Lead Project Manager

Lead Project Manager (Contract) – Inside IR35

💼 Duration: Initial 3-6 months

📍 Location: Hybrid

📅 Start Date: ASAP

💷 Day Rate: £550 per day inside IR35

Overview:

We are seeking an experienced Lead Project Manager to drive delivery across a series of efficiency-focused initiatives, including Health Information Share, Text-to-Speech, and Intelligent Audit.

This role will play a critical part in ensuring successful end-to-end delivery of complex, data-driven and technology-enabled programmes, working closely with cross-functional teams in a fast-paced, regulated environment.

The successful candidate will combine strong delivery leadership with technical awareness, enabling teams to meet tight deadlines, manage competing priorities, and deliver high-quality outcomes within budget.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the delivery of multiple concurrent initiatives, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives, timelines, and budget constraints
• Collaborate with business and technical stakeholders to define scope, priorities, and delivery plans across complex workstreams
• Drive delivery using a blend of Agile, Waterfall, and Lean methodologies, adapting approaches to suit programme needs
• Facilitate Agile ceremonies, governance forums, workshops, and stakeholder engagement sessions
• Proactively identify, manage, and mitigate risks, issues, and dependencies through structured approaches such as RAID logs
• Act as the key interface between technical teams and business stakeholders, managing expectations and resolving conflicts
• Develop and maintain delivery roadmaps, milestones, and performance metrics to ensure operational efficiency
• Provide clear and consistent reporting on progress, financials, risks, and outcomes to senior stakeholders
• Support technical teams by understanding system architecture, APIs, and SDLC processes to identify blockers and enable progress
• Ensure delivery meets quality standards, using data-driven insights and performance metrics to guide decision-making
• Manage budgets, forecasts, and vendor relationships, ensuring commercial efficiency and return on investment
• Lead, mentor, and motivate cross-functional teams, fostering a high-performance and continuous improvement culture
• Challenge existing ways of working and make informed decisions in situations with limited information

Key Skills & Experience

✔ Proven experience as a Lead Project Manager delivering complex technology and data-driven programmes

✔ Strong experience working across Agile, Waterfall, and Lean delivery methodologies (e.g. Scrum, Kanban, PRINCE2, SAFe)

✔ Demonstrated ability to manage risks, dependencies, and delivery across multiple workstreams

✔ Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, including conflict resolution at senior levels

✔ Strong technical understanding of software development lifecycles (SDLC), APIs, and architecture

✔ Experience managing budgets, financial forecasts, and ensuring ROI on project delivery

✔ Ability to operate effectively in fast-paced, ambiguous environments and deliver against tight deadlines

✔ Proven leadership capability, including mentoring teams and driving high-performance delivery cultures

✔ Experience working in Government organisations

Desirable Skills

• Experience delivering initiatives such as Health Information Share, Text-to-Speech, or Intelligent Audit solutions
• Exposure to data and analytics platforms or cloud-based technologies
• Experience working in environments where tooling, processes, or governance models are evolving
• Strong focus on continuous improvement, including lessons learned and delivery optimisation