Job Description
Senior Project Manager / Associate
Department: Project Management
Employment Type: Permanent - Full Time
Location: Birmingham
Reporting To: Partner / Project Lead
Title: Package Lead (Roads & Bridges)
Seniority: Senior Project Manager / Associate
Discipline: Project Management
Location: London / Birmingham team base initially; transitioning to Bedford based, with at least three days per week in Bedford (Hybrid)
Project: Confidential Major Project subject to signed NDA
Why RLB?
At RLB, we live by four simple ideas: Truth, Trust, Together, Tomorrow. Four values that live at the heart of RLB. A place where People Make Progress.
We value your skills, talents and unique perspectives – we think they are priceless.
Bring them to RLB and you’ll be empowered to shape our future and your career in new and meaningful ways.
We’ll give you opportunities to work on some of the most ambitious and exciting projects currently being designed and developed in the built environment sector.
You’ll continue to learn and advance as everyone who works for us is provided with a tailored training programme. Our mentoring and reverse mentoring schemes will enable you to share your expertise while gaining fresh insights.
What makes RLB unique is our inclusive culture. As an independent, employee-owned business, teamwork and collaboration lies at the heart of everything we do. Hybrid and flexible working arrangements and family-friendly policies are just some of the ways we invest in employee wellbeing.
Join us and you will thrive personally as well as professionally.
RLB is acting as a strategic delivery partner for a major UK development programme. The commission includes programme-wide PMO, governance, reporting, project controls, risk and change management, digital tools, and the integrated delivery of individual packages including project management, cost management, procurement, design management, health and safety advisory and contract administration.
We are seeking experienced roads, highways and infrastructure project management professionals across a range of seniority levels, from Senior Project Manager to Associate / Senior Associate, to support the design, procurement, mobilisation, construction and handover of a critical Roads & Bridges package.
The role may be configured as either a Package Lead role, with full accountability for package-level outcomes, or as a senior delivery role leading defined workstreams, interfaces, contractors or sub-packages. The final scope and grade will be aligned to the successful candidate’s experience and capability.
The Roads & Bridges package is a core enabling package for the wider programme and will set important early benchmarks for safety, logistics, productivity, collaboration, stakeholder management and delivery culture.
Location note: The wider team is generally London and Birmingham based. The role will transition to be Bedford based as the programme mobilises, with an expectation that the successful candidate will be in Bedford at least three days per week.
Role Responsibilities
1. Package Leadership & Delivery Accountability
- Lead, or support the leadership of, the Roads & Bridges package from design and procurement through construction, testing, handover and close-out.
- Maintain ownership of defined scope, programme, cost, quality, risk and safety outcomes, proportionate to role level.
- Coordinate delivery inputs across client, consultant, contractor, statutory authority and internal RLB teams.
- Establish clear priorities, decision routes and governance rhythms to support timely delivery.
2. Roads, Highways & Bridge Infrastructure Delivery
- Manage the planning and delivery of highways, roads, bridges, earthworks, drainage, utilities interfaces and associated infrastructure works.
- Apply knowledge of relevant UK infrastructure standards, including DMRB and local authority highway requirements.
- Support technical assurance, design reviews, constructability reviews and delivery readiness assessments.
- Ensure design, procurement and delivery solutions are buildable, safe, cost-effective, and aligned to programme objectives.
3. Operational Railway Interfaces
- Lead or manage interfaces where works are in proximity to operational railways, including possessions, access constraints, asset protection requirements, approvals, safety protocols and interface risk management.
- Coordinate with Network Rail, rail operators, designers, contractors and the client team to ensure railway interface risks are identified, controlled and escalated appropriately.
- Ensure that design and construction methodologies properly address proximity to live rail assets, railway operational constraints and third-party approval requirements.
4. Live Highways Environment & Logistics
- Plan and manage works affecting or adjacent to live highways environments, including traffic management, temporary works, site access, public interface, road safety, abnormal loads and construction logistics.
- Coordinate with National Highways, local highway authorities, emergency services, utility providers and contractors to minimise disruption and maintain safe continuity of highway operations.
- Ensure logistics strategies support phased delivery, workforce access, materials movement, traffic routing, compound planning and safe segregation between construction activity and live highway users.
5. Best Practice Delivery & Productivity
- Embed RLB’s model for major programme delivery, using UK private-sector best practice as the starting point for excellence.
- Champion early supply chain engagement, outcome-based delivery, fair risk allocation, value-based procurement and disciplined change control.
- Promote digital information management, BIM-aligned working, productivity measurement, modern methods of construction and whole-life carbon awareness where appropriate.
6. Stakeholder, Approvals & Interface Management
- Manage interfaces with National Highways, Network Rail, local authorities, utility providers, adjacent packages and internal programme functions.
- Support timely submission, review and approval of statutory, technical and regulatory documentation.
- Build effective working relationships with senior client, stakeholder, contractor and consultant representatives.
7. Procurement, Contractor Management & Commercial Awareness
- Support procurement strategy, tender documentation, evaluation and appointment processes for design and construction contracts.
- Manage contractor mobilisation, site access, logistics planning, performance reporting and delivery issue resolution.
- Work closely with cost management, commercial and project controls colleagues to protect client outcomes.
8. Risk, Reporting, Governance & Assurance
- Identify, manage and escalate design, approvals, logistics, interface, safety, programme and commercial risks.
- Contribute to package reporting including progress, milestones, constraints, decisions, risks, opportunities, cost, quality, safety and carbon.
- Support robust governance, change control, lessons learned and continuous improvement across the programme.
Candidate Profile
Experience
- Proven experience delivering roads, highways, bridges or major civil infrastructure projects in a consultancy, contractor, client or public-sector infrastructure environment.
- Experience working on complex multi-stakeholder programmes with statutory authority, utility, rail and highways interfaces.
- Experience of NEC forms of contract and major infrastructure governance environments is desirable.
- For SPM level: ability to lead defined workstreams and manage contractor / designer interfaces with limited supervision.
- For Associate / Senior Associate level: ability to lead significant packages, manage senior stakeholders and take accountability for delivery outcomes.
Technical Skills & Competencies
- Understanding of UK highways and infrastructure delivery requirements, including DMRB, local authority highways and bridge-related design / delivery processes.
- Practical understanding of working near operational railways, live highway environments, traffic management and construction logistics.
- Strong programme, risk, change, reporting, stakeholder and interface management capability.
- Able to translate technical constraints into actionable delivery plans and decisions.
Behaviours
- Client-focused, collaborative, positive and accountable.
- Able to operate with pace while maintaining safety, quality and governance discipline.
- Calm under pressure and comfortable working in complex, evolving programme environments.
- Committed to customer service excellence and strong commercial results.
Qualifications
- Construction project management, civil engineering or related qualification preferred, or equivalent technical delivery experience.
- Membership of an appropriate professional body such as APM, ICE, RICS, CIOB or equivalent is desirable.
Commitment
- Full-time role based in London with regular travel to the Midlands site.
- Close coordination with client, statutory authorities, contractors, consultants and RLB leadership.
- Role title and seniority to be confirmed based on candidate capability and business need.
- The team is generally London and Birmingham based; however, this role will transition to be Bedford based, with an expectation to be in Bedford at least three days per week.
RLB Employee Benefits
Our culture is built around enabling you to fulfil your potential, so you can look forward to benefits that include:
Hybrid Working - Working patterns to support your work-life balance. As well as competitive maternity and paternity packages.
Well-Rewarded - A competitive salary and generous holiday entitlement. As well as the opportunity to purchase up to five extra days.
Focus On Wellbeing - We offer a number of health and wellness options, including gym membership and cycle to work schemes.
Healthcare Packages - Private healthcare insurance and medical support, including dental insurance and eyecare vouchers.
Personal Development - A continuous learning and development programme, including established APC and in-house mentoring schemes.
Additional Benefits - We offer a wide range of benefits including a season ticket loan and professional membership subscriptions.
Exceptional Exposure - You’ll have the opportunity to work on diverse projects across different sectors and regions.
Social Responsibility - We hold team and social events as well as charity fundraising and volunteering activities.
Our Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Commitment
We believe in building a diverse and inclusive environment where each person can be themselves, feel valued for their contribution and be challenged and supported to reach their full potential. We have a responsibility to support the communities in which we live and work, and that our workforce should reflect these communities and our clients. Our talent strategy should enable us to overcome bias in the construction industry by recruiting, retaining, developing, and promoting a diverse and inclusive workforce. Find out more here:
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion - RLB | Europe
If you require any reasonable adjustments to support you during any stage of the application or interview process, please contact our recruitment team at:
recruitment@uk.rlb.com
