Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Project Manager
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Bristol, London, Manchester
Job Summary
At DSIT we’re all about improving people’s lives by maximising the potential of science & technology.
We accelerate innovation, investment and productivity through world-class science, research and development.
We use technology for good by ensuring new and existing technologies are safely developed and deployed across the UK, with the benefits more widely shared.
We are driving forward a modern digital government which gives citizens a more satisfying experience and their time back.
We do all this to enable the Government’s 5 national missions: kickstarting economic growth, making Britain a clean energy superpower, taking back our streets, breaking down barriers to opportunity and building an NHS fit for the future.
Above all, we focus on improving people’s lives. Whether it’s researching new treatments for disease, developing better batteries, reducing burdens through better public services, keeping children safe online, and much more, outcomes for citizens are at the heart of what we do.
Our Inclusive Environment
We offer flexible working benefits, employee well-being support and a great pension. We are enormously proud to be a Disability Confident Leader employer. We support candidates with adjustments throughout our recruitment process. Information about disability confidence and just some examples of the adjustments that you can request can be found in the reasonable adjustment section below.
Find Out More
We regularly run events where you can find out more about the department and tips for the application and interview process. You can sign up for upcoming events here: https://forms.office.com/e/Jae3B4w7xm
You can also follow our LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/dsitcareers/
Job Description
The Government Cyber Unit's mission is to protect public services from cyber threats and digital resilience failures. We are working to achieve a step change in our cyber and digital resilience across government, through delivery of the Government Cyber Action Plan, and working closely with departments and national technical authorities including the National Cyber Security Centre to deliver. This is a challenging time to be working in cyber security and digital resilience, but we have an incredible opportunity to make a difference to people’s lives and promote national security by protecting the public services and national infrastructure they rely on. We work at the forefront of shaping the UK’s national response to emerging cyber and technology issues - from the increasingly complex range of state-sponsored cyber-attacks and supply chain compromises, through to the transformational benefits and security challenges of frontier AI and quantum computing.
We are committed to creating an inclusive and supportive working environment where people can learn, develop and do their best work. Continuous professional development and a focus on wellbeing is core to our unit culture. We welcome applications from candidates who share this ethos and are excited by our mission.
As a Senior Executive Officer (SEO) Project Manager within the Government Cyber Unit, you will operate as a deployable project delivery professional, assigned to support priority projects across a diverse and complex portfolio. Working under the oversight of a Programme Manager, you will be embedded within delivery teams to provide structure, pace, and assurance to projects at varying levels of maturity.
You will be responsible for the effective coordination and delivery of project activities, ensuring alignment to departmental and cross-government objectives. This includes leading the planning, monitoring, and execution of work, maintaining delivery against agreed time, cost, and quality parameters, and rapidly establishing control in new or evolving environments.
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A key part of the role is managing day-to-day delivery in often ambiguous or fast-paced settings. You will identify and mitigate risks, bring clarity to governance and reporting, and engage stakeholders across technical, policy, and operational domains. You will be expected to quickly assess project health, implement appropriate project management disciplines, and provide clear, concise updates to senior colleagues.
Given the deployable nature of the role, resilience, adaptability, and strong interpersonal skills are essential. You will need a robust grasp of project management principles and tools such as Agile, PRINCE2, or APM frameworks, and the ability to apply them pragmatically across a range of delivery contexts.
This role has been aligned to Project Manager 2 on the Project Delivery Capability Framework - Project Manager SEO - Government Project Delivery.
Person specification
Delivery
Key activities include:
- Create and lead the project/deployment to deliver the agreed outcomes within time, cost and quality constraints.
Project Management
- Day to day management and leadership of the project and the project team.
- Provide effective leadership and management controls.
- Set project controls.
- Design the project structure and organisation appropriate to the project maturity level.
- Set appropriate delivery methodologies.
- Manage effective transition between project phases.
Business Case
- Develop and draft the Business Case, with input from specialists as necessary.
Budget
- Estimate project costs, create and monitor the project forecasts. Develop the budget and track delivery within budget.
Resource Management
- Identify skill requirements; and deploy and develop resources throughout the project lifecycle effectively.
- Schedules and manages resources to deliver the project using data insights.
- May work independently or with a small team.
Benefits Realisation
- Deliver the agreed Business Case benefits and outcomes.
- Ensure benefits are identified, understood, measured, tracked and owned.
- Ensure appropriate Benefits Realisation Strategy is in place, and monitor longer term delivery of benefits against the business case.
Stakeholder Management
- Identify and manage stakeholder relationships and need for senior level support.
- Manage internal and external relationships as appropriate.
Risks & Issues Management
- Identify and monitor project risks and issues.
- Develop mitigating actions and escalate as appropriate.
- Identify and work with related projects to manage interdependencies.
Governance
- Support effective governance and decision making.
- Provide key reports and support effective governance and decision making.
Assurance
- Engage with assurance reviews and support action on recommendations.
- Organise assurance processes such as gateway reviews, as required.
Change Management
- Ensure effective Change Management processes are in place to agree and document changes to deliverables as agreed with stakeholders.
Guidance & Support
- Provide support, guidance and coaching for the project team.
- Show commitment to personal development.
- Promote effective individual and team performance.
Project Performance & Controls
- Develop and maintain Project Plans.
- Identify and set appropriate Project Controls.
- Manage performance and report progress to sponsors.
Digital And Data
- Use digital tools to analyse data to understand progress against the plan and takes mitigation actions and exploits opportunities.
- Uses data to forecast future outcomes and address issues before they escalate.
- Provide actionable data driven insights to ensure stakeholders are kept informed and engaged throughout the project lifecycle.
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Essential Criteria
- Practical experience of working in a project environment on medium to large sized projects/programmes, with an awareness of project objectives and wider strategic organisational context.
- Can focus on detail and an ability to deliver quickly and effectively to tight deadlines.
- Ability to work under pressure and adapt quickly to an ever-changing environment.
- A track record of successfully collaborating with a range of partners including internal and external stakeholders.
- Are proficient in developing, using and maintaining products in Excel, Word and PowerPoint.
Desirable Criteria
- Must have or be willing to work towards (and successfully obtain) a recognised Practitioner qualification in Project Management, such as APM PMQ, Prince2, Agile PM.
- If not already accredited, be willing to work towards Foundation or Practitioner level NISTA accreditation.
- Experience in Cyber Security or IT projects/programmes.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Communicating and Influencing
- Making Effective Decisions
- Delivering at Pace
- Working Together
We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:
- Communicating and Influencing
- Making Effective Decisions
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Business Case Development
- Risk and Issue Management
Alongside your salary of £44,620, Department for Science, Innovation & Technology contributes £12,926 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology offers a competitive mix of benefits including:
- A culture of flexible working, such as job sharing, homeworking and compressed hours.
- Automatic enrolment into the Civil Service Pension Scheme, with an employer contribution of 28.97%.
- A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by 1 day per year up to a maximum of 30.
- An extensive range of learning & professional development opportunities, which all staff are actively encouraged to pursue.
- Access to a range of retail, travel and lifestyle employee discounts.
- A hybrid office/home based working model where staff will spend a norm of 40-60% of their time in the office (minimum of 40%) over a month with flex dependent on balancing business and individual need.
Office attendance
The Department operates a discretionary hybrid working policy, which provides for a combination of working hours from your place of work and from your home in the UK. The current expectation for staff is to attend the office or non-home-based location for 40-60% of the time over the accounting period.
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance
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