Senior Project Manager
Ref Number
B28\-00303
Professional Expertise
Estates, Facilities, Accommodation and Safety
Department
Finance, Commercial and Estates (B28\)
Location
London
Working Pattern
Full time
Salary
£68,284\-£76,244
Contract Type
Permanent
Working Type
Hybrid
Available for Secondment
No
Closing Date
16\-Oct\-2026
About us
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The UCL Estate comprises over 240 buildings, more than 6\.5 million square feet of academic accommodation and around 4500 owned student bedrooms. The location, scale, variety and complexity of the estate are unparalleled in the Higher Education sector, including world\-leading research, teaching, offices and student accommodation within our Bloomsbury and UCL East campus, at Stratford.
Together, Campus Experience and Infrastructure and Estates Development (CE\&I and ED) is responsible for managing all aspects of the UCL Estate from the strategic to the operational, including property asset management, master\-planning, capital projects and seamless end to end operational support. The function comprises approximately 350 FM and property professionals, project managers and customer facing operational colleagues. From providing student accommodation, security and catering, to delivering an estates masterplan and all forms of capital projects in a sustainable manner. We are a collective of technical professionals who work together to deliver a resilient, functional, and vibrant estate.
About the role
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Lead the transformation of one of London's most complex and historic estates.
We are seeking an inspirational Senior Project Manager to lead a diverse portfolio of projects across UCL's Bloomsbury Capital Programme.
Covering projects from £2m to £100m\+, the portfolio includes major redevelopments, new\-build projects, adaptation and reuse of historic and listed buildings, world\-class research and teaching facilities, commercial developments and strategic estate investments.
The role offers exposure to projects across Bloomsbury, UCL East at Stratford and other strategic locations supporting UCL's long\-term ambitions.
This is an opportunity to shape the places that support world\-leading education, research and innovation whilst helping deliver one of the most ambitious and long\-term capital investment programmes in the Higher Education sector.
Working across a highly operational estate, you will lead projects that leave a lasting legacy for generations of students, researchers, staff and partners.
The role combines strategic leadership, technical project delivery and team development. You will lead multidisciplinary project teams through all stages of the project lifecycle, bringing together stakeholders, consultants, contractors and specialist advisers to deliver successful outcomes in challenging and demanding environments.
You will be responsible for managing multiple projects simultaneously, balancing competing priorities whilst maintaining a relentless focus on safety, quality, value, programme and user experience. You will work closely with senior leaders, academic stakeholders and professional services colleagues, translating technical information into clear recommendations and guiding projects through governance and approval processes.
Success in this role will require an individual who is as comfortable challenging design assumptions and identifying better solutions as they are leading on\-site construction activity. You will provide visible leadership throughout the project lifecycle, helping identify risks and opportunities early and ensuring that issues are resolved before they become barriers to delivery.
Alongside project delivery, you will play an important role in developing capability within the wider team. You will help create an environment where project professionals can thrive, learn from experience and work collaboratively to deliver outcomes that exceed expectations.
About you
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Things you'll need in order to do this job include:
- Significant experience delivering major projects within occupied and operational environments where business continuity, user engagement and stakeholder management are critical to success.
- A strong track record of successfully delivering projects through design, procurement, construction and handover.
- Experience delivering projects through RIBA stages and equivalent project delivery frameworks.
- Demonstrable experience leading multidisciplinary project teams and managing external consultant and contractor organisations.
- The ability to lead confidently in complex and sometimes ambiguous situations, maintaining momentum and delivering at pace in a demanding environment.
- Strong construction and project delivery knowledge, with the ability to identify emerging risks and opportunities early and take decisive action before issues impact successful delivery.
- Excellent communication and influencing skills, with the confidence to engage senior stakeholders, governance groups and project teams.
- Experience balancing strategic objectives with practical delivery challenges.
- A collaborative and inclusive leadership style that inspires those around you, builds capability and brings out the best in project teams, consultants and contractors.
- A proactive, solution\-focused mindset with the resilience, energy and drive to thrive in a fast\-paced delivery environment.
- Strong commercial awareness, including experience administering major construction contracts such as NEC and JCT.
- Experience managing substantial project budgets and providing robust financial forecasting and reporting.
- Working knowledge of statutory and regulatory requirements including planning, building regulations, Building Safety legislation and CDM responsibilities.
- A passion for creating environments that support education, research and innovation.
- Relevant professional qualification or experiential equivalent is essential.
- The ability to work on\-site in London at least 4 days per week.
- Experience delivering projects valued at £20m\+.
- Experience of delivering teaching laboratories, research laboratories and other similar highly serviced functional spaces.
- Experience working within complex urban environments, occupied estates or major institutional portfolios.
- Experience managing projects with complex stakeholder groups and demanding operational requirements.
- Experience delivering projects within higher education, healthcare, science, cultural, commercial or public sector environments.
- Chartered status through a recognised professional body (for example CEng, ChPP, MCIOB, MRICS or equivalent).
What we offer
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As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents, we also offer some great benefits some of which are below:
- 41 Days holiday (27 days annual leave 8 bank holiday and 6 closure days)
- Additional 5 days’ annual leave purchase scheme
- Defined benefit career average revalued earnings pension scheme (CARE)
- Cycle to work scheme and season ticket loan
- Immigration loan
- Relocation scheme for certain posts
- On\-Site nursery
- On\-site gym
- Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay
- Employee assistance programme: Staff Support Service
- Discounted medical insurance
Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
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As London’s Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation, and we want our community to represent the diversity of the world’s talent. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong. We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL’s workforce. These include people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds; disabled people; and for our Grade 9 and 10 roles, women.
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