People Group
Senior Project Manager
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Role: Senior Project Manager – (Heat Networks/Utilities)
Location: East London
Salary: Competitive Salary + Pension/Healthcare
The Client:
My client is a prominent and forward-thinking energy infrastructure provider in the United Kingdom, specializing in the design, delivery, and long-term operation of large-scale decentralized low-carbon utility networks.
The company focuses heavily on urban district heating, cooling, and power solutions, managing critical assets that supply sustainable energy to thousands of residential and commercial properties. Renowned for its engineering excellence and commitment to the green transition, the business integrates cutting-edge technologies like industrial heat pumps and waste-heat recovery systems to drive urban centres toward a zero-carbon future.
The Role:
The Senior Project Manager will lead client-side delivery of complex heat network projects, providing strategic assurance, commercial control and senior stakeholder alignment across civils, street works and complex M&E works.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic project leadership
- Own the macro-level delivery of complex heat network projects from business case through construction, commissioning, handover and close-out.
- Lead the intelligent client function, maintaining assurance over delivery while holding the Principal Contractor to account for safety, quality, programme and cost.
- Look ahead across the 6-to-12-month horizon to identify risks, constraints, commercial pressures and stakeholder issues before they affect delivery.
- Provide leadership, direction and support to Project Managers, Site Project Managers and wider project teams.
Commercial, contract and governance management
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- Set the contract management approach for assigned projects, typically under NEC3/4 or comparable target-cost/fixed-price arrangements.
- Lead high-level review of Early Warnings, Compensation Events, payment applications, programme submissions and final account matters.
- Escalate and resolve contractor performance issues, supporting firm but fair commercial negotiation and dispute avoidance.
- Establish project controls, reporting rhythms and P3M governance that provide accurate data for portfolio dashboards and executive reporting.
Stakeholder and supply chain management
- Manage senior relationships with Principal Contractor directors, local authorities, investors, internal executives and key delivery partners.
- Align construction delivery with commercial, operational and decarbonisation objectives.
- Oversee local authority, planning, permitting, customer and community interfaces where these present delivery risk.
- Contribute to procurement and supply chain strategy to support safe, cost-effective and timely delivery.
Technical assurance and compliance
- Provide informed client-side challenge across linear infrastructure, street works, civils, energy centres, plant rooms, heat exchangers and M&E interfaces.
- Ensure compliance with CDM Regulations, health and safety requirements, quality systems and relevant industry standards.
- Assure construction, commissioning and handover readiness, ensuring defects, risks and obligations are visible and actively managed.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
- Projects delivered safely, with visible client-side assurance of contractor compliance and CDM duties.
- Programme, cost, risk and commercial positions accurately reported through standard P3M controls and portfolio dashboards.
- Principal Contractor performance effectively challenged, with Early Warnings, Compensation Events and payment matters managed in line with contract requirements.
- Project teams supported with clear priorities, consistent reporting and timely escalation of risks and decisions.
- Stakeholder confidence maintained across executives, investors, local authorities, contractors and internal operational teams.
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Skills & Competencies
- Minimum HNC/HND or degree-equivalent experience in mechanical, electrical or civil engineering; heat network, utilities or major infrastructure experience preferred.
- Strong NEC3/4 and JCT contract administration, commercial management, Early Warning and Compensation Event experience.
- Project/programme controls capability, including risk, cost, schedule, KPI reporting and use of SharePoint, Power BI or comparable portfolio tools.
Key soft skills required
- Strategic judgement and calm escalation management.
- Confident stakeholder leadership with the authority to challenge senior contractor representatives.
- Clear written and verbal reporting, with strong team leadership and coaching capability.
Ideal experience
- 8-12+ years in major projects, regulated utilities, district energy, transport, highways, water, power, oil and gas, or complex construction delivery.
- Experience leading multi-disciplinary infrastructure and M&E projects through construction, commissioning and handover.
- Experience line-managing project teams and standardising project reporting metrics.
- Experience acting as, or closely supporting, the Project Manager/Employer role under NEC or similar contracts.
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