Senior Project Manager
UCL
8 hours ago
Posted date8 hours ago
N/A
Minimum levelN/A
General ManagementJob category
General ManagementAbout us
At University College London (UCL), we manage one of the most complex and diverse estates in the Higher Education sector. Spanning more than 240 buildings, over 6.5 million square feet of academic space and approximately 4,500 student bedrooms, the estate underpins world-leading research, teaching and innovation across our Bloomsbury campus and UCL East in Stratford.
Campus Experience & Infrastructure and Estates Development (CE&I and ED) brings together around 350 FM professionals, property specialists, project managers and operational colleagues. Together, the team manages every aspect of the estate, from long-term master planning and capital investment to seamless operational delivery and customer experience.
This work directly supports more than 46,000 students and 13,000 staff. An ambitious Estates Masterplan is now being delivered, shaped by clear strategic principles: providing a safe and healthy environment, improving efficiency and sustainability, enhancing accessibility, rationalising the estate and investing in outstanding teaching, research and campus facilities. UCL is proud of its history and ambitious about its future, continually transforming the estate to create an inspirational environment for its academic community.
About the role
An experienced and dynamic Senior Project Manager is sought to join the Estates team in a key client-side leadership role. The position is responsible for the successful implementation of a diverse portfolio of refurbishment and new build projects, including supporting delivery within the major project portfolio.
Ac ting as the UCL client, the postholder will lead projects from RIBA Stage 2 (Developed Design) through to Stage 7 (In Use), ensuring full compliance with UCL's governance and stage-gate processes. Accountability spans safety, programme, budget and quality, consistently meeting or exceeding approved briefs and business cases.
Projects typically range from £2m to £20m+, with involvement in schemes exceeding £200m. Many are delivered within complex, live and highly serviced environments, including teaching spaces, research facilities and laboratories. The role involves leading internal teams and coordinating multi-disciplinary external consultants and contractors, maintaining clear accountability, effective risk management, robust change control and strong financial oversight throughout the project lifecycle.
Close collaboration with Estates Strategy Managers at early concept stages is essential to shape strategic direction, develop option appraisals and establish robust programmes and cost plans. Throughout delivery, the Senior Project Manager acts as the key interface between Project Sponsors, academic stakeholders, design teams and contractors, fostering a collaborative and customer-focused environment while maintaining strong commercial and governance oversight.
This is a visible and influential position within a complex, occupied estate requiring confident leadership, sound judgement and the ability to manage multiple concurrent projects. The role is principally London-based, with on-site presence required at least four days per week.
About you
An accomplished construction professional, the successful candidate will bring substantial experience delivering major capital projects within large, complex and operational estates. A proven track record of managing new build, refurbishment and improvement schemes from inception to completion is essential, including projects exceeding £20m in value.
Strong technical knowledge of UK building construction is required, including experience working within occupied buildings, alongside demonstrable expertise in briefing, procurement and managing consultant and contractor teams. An appropriate qualification in Project Management or a relevant construction discipline is essential.
A practical working knowledge of statutory regulations is expected, including Planning legislation, Building Regulations, the Building Safety Act, the Health and Safety at Work Act and the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations. A sound understanding of standard forms of contract, including JCT and NEC, is also required.
In addition to technical and commercial expertise, the role demands excellent interpersonal and communication skills, the ability to manage complex stakeholder relationships and the discipline to oversee multiple programmes simultaneously. Confidence operating within formal governance frameworks, driving value for money and maintaining rigorous control of risk, programme and budget is key.
Professional membership such as MCIOB, MRICS, IEng or CEng would be advantageous, as would experience delivering teaching laboratories, research laboratories or other highly serviced technical environments.
Above all, this role offers the opportunity to contribute to the ongoing transformation of one of the world's leading universities, shaping a resilient, sustainable and high-performing estate that supports excellence in research and education.
What we offer
As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents, we also offer some great benefits some of which are below:
Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
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.
At University College London (UCL), we manage one of the most complex and diverse estates in the Higher Education sector. Spanning more than 240 buildings, over 6.5 million square feet of academic space and approximately 4,500 student bedrooms, the estate underpins world-leading research, teaching and innovation across our Bloomsbury campus and UCL East in Stratford.
Campus Experience & Infrastructure and Estates Development (CE&I and ED) brings together around 350 FM professionals, property specialists, project managers and operational colleagues. Together, the team manages every aspect of the estate, from long-term master planning and capital investment to seamless operational delivery and customer experience.
This work directly supports more than 46,000 students and 13,000 staff. An ambitious Estates Masterplan is now being delivered, shaped by clear strategic principles: providing a safe and healthy environment, improving efficiency and sustainability, enhancing accessibility, rationalising the estate and investing in outstanding teaching, research and campus facilities. UCL is proud of its history and ambitious about its future, continually transforming the estate to create an inspirational environment for its academic community.
About the role
An experienced and dynamic Senior Project Manager is sought to join the Estates team in a key client-side leadership role. The position is responsible for the successful implementation of a diverse portfolio of refurbishment and new build projects, including supporting delivery within the major project portfolio.
Ac ting as the UCL client, the postholder will lead projects from RIBA Stage 2 (Developed Design) through to Stage 7 (In Use), ensuring full compliance with UCL's governance and stage-gate processes. Accountability spans safety, programme, budget and quality, consistently meeting or exceeding approved briefs and business cases.
Projects typically range from £2m to £20m+, with involvement in schemes exceeding £200m. Many are delivered within complex, live and highly serviced environments, including teaching spaces, research facilities and laboratories. The role involves leading internal teams and coordinating multi-disciplinary external consultants and contractors, maintaining clear accountability, effective risk management, robust change control and strong financial oversight throughout the project lifecycle.
Close collaboration with Estates Strategy Managers at early concept stages is essential to shape strategic direction, develop option appraisals and establish robust programmes and cost plans. Throughout delivery, the Senior Project Manager acts as the key interface between Project Sponsors, academic stakeholders, design teams and contractors, fostering a collaborative and customer-focused environment while maintaining strong commercial and governance oversight.
This is a visible and influential position within a complex, occupied estate requiring confident leadership, sound judgement and the ability to manage multiple concurrent projects. The role is principally London-based, with on-site presence required at least four days per week.
About you
An accomplished construction professional, the successful candidate will bring substantial experience delivering major capital projects within large, complex and operational estates. A proven track record of managing new build, refurbishment and improvement schemes from inception to completion is essential, including projects exceeding £20m in value.
Strong technical knowledge of UK building construction is required, including experience working within occupied buildings, alongside demonstrable expertise in briefing, procurement and managing consultant and contractor teams. An appropriate qualification in Project Management or a relevant construction discipline is essential.
A practical working knowledge of statutory regulations is expected, including Planning legislation, Building Regulations, the Building Safety Act, the Health and Safety at Work Act and the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations. A sound understanding of standard forms of contract, including JCT and NEC, is also required.
In addition to technical and commercial expertise, the role demands excellent interpersonal and communication skills, the ability to manage complex stakeholder relationships and the discipline to oversee multiple programmes simultaneously. Confidence operating within formal governance frameworks, driving value for money and maintaining rigorous control of risk, programme and budget is key.
Professional membership such as MCIOB, MRICS, IEng or CEng would be advantageous, as would experience delivering teaching laboratories, research laboratories or other highly serviced technical environments.
Above all, this role offers the opportunity to contribute to the ongoing transformation of one of the world's leading universities, shaping a resilient, sustainable and high-performing estate that supports excellence in research and education.
What we offer
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
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.
JOB SUMMARY
Senior Project Manager
UCL
London
8 hours ago
N/A
Full-time
Senior Project Manager