Job Description

About the job.

National Highways have an excellent opportunity for a Project Manager to join our team in Major Projects. The Project Manager will plan and manage the delivery of projects, managing the performance of a project team, external contractors and consultants and ensuring adherence to effective governance, quality assurance, health and safety, technical and specialist standards across the supply chain and National Highways, to ensure successful delivery of agreed project outcomes and acting in line with mandatory and delegated responsibilities.

This role will require you to draw on your proven knowledge and experience of successful project delivery. You will become an expert in our delivery environment and through building relationships with stakeholders from across our business and our supply chain, manage the delivery of capital projects.

Please note this role is for a 23 month fixed term contract and will be based from our Bedford office however travel to sites throughout the East region will be required (minimum of four days).

• Develop and maintain strong collaborative relationships with the Programme Manager, Senior Project Manager, Project Board and other key internal and external stakeholders, to ensure full mutual understanding of the projects’ strategic and delivery objectives, to report on and review project performance, and to agree solutions that resolve complex issues.
• Design, agree and implement project plans, to ensure that all activities are appropriately organised to deliver project objectives, are appropriately resourced to deliver the required outcomes.
• Oversee feasibility, design, and assessment work for proposed projects, to inform the development of business cases and investment proposals.
• Identify and evaluate emerging risks, issues, dependencies and constraints associated with the project, escalating where appropriate. Where necessary develop, agree and implement solutions to overcome these.
• Commission and manage the performance of delivery partners and expert consultancy support as appropriate, ensuring that project objectives and requirements are clearly understood, setting clear expectations for health and safety management, time and cost; and taking appropriate remedial action where necessary.

About you.

• Professional accreditation: Full Member of APM (Association for Project Management) or appropriate professional body for their specialist field or a willingness and commitment to attain.
• Evidence of leadership on safety standards and their implementation within multiple team reporting structures within a complex projects environment.
• Experience of managing complex relationships with multiple stakeholders and evidence of skills to influence relationships for positive outcomes.
• Commercial skills with proven ability to negotiate and manage contracts to deliver outcomes and drive value for money.
• Experience of successfully delivering complex, medium/high risk or high-profile capital programmes and/or projects, including managing and maintaining agreed project plans in conjunction with delivery partners.

About us

Here at National Highways, we manage and improve England’s motorways and major A roads, helping our customers have safer, smoother and more reliable journeys. Our priorities are safety, customers and delivery, and at the core of this, are our values of passion, integrity, safety, teamwork and ownership.

Major Projects are responsible for major enhancements to our road network. We make roads safer, journeys more reliable and unlock economic growth.  At the same time, we seek out ways to create opportunities for sustainable travel, help nature to thrive and support our journey to net zero carbon.

Our team work closely with the supply chain to design and construct road projects, as well as develop a pipeline of possible projects as we look to the  future. ​​​​​​Our skills span many areas from customer experts, land and property advisers to project management. We understand the potential that our road schemes can bring.

External candidates will be offered a starting salary at the lower end of the pay scale, while current employees will be appointed in accordance with our established pay policy.

We are committed to creating a diverse environment and welcome applicants from all backgrounds.

Why you should join us

At National Highways we believe in a connected country. We are passionate about creating a culture where colleagues feel connected, included and enjoy greater wellbeing to achieve this. We’re proud that as an organisation we are continually striving to do better and actively encourage and support our colleagues to do the same with their careers.

So, if you put safety first, take ownership of your work, show passion for what you do, work effectively in a team, and demonstrate integrity in how you do it – then you’ll be a great fit for our organisation.

A connected and sustainable working approach has been adopted across National Highways. For some roles, this means being able to work in a hybrid way spending up to 60% of time working from a remote location such as home.

We offer many different ways to work flexibly and we’re open to discuss part-time working, job shares, and flexible start and finish times.

Please wait until the interview stage before asking us about flexibility, and we will explore what is possible.

Our benefits package

• Our total reward package includes basic salary, the potential for a performance related bonus
• Contributory pension scheme with employer contribution of up to 10%
• Annual Leave starting at 26 days (plus Bank Holidays) rising by 1 day each year up to 31 days (plus Bank Holidays)
• Flexible hours and an approach driven by connected and sustainable working which includes hybrid working
• Life assurance of 4 times annual salary
• Health and wellbeing support, including an Employee Assistance Programme, available 24/7 365 days and network of mental health first aiders. Plus access to a wellbeing app to enhance your self-care 24/7, Occupational health service and flu vaccines
• A cycle to work scheme for the purchase of a bicycle and equipment for healthy, low carbon travel
• Significant investment in your career development, through learning and development, talent management, coaching, mentoring and on job experience

And we are

• Family friendly with enhanced maternity leave and pay, paternity leave (15 days), shared parental leave, adoption leave. Plus access to financial support for holiday play schemes and paid special leave (up to 5 days pa), eg for caring responsibilities
• Money friendly with access to a discounts platform including over 3000 discounts for supermarkets, eating out, leisure, holidays. Alongside a financial wellbeing programme
• Community friendly – offering paid leave to volunteer, 3 days basic/year

If you are successful, it is key to know all offers of employment are subject to satisfactory completion of our pre-employment checks which include:

• Right to work check
• 3 year employment history references
• DBS criminal record check
• Social media and adverse journalism check
• Driving licence check (if applicable)
• Fit to work questionnaire (for all), followed by a medical check (if applicable)
• Qualifications and/or professional membership check (if applicable)

And finally

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