Mott MacDonald
Senior Project Manager
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Location/s: Cambridge, Bristol, Exeter, Plymouth; UK
Relocation supported: Not supported, but internal applications are welcome
Recruiter contact: Aoife Cullen
Hiring manager contact: Ben Clive
About Mott MacDonald
Mott MacDonald is a global engineering, management, and development consultancy with over 20,000 employees across more than 50 countries and 140+ offices.
We work across incredible global industries, delivering exciting work that is defining our future and making an important societal impact in the communities we serve. Our people power our performance – we succeed when they do. With countless opportunities to collaborate, learn, and grow, the possibilities for excellence are as varied as every individual.
Whether you want to grow as a subject matter expert or broaden your experience with roles across our international community, you’re surrounded by global specialists who want to combine their expertise and champion you to be your best. As a proudly employee-owned business, we benefit our clients, our communities, and each other, investing in creating the right space for everyone to feel empowered, included, and valued. Whatever your ambition, Mott MacDonald is where people come to be brilliant.
About The Business Unit
Mott MacDonald’s Advisory and Programme Delivery (APD) unit delivers both project, programme & commercial management (PPCM) services and advisory solutions across the built environment, defence, energy, water, environmental, transportation, health and care sectors.
We deliver tailored solutions that directly address our clients’ key challenges, combining our world-leading project expertise with unrivalled programme delivery capabilities and advisory services.
APD delivers services to projects ranging in scale and complexity up to £20bn, through the technical disciplines of programme management, project management, project controls, scheduling, cost management, estimating, infrastructure finance, management consulting, digital consulting and education, health and care management.
Defence & Energy
With extensive experience in the global defence sector, Mott MacDonald’s advisory and programme delivery teams support a wide range of clients including the UK Ministry of Defence, NATO, and international partners. Our work spans complex infrastructure upgrades, strategic asset management, and carbon reduction initiatives across land, air, maritime, and nuclear domains. Recent projects include the modernisation of submarine facilities at Devonport and Clyde, infrastructure delivery for the US Visiting Forces (USVF) at RAF Lakenheath, and support for the AUKUS submarine partnership, as well as defence infrastructure across the UK.
In the energy sector, our expertise covers nuclear, renewables, hydro, thermal, and electricity and gas. We provide services to a global customer base, supporting the delivery of major capital projects and the transition to low-carbon generation. Our teams are helping shape the future of energy through innovative solutions that promote sustainability, resilience, and energy security.
Overview Of The Role
Due to continued growth across our Defence Infrastructure portfolio, we have exciting opportunities for experienced project management professionals to join our expanding team in the UK. This is a unique opportunity to play a key role in delivering some of the UK's most complex and strategically significant defence infrastructure programmes.
Working within secure and highly regulated environments, you will support the delivery of infrastructure projects across the Defence Estate, including new build, refurbishment, asset enhancement and operational infrastructure programmes. These projects will range from concept and business case development through design, procurement, construction, commissioning and handover.
We are seeking a Senior Project Manager who is passionate about delivering complex infrastructure projects, leading multidisciplinary design and delivery teams, and working collaboratively with clients, stakeholders and supply chain partners. You will be responsible for ensuring projects are delivered safely, securely, on schedule, within budget and to the required quality standards.
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The role provides opportunities to work across a broad range of defence infrastructure programmes, leading project teams through all phases of the project lifecycle, from strategic planning and design development through construction delivery, commissioning and operational handover.
The successful candidate will be comfortable operating within client organisations, often as an integrated member of client-side programme and project teams. They will be capable of building trusted relationships, providing assurance and leadership, and representing both the client's interests and project objectives within complex stakeholder environments.
You will have the opportunity to work on some of the UK's largest and most complex Defence Infrastructure programmes, supporting clients in delivering critical estate, operational and mission-enabling facilities.
You will collaborate with multidisciplinary teams across project management, engineering, architecture, design management, commercial management and construction disciplines to deliver sustainable, secure and resilient infrastructure solutions.
The role offers:
- Exposure to nationally significant Defence Infrastructure programmes
- Involvement across the full project lifecycle from feasibility through construction, commissioning and handover
- Opportunities to lead multidisciplinary design and construction teams within secure environments
- Career development through long-term frameworks and strategic programmes
- A collaborative environment focused on technical excellence, innovation, sustainability and social value
Key responsibilities and duties include:
- Lead the safe, secure and successful delivery of defence infrastructure and construction projects in accordance with agreed time, cost, quality and performance objectives
- Manage projects throughout the complete lifecycle, including feasibility, business case development, design, procurement, construction, commissioning and handover
- Lead and oversee multidisciplinary design teams throughout all project stages, ensuring designs are developed, coordinated, reviewed and delivered in accordance with client requirements, programme constraints and statutory obligations
- Act as the Project Manager for integrated design delivery teams, managing design programme performance, resource requirements, risks, interfaces and stakeholder engagement
- Ensure effective design management processes are implemented, monitored and controlled throughout project delivery
- Manage and challenge consultant teams to ensure designs are delivered to the required quality standards, approved budgets and programme milestones
- Lead the delivery of projects through the construction phase, ensuring works are executed safely, in accordance with approved designs, programme, budget and quality requirements
- Oversee contractor performance and construction delivery activities, ensuring effective management of programme, risk, quality, cost and change throughout project execution
- Manage the transition from design into construction, ensuring design intent is maintained, technical queries are resolved and approvals are secured to support successful delivery
- Monitor construction progress, commissioning and handover activities, ensuring project objectives and operational requirements are achieved
- Undertake site-based leadership activities, including progress reviews, contractor meetings, stakeholder engagement and site inspections as required
- Develop, maintain and monitor integrated project programmes, schedules, dependencies and resource plans
- Manage and coordinate project controls, including cost management, change control, risk management and progress reporting
- Identify, assess and manage project risks, opportunities and security-related constraints
- Ensure robust governance, assurance and reporting processes are established and maintained
- Provide leadership and direction across commercial, procurement and project control functions
- Manage NEC contracts (or similar forms of contract) and ensure successful contract administration, change management and commercial outcomes
- Monitor consultant and contractor performance and ensure delivery in accordance with contractual obligations and programme requirements
- Act as the key point of contact for clients, senior stakeholders, delivery partners and supply chain organisations
- Work within client environments as an integrated member of programme and project teams, providing leadership, assurance and project management expertise to support successful project outcomes
- Lead stakeholder engagement activities within complex and security-sensitive environments
- Support compliance with CDM Regulations, health, safety and environmental requirements, ensuring safe delivery throughout design and construction phases
- Promote a positive safety culture and ensure compliance with industry best practice and client requirements
- Provide leadership, mentoring and guidance to project teams and junior project managers
- Support business development activities, framework growth and the pursuit of new opportunities within the defence sector
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Candidate specification
Essential:
- Proven experience delivering major infrastructure, capital investment or construction projects within defence, government, nuclear, aviation, rail or other highly regulated sectors
- Extensive experience managing and overseeing multidisciplinary design teams across the full project lifecycle, from concept and feasibility through detailed design, construction delivery and project close-out
- Demonstrable experience acting as Project Manager for consultant design teams, managing design programmes, technical interfaces, deliverables, milestones and stakeholder approvals
- Significant project management experience across the full project lifecycle, including business case development, design management, procurement, construction delivery, commissioning and handover of major infrastructure projects
- Proven experience managing projects through construction, commissioning and handover phases within infrastructure, engineering or capital delivery programmes
- Demonstrable experience overseeing contractor performance, construction delivery, programme management and project controls during live construction activities
- Experience managing the interfaces between design teams, contractors, client stakeholders and end users throughout the construction and delivery phases of projects
- Strong understanding of design management principles and the integration of design, commercial, programme and construction activities
- Strong understanding of construction delivery methodologies, contractor management, site-based governance, commissioning and project handover processes
- Strong understanding of project controls, planning, scheduling, risk management and change control processes
- Experience working within client organisations and/or embedded project delivery teams, providing project management leadership across complex infrastructure and construction programmes
- Comfortable operating within client environments, establishing credibility quickly and building trusted relationships with stakeholders at all levels of an organisation
- Demonstrable ability to act as a trusted advisor to clients, providing objective project management expertise, assurance and leadership throughout the project lifecycle
- Experience administering and managing NEC3/NEC4 contracts within construction and infrastructure environments
- Sound commercial awareness and understanding of programme delivery within complex stakeholder environments
- Experience managing senior client and stakeholder relationships
- Knowledge of CDM Regulations, construction safety requirements and industry best practice
- Experience working within secure or highly regulated environments
- Ability to lead, motivate and develop project teams
- Excellent communication, report writing and presentation skills
- Strong IT skills including Microsoft Office Suite and project management software
Qualifications:
- Degree qualified in Project Management, Construction Management, Engineering, Architecture, Quantity Surveying or a related discipline
- Chartered Project Professional (ChPP) through the Association for Project
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