Project Manager at UK Atomic Energy Authority, Oxford, 6 Months, £Contract Rate

UKAEA run the UK's national fusion energy research programme, sponsored by the Government's Department for Energy Security & Net Zero. They are on a mission to deliver safe, sustainable, low-carbon energy from fusion, achieving maximum scientific and economic benefit along the way.

As a Project Manager, your main responsibilities will be:

• Project Delivery - Develop a comprehensive Project Management Plan to achieve agreed outcomes and milestones within time, cost and quality requirements. Collaborate with other related projects/programmes to manage interdependencies.
• Project Management - Provide daily management and leadership of the project and project team (or workstream/workstream team within larger programmes. Identify and implement the appropriate delivery methodology for the project/workstream and manage transitions between project phases/gates.
• Business Case: Translate and expand on the approved Business Case into a wider project management plan to ensure delivery of milestones within agreed and set parameters (e.g. by DESNZ). Contribute to updates and revisions of the Business Case as required during the project life cycle.
• Project Planning: Support the creation and maintenance of detailed project schedules, resource allocations, and key milestone tracking. Perform resource smoothing to avoid project bottlenecks or resource under-utilisation.
• Resource Management: Identify and secure required resources needed for each phase of the project. Working with the lead engineer/ technical leads on the project, identify any required SQEP and/or SAP resources that may be required and ensure these are allocated to the project. Manage delivery teams and address any under-performance with relevant line managers.
• Compliance: Ensure delivery of project activities in accordance with applicable legal, regulatory and organisational requirements. This currently includes Health & Safety legislation, CDM Regulations (where relevant), GDPR, Government Procurement Regulations and internal policies on Intellectual Property, Export Controls, and Declarations / Conflicts of Interest. Support adherence to engineering assurance, quality standards, and relevant environmental obligations: this list is not exhaustive, and the PM is required to ensure compliance with any additional statutory or corporate requirements as they are identified and apply to their project. Identify and escalate compliance risks promptly, maintaining appropriate records and audit trails throughout the project lifecycle.

Essential:

• Proven experience in project management, preferably within a related industry or sector. STEM experience is a distinct advantage.
• Recognised project management qualification (APM PMQ, Prince 2, PMP etc.)
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience working with different project management methodologies - waterfall, agile, hybrid, iterative and of the varying governance and control approaches required for each.
• Demonstrated experience of managing budgets / financial project management within projects up to £5m in value pa.
• Demonstrated experience in project contract management. NEC4 Contract qualification or Crown Commercial qualification an advantage.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Strong commercial awareness with the ability to make sound economic decisions that maximise project value.
• Ability to work under pressure and manage multiple projects/workstreams simultaneously.

Please be aware that this role can only be worked within the UK and not Overseas.

DE&I Commitment 

UKAEA guarantees to interview all candidates who have a disability and who meet all the essential criteria for the vacancy. In cases where we have a high volume of candidates who have a disability who meet all the essential criteria, we will interview the best candidates from within that group.D1

This scheme encourages candidates with a disability and/or neurodivergence to apply. In exceptional circumstances, we may also need to apply the desirable criteria in our shortlisting process which may include holding active security clearance.

UKAEA guarantees to interview veterans or spouses / partners of military personnel who meet all the essential criteria for the vacancy. In cases where we have a high volume of ex-military candidates / military spouses or partners, who meet all of the essential criteria, we will interview the best candidates from within that group. In exceptional circumstances, we may also need to apply the desirable criteria in our shortlisting process which may include holding active security clearance.

In applying for this role, you acknowledge the following this role falls in scope of the Off Payroll Working in the Public Sector legislation. Any rates of payment quoted will reflect the gross rate per day for the assignment and will be subject to appropriate taxes and statutory costs. As such the payment to the intermediary and your income resulting from this contract will be different.