Senior Project Manager
Senior Project Delivery Manager
Contract type: Permanent Full Time
Location: London or Newcastle offices based with a min 2 days a week attendance in either office.
Salary: London c£74,000 Newcastle c£64,750 plus civil service employee pension contribution of 28.9%
Nationality Requirement:
• UK Nationals
• Nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• Nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with (or eligible for) status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
Please be aware that we do not provide sponsorship for work visas for this position. Applicants must already meet the nationality requirements outlined above. If you have any questions regarding your eligibility, please contact the HR Service desk should you have any questions on your nationality eligibility.
The deadline for applications is 11.59pm Sunday 28th June. There will be two stage interview process with the 1st stage being conducted over MS Teams WC 6th July and the final stage taking place in our offices WC 13th July. For the final stage candidates will be expected to provide a short presentation.
About the NAO
The National Audit Office (NAO) scrutinises public spending on behalf of Parliament, helping it hold government departments to account and supporting public service leaders to improve performance and service delivery. We are totally independent of government.
About the job
The Senior Project Delivery Manager is responsible for leading delivery of digital projects and workstreams within the Digital Services team.
The role will provide clear project reporting to project boards and the Head of IT.
The role will lead governance, reporting, risk and issue management and stakeholder coordination.
The role operates in a matrix management environment rather than formal line management.
The successful candidate will have experience of using PRINCE2 or agile methodologies whilst collaborating with mixed teams to achieve common goals. Azure DevOps experience/awareness is also beneficial.
Key responsibilities include:
Project Management
Setting up projects with the NAO s standard templates to ensure major milestones and activities to achieve them are captured, monitored, and reported against.
Maintain project plans and controls throughout delivery to support project tracking and reporting.
Provide clear updates to management on project progress, proactively raising concerns, issues, and risks with project team members, and escalating where required.
Work with business and technical architects, designers, and analysts to ensure projects adhere to standards.
Collaborate closely with stakeholders throughout the project lifecycle.
The successful candidate will be able to prioritise effectively across multiple projects to deliver the greatest impact.
There will be no formal line management responsibilities, but individual projects will entail coordinating project teams of NAO staff, typically through a matrix-management model and third-party resources.
The role reports to the Head of PMO or equivalent.
Internal/External relationships:
DS management, all within DS, Engagement & Change, Business Analysts, Test Leads, and other Delivery Managers
Programme / Project Boards, Programme / Project delivery team members
Build effective relationships with staff at all levels, working directly with users to ensure technology systems and services meet user and wider business needs.
Build effective relationships across NAO audit and corporate service teams to ensure stakeholders remain engaged and informed.
Work closely with service owners to ensure priorities, resource implications and service impacts are understood and managed.
External relationships with suppliers.
Resources managed:
Staff: No line management responsibilities. Staff allocation management will depend on the size of projects. Projects can comprise cross-functional teams at a range of seniorities.
External resources: Manage external consultants and specialists as required.
Budget: Support the management of project budgets and financial controls, as appropriate.
Job responsibilities
The Senior Project Delivery Manager is responsible for delivering key projects within the NAO s digital change programme. Key responsibilities include:
Project Delivery (95%)
Lead the delivery and day-to-day management of Digital Services projects.
Help define and document the project scope, goals and deliverables that support business objectives, in collaboration with senior management and stakeholders.
Manage projects on a day-to-day basis on behalf of the sponsor / Project Board through the full life cycle, in accordance with NAO guidance and standards.
Produce high-quality project reporting and governance documentation, including progress, risk, issue and status reporting for project teams, senior stakeholders, and boards.
Monitor and manage project budgets, ensuring accurate forecasting and effective financial control.
Establish project controls and ensure they are effective (e.g. governance, risk and issue management, highlight and exception reporting, project reviews).
Communicate project goals and progress clearly to team members and stakeholders.
Support the technical project owner by helping to lead and coordinate project delivery teams, delegating where appropriate, to ensure timely, cost-effective delivery of fit-for-purpose business and technology solutions.
Work with others to develop change management plans, including communication and engagement plans.
Manage stakeholder relationships across the business to support successful project initiation, transition into business-as-usual, and closure.
Ensure projects are appropriately resourced to deliver the required outputs, negotiating with department managers and external suppliers to secure resources as needed.
Identify and manage project and inter-project dependencies, including critical path activities.
Plan, schedule and track project timelines, milestones, and deliverables.
Proactively manage changes to project scope, identify potential risks, and devise contingency plans, providing project boards with options for resolution.
Define project success criteria and disseminate them to involved parties throughout the project lifecycle.
Build strong working relationships that support successful project delivery.
Lead project reviews and capture lessons learned to identify successful and unsuccessful project elements.
Apply appropriate project delivery tools, governance, and controls to support effective project execution.
Share knowledge and embed good project delivery practice across the team.
Contribute to solution development by ensuring options align with business needs and relevant information and data architecture.
Personnel Management (5%)
Provide timely, delivery-focused feedback on the contribution of project team members through agreed project and performance processes.
Support, coach and coordinate project team members and contractors encouraging proactive working and accountability.
Delegate tasks and responsibilities as appropriate.
Identify and resolve issues and conflicts within the project team.
Key skills, behaviours, and experience
Qualifications and Training:
Formal training and experience in at least one modern software development lifecycle / methodology (e.g. PRINCE2, Agile) essential.
Essential Experience
Experience of delivering digital change initiatives and projects including infrastructure, cloud, or network related change.
Strong leadership and coordination skills, with experience of leading multi-disciplinary business and technology teams, and the ability to coordinate resources effectively.
Experience of planning, monitoring, and reporting on projects using relevant tools (e.g. MS Project, Azure DevOps).
Desirable Experience
Experience of using Azure DevOps.
Experience of workshop facilitation.
Skills and behaviours
Positive, delivery-focused approach.
Self-aware with excellent people skills.
Ability to negotiate, manage conflict, influence outcomes, and gain buy-in for new initiatives and ways of working.
Strong verbal and written communication skills with customers, key stakeholders, and technical staff at all levels, including presentation skills.
Ability to clearly articulate and communicate project concepts and issues to both technical and non-technical staff.
Understanding of business analysis techniques and how they support the delivery of digital change projects.
Ability to effectively prioritise and execute tasks in a complex and changing environment.
Equal opportunities and diversity
Disability and Reasonable Adjustments: Applicants with a disability who wish their application to be considered under the Disability Confident scheme should confirm this when submitting their application. Under this scheme we guarantee an interview to an applicant with a disability who meets the minimum requirements for the role. You should also let our HR team know if you wish us to consider any Reasonable Adjustments at any stage of the process (HR Service Desk: ).
Applicants will not be discriminated against on the grounds of any protected characteristic or any other extraneous factor.
How to apply.
Please upload an up to date cv with a covering letter clearly setting out your suitability and interest in the role.
Contract type: Permanent Full Time
Location: London or Newcastle offices based with a min 2 days a week attendance in either office.
Salary: London c£74,000 Newcastle c£64,750 plus civil service employee pension contribution of 28.9%
Nationality Requirement:
• UK Nationals
• Nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• Nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with (or eligible for) status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
Please be aware that we do not provide sponsorship for work visas for this position. Applicants must already meet the nationality requirements outlined above. If you have any questions regarding your eligibility, please contact the HR Service desk should you have any questions on your nationality eligibility.
The deadline for applications is 11.59pm Sunday 28th June. There will be two stage interview process with the 1st stage being conducted over MS Teams WC 6th July and the final stage taking place in our offices WC 13th July. For the final stage candidates will be expected to provide a short presentation.
About the NAO
The National Audit Office (NAO) scrutinises public spending on behalf of Parliament, helping it hold government departments to account and supporting public service leaders to improve performance and service delivery. We are totally independent of government.
About the job
The Senior Project Delivery Manager is responsible for leading delivery of digital projects and workstreams within the Digital Services team.
The role will provide clear project reporting to project boards and the Head of IT.
The role will lead governance, reporting, risk and issue management and stakeholder coordination.
The role operates in a matrix management environment rather than formal line management.
The successful candidate will have experience of using PRINCE2 or agile methodologies whilst collaborating with mixed teams to achieve common goals. Azure DevOps experience/awareness is also beneficial.
Key responsibilities include:
Project Management
Setting up projects with the NAO s standard templates to ensure major milestones and activities to achieve them are captured, monitored, and reported against.
Maintain project plans and controls throughout delivery to support project tracking and reporting.
Provide clear updates to management on project progress, proactively raising concerns, issues, and risks with project team members, and escalating where required.
Work with business and technical architects, designers, and analysts to ensure projects adhere to standards.
Collaborate closely with stakeholders throughout the project lifecycle.
The successful candidate will be able to prioritise effectively across multiple projects to deliver the greatest impact.
There will be no formal line management responsibilities, but individual projects will entail coordinating project teams of NAO staff, typically through a matrix-management model and third-party resources.
The role reports to the Head of PMO or equivalent.
Internal/External relationships:
DS management, all within DS, Engagement & Change, Business Analysts, Test Leads, and other Delivery Managers
Programme / Project Boards, Programme / Project delivery team members
Build effective relationships with staff at all levels, working directly with users to ensure technology systems and services meet user and wider business needs.
Build effective relationships across NAO audit and corporate service teams to ensure stakeholders remain engaged and informed.
Work closely with service owners to ensure priorities, resource implications and service impacts are understood and managed.
External relationships with suppliers.
Resources managed:
Staff: No line management responsibilities. Staff allocation management will depend on the size of projects. Projects can comprise cross-functional teams at a range of seniorities.
External resources: Manage external consultants and specialists as required.
Budget: Support the management of project budgets and financial controls, as appropriate.
Job responsibilities
The Senior Project Delivery Manager is responsible for delivering key projects within the NAO s digital change programme. Key responsibilities include:
Project Delivery (95%)
Lead the delivery and day-to-day management of Digital Services projects.
Help define and document the project scope, goals and deliverables that support business objectives, in collaboration with senior management and stakeholders.
Manage projects on a day-to-day basis on behalf of the sponsor / Project Board through the full life cycle, in accordance with NAO guidance and standards.
Produce high-quality project reporting and governance documentation, including progress, risk, issue and status reporting for project teams, senior stakeholders, and boards.
Monitor and manage project budgets, ensuring accurate forecasting and effective financial control.
Establish project controls and ensure they are effective (e.g. governance, risk and issue management, highlight and exception reporting, project reviews).
Communicate project goals and progress clearly to team members and stakeholders.
Support the technical project owner by helping to lead and coordinate project delivery teams, delegating where appropriate, to ensure timely, cost-effective delivery of fit-for-purpose business and technology solutions.
Work with others to develop change management plans, including communication and engagement plans.
Manage stakeholder relationships across the business to support successful project initiation, transition into business-as-usual, and closure.
Ensure projects are appropriately resourced to deliver the required outputs, negotiating with department managers and external suppliers to secure resources as needed.
Identify and manage project and inter-project dependencies, including critical path activities.
Plan, schedule and track project timelines, milestones, and deliverables.
Proactively manage changes to project scope, identify potential risks, and devise contingency plans, providing project boards with options for resolution.
Define project success criteria and disseminate them to involved parties throughout the project lifecycle.
Build strong working relationships that support successful project delivery.
Lead project reviews and capture lessons learned to identify successful and unsuccessful project elements.
Apply appropriate project delivery tools, governance, and controls to support effective project execution.
Share knowledge and embed good project delivery practice across the team.
Contribute to solution development by ensuring options align with business needs and relevant information and data architecture.
Personnel Management (5%)
Provide timely, delivery-focused feedback on the contribution of project team members through agreed project and performance processes.
Support, coach and coordinate project team members and contractors encouraging proactive working and accountability.
Delegate tasks and responsibilities as appropriate.
Identify and resolve issues and conflicts within the project team.
Key skills, behaviours, and experience
Qualifications and Training:
Formal training and experience in at least one modern software development lifecycle / methodology (e.g. PRINCE2, Agile) essential.
Essential Experience
Experience of delivering digital change initiatives and projects including infrastructure, cloud, or network related change.
Strong leadership and coordination skills, with experience of leading multi-disciplinary business and technology teams, and the ability to coordinate resources effectively.
Experience of planning, monitoring, and reporting on projects using relevant tools (e.g. MS Project, Azure DevOps).
Desirable Experience
Experience of using Azure DevOps.
Experience of workshop facilitation.
Skills and behaviours
Positive, delivery-focused approach.
Self-aware with excellent people skills.
Ability to negotiate, manage conflict, influence outcomes, and gain buy-in for new initiatives and ways of working.
Strong verbal and written communication skills with customers, key stakeholders, and technical staff at all levels, including presentation skills.
Ability to clearly articulate and communicate project concepts and issues to both technical and non-technical staff.
Understanding of business analysis techniques and how they support the delivery of digital change projects.
Ability to effectively prioritise and execute tasks in a complex and changing environment.
Equal opportunities and diversity
Disability and Reasonable Adjustments: Applicants with a disability who wish their application to be considered under the Disability Confident scheme should confirm this when submitting their application. Under this scheme we guarantee an interview to an applicant with a disability who meets the minimum requirements for the role. You should also let our HR team know if you wish us to consider any Reasonable Adjustments at any stage of the process (HR Service Desk: ).
Applicants will not be discriminated against on the grounds of any protected characteristic or any other extraneous factor.
How to apply.
Please upload an up to date cv with a covering letter clearly setting out your suitability and interest in the role.