of insurance. We are united by a shared passion and no‑limits mindset, and our strength lies in our ability to collaborate as a powerful international team comprised of 23,000 employees spanning over 56 countries. People join Howden for many different reasons, but they stay for the same one: our culture. It’s what sets us apart, and the reason our employees have been turning down headhunters for years. Whatever your priorities – work / life balance, career progression, sustainability, volunteering – you’ll find like‑minded people driving change at Howden.

ROLE PURPOSE: The Project Management Team Leader is responsible for delivering his or her own allocated projects and leading a team of project managers to deliver projects that meet organisational goals, stakeholder expectations, and quality standards to time, scope and within budget. The role involves supporting and overseeing project execution, managing resources, mitigating risks, promoting development and driving the team to achieve operational excellence. This position also contributes to the continuous improvement of project management processes, tools, and methodologies.

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of project managers, providing guidance, training, and performance feedback.
• Equip team members with the necessary tools, skills, and training to deliver projects effectively.
• Set and monitor clear objectives, performance metrics, and development plans to drive accountability and excellence.
• Ensure adherence to the project management framework, competencies, and business goals.
• Utilise metrics to improve team performance and identify areas for development.
• Regularly review the PM framework with direct reports, identifying training and development opportunities.
• Manage performance, including contractors, and address any people‑management issues while positively influencing cross‑functional team members.
• Act as a role model for effective leadership and management behaviours.
• Identify internal capability gaps and collaborate with senior management on recruitment and talent acquisition.

• Oversee your teams’ portfolio of projects, ensuring they align with business objectives and priorities.
• Monitor the progress of all projects under the team’s supervision and intervene as needed to address delays or issues.
• Ensure effective resource planning and allocation to balance workload and optimise delivery capacity.

• Identify and proactively manage risks across the project portfolio.
• Establish processes to handle issues, bottlenecks, or changes, ensuring minimal disruption to project timelines.
• Ensure lessons learned from past projects are documented and applied to future work.

• Provide guidance, support and escalation points where necessary for project-related queries, concerns or conflicts.
• Promote, build and maintain relationships with internal and external stakeholders to ensure alignment on project goals.
• Ensure regular communication on project progress, key milestones, and potential challenges to stakeholders.

• Develop and implement project management frameworks, methodologies, and best practices.
• Drive initiatives to improve project management methodologies, processes and tools.
• Stay updated on industry best practices, emerging technologies and innovations in project management.
• Working with the PMO, evaluate and implement systems that enhance project tracking, reporting and delivery outcomes.

• Respond to the clients (both internal and external) requirements as appropriate.
• Behave with all clients fairly and ethically.
• Share information that could be beneficial to the Operating Entity / Group.

• Actively undertake personal development to ensure up-to-date knowledge and understanding of best practice.
• Remain aware of external, industry, legal and regulatory developments to ensure practice and outputs are of a sufficiently high standard.
• Keep informed of all legal and regulatory developments relevant to the Operating Entity / Group.

• Ensures compliance of self and team (if line management responsibilities) with all applicable legal, fiscal and regulatory obligations in the form of policies and procedures.
• Ensures correct authorisation is obtained and processes followed when required by the Operating Entity and/or Group.
• Ensures performance, HR and T&C records are up to date and meet the Operating Entity and/or Group’s requirements.
• Maintains accurate records and deal with correspondence appropriately.
• Operates in an honest, professional and ethical manner.
• Strictly adheres to the Group Employee Code of Conduct which strongly aligns to the FCA’s code of conduct that all regulated entities must adhere to.
• Completes all relevant regulatory training.
• Ensures remain competent to carry out role (including team members where direct reports).

• Minimum 5 years of experience in project management.
• Experience in a leadership role desirable.
• Demonstrated success in managing multiple complex projects.

• Advanced knowledge of project management tools and methodologies (Agile, Scrum, Waterfall, or hybrid approaches).
• Proficiency in tools like MS Project, Monday.com, Jira, Trello or equivalent platforms.
• Strong scheduling and resource management skills.
• Familiarity with risk assessment and mitigation strategies.

• Ability to motivate, coach and develop a high‑performing team.
• Skilled in conflict resolution, decision‑making and stakeholder management.
• Strong ability to prioritise and manage competing demands.

• Strategic thinking with a focus on operational excellence.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Collaborative mindset with strong interpersonal skills.
• High level of emotional intelligence and cultural sensitivity.

• Bachelor’s degree in Project Management, Business Administration, Engineering or related fields desirable.
• PMP (Project Management Professional) or PMQ (Project Management Qualification), PRINCE2 or equivalent certifications preferred.
• Agile certifications (e.g. Certified Scrum Master) are a bonus.

A career that you define. At Howden, we value diversity – there is no one Howden type. Instead, we’re looking for individuals who share the same values as us:

• Our successes have all come from someone brave enough to try something new.
• We support each other in the small everyday moments and the bigger challenges.
• We are determined to make a positive difference at work and beyond.

We’re committed to providing reasonable accommodations at Howden to ensure that our positions align well with your needs. Besides the usual adjustments such as software, IT and office setups, we can also accommodate other changes such as flexible hours or hybrid working.