Project Manager, Operations Manager, Program ​/ Project Manager

Position: Project Manager (Permanent)
Project Manager (Delivery & Commercial Focus) – London Role

Overview:

We are seeking an experienced Project Manager to take full ownership of the delivery, commercial performance, contractual position, and people management of a substantial programme of small schemes.

This is unequivocally a Project Manager role, not a coordination or reporting position. The post carries material delivery, financial, contractual, and leadership risk for the business and therefore requires a candidate with proven, hands-on experience operating in demanding, fast-paced environments.

Rail experience is desirable but not mandatory. The suitable candidate will be commercially aware, decisive, resilient, and motivated to progress into a senior leadership role over time. We are intentionally applying strict screening criteria.

Core Responsibilities (Non-Negotiable)

Programme Delivery Ownership  End-to-end ownership of procurement, planning, programming, scheduling, sequencing, and delivery of a large work bank of small schemes.  Full accountability for delivery dashboards, management information, reporting, and executive-level updates.  Ownership of delivery performance against programme, cost, quality, and operational objectives.

Commercial & Financial Management  Ownership of project and programme forecasting, budgeting, cost control, margin awareness, and variance analysis.  Early identification of commercial risk and implementation of mitigating actions.  Oversight of invoicing, Applications for Payment, and revenue assurance.

Commercial–Delivery Integration  Accountable for cashflow forecasting, including AfPs, certification, billing, invoicing, reconciliation, and remittance.  Undertakes periodic financial reviews and clearly explains period and full year forecast variances to senior leadership.

NEC4 Contract Administration & Execution  Hands-on administration and execution of NEC4 contracts on live projects.  Proactive management of contractual obligations, entitlements, and commercial protections.  Confident handling of contractual and commercial disagreements, with the ability to conduct firm, professional, and persuasive discussions where required.

People Management & Accountability  Proven experience managing teams with multiple direct reports.  Day-to-day leadership of delivery teams, including attendance, performance, output, and behavioural standards.  Ability to address underperformance promptly and decisively, working with leadership and HR as required.  Demonstrable experience of managing grievances, making difficult people decisions, and exiting non-performing staff in line with company policies.  Equally, the ability to recognise, develop, and reward high-performing individuals within agreed frameworks.

Stakeholder & Leadership Management  Confident engagement with senior leadership and key stakeholders.  Clear articulation of delivery, commercial, and contractual positions, including structured escalation of risks with options and recommendations.  Acts as a persuasive representative of the business, capable of supporting strategic discussions to secure additional work and increase revenue.

Ownership & Judgement  Operates autonomously in a fast-moving environment, making decisions with incomplete information.  Takes full accountability for outcomes.  Delegates administrative and routine tasks appropriately while retaining ownership of results.  Demonstrates strong independent problem-solving capability, escalating only where genuinely unavoidable