Project Manager (Lead)
Rate: £550 per day inside IR35
Clearance Required: BPSS
Start Date: ASAP
Location: Manchester, Sheffield, Leeds, or Blackpool (travel required)
(Central Government experience would be advantageous)
We are seeking an experienced Project Manager to lead delivery across a portfolio of efficiency-focused initiatives. This role requires a strong leader who can operate at pace, manage tight deadlines, and deliver high-quality outcomes within budget while navigating complex stakeholder environments.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead end-to-end delivery of multiple projects, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives
- Drive delivery at pace while maintaining governance, quality, and budget control
- Manage and resolve stakeholder conflicts, acting as a key mediator between business and technical teams
- Coordinate cross-functional teams to focus on delivery outcomes and milestones
- Challenge existing processes and make informed decisions in ambiguous or fast-moving environments
- Ensure effective planning, roadmap development, and milestone tracking
- Maintain momentum across all workstreams while managing competing priorities
Key Deliverables
- Successful delivery of efficiency initiatives within agreed timelines and budget
- Clear and consistent reporting to stakeholders
- Maintenance of RAID logs and risk mitigation strategies
- Continuous improvement in delivery processes and team performance
- High-quality outputs aligned with business objectives
Essential Skills & Experience
Delivery & Methodologies
- Strong experience with Agile, Waterfall, and Lean methodologies
- Working knowledge of frameworks such as Scrum, Kanban, PRINCE2, or SAFe
- Experience facilitating ceremonies and conducting lessons learned reviews
Risk & Dependency Management
- Proven ability to identify, assess, and mitigate risks early
- Experience managing dependencies across multiple teams using RAID logs
Stakeholder Management
- Excellent communication skills with the ability to engage both technical and non-technical stakeholders
- Strong conflict resolution and negotiation capabilities
Technical Understanding
- Solid understanding of software development lifecycles (SDLC), APIs, and system architecture
- Ability to identify delivery blockers and support technical teams without hands-on coding
Planning & Operational Delivery
- Expertise in roadmap planning, milestone setting, and delivery optimisation
- Ability to manage competing priorities and ensure on-time delivery
Leadership & Team Development
- Experience leading and mentoring high-performing teams
- Ability to foster collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement
Quality & Data-Driven Decision Making
- Strong focus on quality assurance and governance
- Use of delivery metrics (e.g., burndown charts, defect rates) to inform decisions
Commercial & Financial Awareness
- Experience managing project budgets, forecasting, and ROI
- Familiarity with vendor management and SLA oversight
Key Attributes
- Proactive and decisive, with the ability to work under pressure
- Comfortable making decisions with limited information
- Strong problem-solving mindset
- Results-driven with a focus on efficiency and value delivery