Job title Technical Project Manager
School/Dept/Institute Centre/Faculty Estates and Facilities Operations
Reports to Assistant Director, Lead Engineer, Technical Manager
Grade and salary Grade 6
Hours per week Full-time (35hrs)
Appointment period Indefinite
Current location All Campuses
Work activity type Professional Services: Admin/Operational/Technical and Support

JOB DESCRIPTION

The Operations team are responsible for the repair and maintenance of all campuses forming the Queen Mary University of London estate. The team also manage a large long term maintenance programme from inception to completion, delivering projects on budget, on programme and to a high standard of quality.

Primary responsibility of the Senior Project Manager is to deliver LTM projects within the Estates Enabling Plan which supports Queen Mary University of London Strategy 2030.

As part of the Operations Team, the role is responsible for effective stakeholder management and a customer centric delivery through proactive management of risks and issues.

Job purpose

Accountable to and working closely with the Lead Engineer and Assistan Director, Head of Engineering & Estates and Maintenance, the Senior Project Manager is responsible for the successful implementation of a portfolio of diverse major projects at the University. Projects will typically be complex in nature and range from £20k to £1m in value.

Projects will include development, plant asset replacement, enhancement and refurbishment, engineering projects.
The post holder will act as the QMUL client and deliver first class projects, forming the necessary links between all involved parties. The post holder will ensure effective and efficient project management from inception to completion, meeting or exceeding briefs, budget control and delivery of quality products.

Main duties and responsibilities

• To deliver projects to the highest quality and standards, managing the project delivery process from inception through to occupancy.
• To provide support to Technical Manager and Lead Engineer working on major university developments.
• To provide advice, guidance and mentoring to Campus Contract Managers, delegating tasks as appropriate.
• To work within established project management processes.
• To manage project teams, including occupiers and external advisors, in delivering first class projects.
• To liaise with key stakeholders and the operational teams to ensure that their respective needs are fully identified and input into the briefing and design process.
• Formulate project briefs ensuring projects are properly appraised for lifecycle management to minimise the ongoing costs and liabilities.
• To manage the design process ensuring that projects are designed within agreed quality standards and budget constraints.
• Liaison with other sections within Estates and Facilities and elsewhere in the University in order to ensure seamless, first class customer service.
• To manage Health and Safety issues to ensure compliance with statutory requirements, Estates & Facilities processes and best practice, working closely with the EaF Health and Safety Team.
• To procure consultants, contractors and suppliers as required in accordance with the University financial regulations and procurement procedures.
• To obtain the necessary statutory and University approvals and consents.
• To oversee construction and engineering operations on site to ensure compliance with designs and specifications.
• To provide timely and accurate reporting on progress, quality and budget/cash flow, providing monthly summary reports, together with the development and ongoing management of project risk registers.
• To prepare and present papers for meetings and project governance gateway approvals.
• To carry out post project evaluations ensuring future procurement processes are informed by shared past contract experiences.
• To understand, and stay abreast of design, construction and project management methodologies and the London construction market.

The above list of responsibilities is not exhaustive and the jobholder may be required to undertake other duties commensurate with the level of the role, as reasonably requested by their line manager.

This job description accurately reflects the duties and responsibilities of the role at the time the job description was written. These duties and responsibilities may change over time without significantly impacting on the character of the role, the overall level of responsibility, or its grade.

Depending on strategic or operational needs, the jobholder may in the future be required to work for another existing or new organisational unit and/or at a different site within Queen Mary. This may be on a temporary or indefinite basis and may involve a change in line management and / or regularly working at more than one site.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

This table lists the essential and desirable requirements needed in order to perform the job effectively. Candidates will be shortlisted based on the extent to which they meet these requirements.

The following roles are all essential unless otherwise noted as desirable.

Essential: Requirements without which the job could not be done.
Desirable: Requirements that would enable the candidate to perform the job well.

Qualifications

• Educated to degree level or equivalent relevant experience in property, construction, engineering or project management.
• Professional Qualification in property, construction, engineering or project management. (Desirable)

Experience/Knowledge

• Demonstrable experience and thorough knowledge of construction technology, design, project management, contract administration and building contracts.
• Proven and demonstrable experience and thorough knowledge of the planning and delivery of construction and refurbishment projects, up to £5m in value, in large organisations.
• Thorough knowledge of CDM Regulations and other relevant health and safety legislation.
• Thorough knowledge of construction technology & specifications.
• Thorough knowledge of Tender documentation & construction procurement.
• Thorough knowledge of Consultant appointment documentation.
• Thorough knowledge of Planning & Building Regulations legislation.
• Effective interpersonal, influencing and communication skills (both oral and written), including the ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with customers.

Skills/Abilities

• The ability to conduct meetings and present proposals in a clear and concise manner to both specialist and non-specialist audiences.
• The ability to write clear and concise reports and other professional documentation.
• The ability to establish good working relationships with teams of highly qualified professionals and to be socially confident within a wide circle of contacts.
• The ability to direct, influence and motivate teams successfully by engendering good team spirit.
• The ability to: negotiate successfully, in respect of the project delivery for which there is responsibility, paying particular attention to cost, timescale and the interests of the University.
• The ability to identify key issues and ask searching questions in a diplomatic yet assertive manner in the best interests of the University.
• The ability to deal sensitively with confidential information.
• The ability to manage a team effectively with strong interpersonal skills.
• The ability to understand the statutory, health and safety requirements of Construction, infrastructure, building ownership and operation.
• The ability to analyse complex, and sometimes numerous, alternatives to determine the best approach to specific issues or areas of work.
• The ability to understand the business issues underpinning project delivery.
• The ability to solve complex and often interrelated problems occurring within and between projects and differing areas of responsibility.
• The ability to pay particular attention to the broader and strategic issues which exist with respect to Estate Management.
• The ability to assimilate significant amounts of detailed information.
• The ability to collate, interrogate and analyse data.
• Professionally and financially numerate with the ability to comprehend corporate/project finances and business issues sufficiently to take responsibility for the effective management of cost, resources and time.
• The flexibility to accommodate frequently changing customer needs and changing workloads within the allocated teams.
• Able to work individually and/or as part of a team, be able to prioritise and work under pressure.
• Thorough and demonstrable experience of project delivery.
• Possess excellent IT skills including use of the Microsoft office suite and project management tools including Microsoft Project.
• Highly customer focused.

* The University has a legal responsibility to ensure that all potential employees can provide documentary evidence of their legal right to work in the UK prior to commencing employment. Candidates shortlisted for interview will be ask to bring their passport or another acceptable form of evidence to verify their right to work.

Visa Sponsorship

For those who do not have a right to work in the UK, the University is a UKVI licensed sponsor and is able to issue a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) to successful candidates who are offered skilled roles and meet the eligibility criteria. The CoS enables candidates to apply for a Skilled Worker visa. Further information on the Skilled Worker visa can be found here.

Global Talent Visa Route

The Global Talent visa is an alternative route to sponsorship, directly applied for by the applicant. It is open to those wishing to work in the UK and who are a leader or potential leader in the fields of academia or research, arts and culture, and digital technology. Further information on the Global Talent Route can be found here.

For additional information on both visa sponsorship and non-sponsorship visa routes, please visit the UK Visas and Immigration website.

Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS)

Academics and Researchers applying for Skilled Worker visas and Sponsored Researchers applying for Government Authorised Exchange visas who will be undertaking research activities, at PhD level or above, in the one of the ATAS listed subject areas will be required to obtain an ATAS certificate before they can apply for a visa to work in the UK.

Exemptions will exist for nationals from the EEA, Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland and USA and those applying for Global Talent Visas. For further information on this, please visit the UK Visas and Immigration website.