Senior Project Manager; Real Estate

We are partnering with a well-established, vertically integrated PBSA company to appoint an experienced Senior Project Manager to lead the delivery of a major student accommodation development. The organisation operates across development, investment, asset management, and operations, with a strong UK-wide presence and a proven track record of delivering high-quality PBSA schemes.

The Role

This is a senior delivery role responsible for the end-to-end development of a 700+ bed PBSA scheme in Glasgow, from design and planning through procurement, construction, and handover. Reporting into senior leadership, you will lead multidisciplinary teams and manage complex stakeholder environments, ensuring the project meets its commercial, quality, sustainability, and operational objectives. The role is primarily site-based in Glasgow (4 days per week) with flexibility to work from home one day per week, alongside UK wide travel as required.

While the primary focus will be this scheme, you will also support other projects across the portfolio as required.

• Lead end-to-end project delivery, including design, planning, procurement, construction, and handover.
• Provide strategic leadership and governance, setting scope, programme, risk strategies, and delivery frameworks.
• Manage design development in line with RIBA stages, statutory requirements, operational needs, and sustainability targets.
• Oversee planning, regulatory compliance, fire safety, and CDM obligations.
• Control project budgets, cashflow, reporting, and funding obligations.
• Lead procurement and contract management, including tendering, negotiation, performance management, and dispute resolution.
• Oversee construction delivery, quality assurance, health & safety, and interface management across contractors, consultants, funders, and operators.
• Lead defects management, commissioning, completion, and operational handover.
• Manage stakeholder engagement and reporting, including internal boards, universities, operators, and funding partners.

• 10+ years’ experience delivering major PBSA, residential, BTR, or mixed-use developments.
• Proven experience managing Design & Build contractors, multidisciplinary consultant teams, and complex planning processes.
• Strong commercial and financial management capability, including budgets, contracts, and risk.
• Confident stakeholder manager with experience operating in structured, governance-led environments.
• Strong leadership, communication, negotiation, and problem-solving skills.
• Proficient in project management software (e.g. MS Project, Asta) and MS Office.
• Full UK driving licence.
• Experience with in higher education, public sector, Public-Private Partnership (PPP) or Private Finance Initiative is desirable.
• Professional membership (e.g. MRICS, MCIOB, ChPP, ARB, CEng) is desirable.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a highly experienced PBSA platform delivering complex, large-scale student accommodation projects with strong operational integration. The role offers significant responsibility, visibility, and long term career progression.

Location:

Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom

Mid-Senior level

Full-time

Project Management