UKRI
Senior Project Manager - IS8
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Senior Project Manager – IS8 Programmes
EPSRC
Salary: £46,743 per annum
Band: UKRI Band E
Contract Type: Open ended
Hours: Full-time or Part Time (minimum 0.8 FTE) (flexible working available)
Location: Polaris House, Swindon, Wiltshire - Hybrid working is available in line with EPSRC/UKRI policy
Closing Date: 02/08/26
About the role
The key purpose of this role is to support the effective management, delivery, and coordination of an IS8 programme or to support the integration of all IS8 programmes under the responsibility of the Executive Chair as Senior Responsibility Owner (SRO).
As an IS8 Senior Project Manager, you will collaborate with colleagues across UKRI to help deliver strategic government and societal priorities through the UKRI Industrial Strategy programmes. You will play a key role in programme and project governance, ensuring that intended benefits and outcomes are successfully achieved.
You will be responsible for driving and overseeing the delivery of a suite of projects, ensuring that objectives are clearly defined and delivered within agreed time, cost, and quality parameters. You will facilitate collaboration across teams and lead effective communication with stakeholders to support the design, development, and delivery of programme activities.
You will be either assigned to one of the IS8 programmes (x3 roles) or assigned to the Portfolio and Private Office to support the integration of IS8 programmes under the oversight of the SRO. Each role may have line management responsibilities as required. You will also provide matrix management oversight of relevant UKRI teams and work closely with teams supporting other Industrial Strategy programmes.
Your responsibilities:
- Coordinate and oversee delivery of programme activities, ensuring effective management of dependencies, milestones, governance, finance, risks, issues and benefits.
- Work collaboratively across councils and matrix-managed teams to deliver programme objectives.
- Lead and contribute to the development of business cases and support approval through appropriate governance.
- Manage stakeholder engagement and communications, building strong internal and external relationships and escalating issues to senior leaders where required.
- Manage programme resources, including planning, scheduling, securing and deploying resources for complex, large-scale programmes.
- Oversee programme performance, controls and assurance, maintaining coherence of the governance framework and managing change control processes.
- Ensure effective risk, issue and dependency management, working with project leads to resolve conflicts and unblock delivery.
- Develop and monitor benefits realisation plans, ensuring project outputs align with programme requirements.
- Manage programme and project budgets, securing approvals and ensuring delivery within agreed financial constraints.
Personal Specification
The essential and desirable criteria for the role are listed below, these will be scored at Shortlisting (S), Interview (I) or both (S&I).
Essential
- Proven experience delivering complex programmes or portfolios with multiple dependencies. (S&I)
- The ability to effectively manage projects using different frameworks and methodologies to ensure successful delivery, including an understanding of programme governance, assurance and performance/change controls. (S&I)
- Ability to work effectively in matrix environments and influence without direct authority. (S&I)
- Strong stakeholder management skills, including engagement with senior leaders. (S&I)
- Demonstrated capability in managing risks, issues, dependencies and resolving delivery challenges. (S&I)
- Experience managing budgets, resources and securing approvals through governance. (S&I)
- Experience developing business cases and managing benefits realisation. (S&I)
- Clear, confident communicator able to present complex information and drive delivery outcomes (S&I)
- Project management qualification such as APM project management qualification / PRINCE2 or transferrable skill set and the willingness to work towards one. (S)
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Desirable
- Understanding of Green Book Business case development and Magenta Book evaluation processes. (S)
Benefits
We recognise and value our employees as individuals and aim to provide a favourable pay and rewards package. We are committed to supporting employees' development and promote a culture of continuous learning!
A list of benefits below:
- An outstanding defined benefit pension scheme.
- 30 days' annual leave in addition to 10.5 public and privilege days (full time equivalent).
- Employee discounts and offers on retail and leisure activities.
- Employee assistance programme, providing confidential help and advice.
- Flexible working options.
Plus, many more benefits and wellbeing initiatives that enable our employees to have a great work life balance!
For further information on our benefits please see: Benefits of working at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)
UKRI is an Equal Opportunity & Disability Confident Employer.
For meaningful National Security Vetting checks to be carried out individuals need to have lived in the United Kingdom for a sufficient period of time. You should normally have been resident in the UK for the last 5 years as the role requires SC [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/united-kingdom-security-vetting-clearance-levels/national-security-vetting-clearance-levels#enhanced-security-check-esc]. However, UK residency less than the outlined periods may not bar you from gaining National Security Vetting and applicants should contact the Vacancy Holder/Recruiting Manager listed for further advice.
Applicants must submit a covering letter and CV to be considered for this role. Cover letters should be no more than a maximum length of 4 pages A4 (normal margins, font size minimum 11) Please apply online, if you experience any issue applying, please contact Recruitment@ukri.org.
Please note, if you will require sponsorship to work in the UK, as part of your sponsorship application, you and any dependants travelling with you, will be required to pay costs directly to The Home Office for the application before you start your role with us. UKRI is normally able to reimburse some, or all of these fees after you have become an employee, and this can be discussed with the Hiring Manager. For more information, please visit https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa/how-much-it-costs or contact Recruitment@ukri.org.
UKRI - UK Research and Innovation
UKRI is an organisation that brings together the seven disciplinary research councils, Research England and Innovate UK. Together, we build an independent organisation with a strong voice and vision ensuring the UK maintains its world-leading position in research and innovation.
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Supporting some of the world’s most exciting and challenging research projects, we develop and operate some of the most remarkable scientific facilities in the world. We are pushing the frontiers of human knowledge through fundamental research and delivering benefits for UK society and the economy through world-class research, skills and business-led innovation.
More information can be found at www.ukri.org.
Choosing to come to work at UKRI means that you will have access to a whole host of benefits from a defined benefit pension scheme, excellent holiday entitlement, access to employee shopping/travel discounts and salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme. For more details, visit benefits of working for UKRI.
How we support EDI in the workforce
At UKRI, we believe that everyone has a right to be treated with dignity and respect, and to be provided with equal opportunities to thrive and succeed in an environment that enables them to do so. We also value diversity of thought and experience within inclusive groups, organisations and the wider community. For further information, please visit ‘How we support EDI in the workforce’ [https://www.ukri.org/about-us/work-for-us/edi-in-the-workforce/#contents-list].
Disability Confident Employer
As users of the disability confident scheme, any candidate who opts into the scheme and best meets the essential criteria, will be shortlisted for interview. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.
How to apply
Online applications only preferred for this role. Please submit a CV and covering letter which clearly outlines how you fulfil the criteria specified along with your motivation for UKRI and the role. Ensure that the job reference number is included in the filename description of each document uploaded. Note that failure to address the above criteria or submit an application without a covering letter may result in the application not being considered. Assessment will only be based upon the content of your submitted covering letter and CV and not the ‘experience’ section of the application.
UKRI seeks to ensure it creates and maintains a system of openness, fairness and inclusion – a collaborative, trusted environment, which is attractive to and accessible to everyone who is interested in developing their career with us.
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 rejected and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.
As part of the pre-employment checks there is a requirement to undergo Baseline Personnel Security Screening. BPSS is a pre-condition
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