Main Purpose of the Job

We are seeking to appoint a Senior Project Manager to join the NGI delivery team, working alongside to support our existing Senior Project Managers.

The Programme Management Office (PMO) within JIC is established to deliver the JIC-TSL Next Generation Infrastructure (NGI) programme of work involving various physical and soft projects, and business change/improvement activities across the organisation. The impact will primarily be across JIC and TSL who are joint principal stakeholders responsible for delivering the shared benefits.

The Senior Project Manager will be responsible for leading the implementation of a full lifecycle project or multi projects and business improvement activities, which may be part of a wider programme across the JIC businesses, its partner organisations, community and stakeholders.

This appointment will also contribute towards the Programme Office vision of developing as a professionally organised and appropriately resourced department that directly supports and contributes to the delivery of the JIC-TSL NGI strategic aims and objectives.

Key Relationships

Post holder will work closely with stakeholders from across JIC / TSL and the wider park as well as the consultant design team and any contractors that are appointed to the programme of work.

Main Activities & Responsibilities

As a senior member of the Programme Office pool of resources, provide support and contribute to the delivery of JIC-TSL NGI strategic aims and objectives by:

• Day-to-day project management of a project or multiple projects throughout the full lifecycle from inception through to close; potentially working within a wider programme of work, including:
i) Delivery Leadership – create project plans and lead projects to deliver agreed outcomes within time, cost and quality constraints;
ii) Project Management – Set project controls, design the project structure appropriate to stage, select and apply appropriate delivery methodologies and report against control measures and milestones;
iii) Change Management – Ensure effective change management processes are in place to agree and document changes to deliverables as agreed with stakeholders;
iv) Business Cases – identify where new business cases are needed to support the overall development programme, coordinate development and sign-off of Business Cases;
v) Resources – identify and schedule resources and manage resources to deliver projects;

• Supporting and deputising for other senior members in the construction projects workstream, such as the Project Director and the Programme/PMO Manager.

• Management of stakeholders to define scope and objectives, addressing issues with senior stakeholders ensuring they are fully engaged and able to support delivery, including:
i) Identify key stakeholders and develop effective relationships;
ii) Management of stakeholder relationships, including regular, appropriate and timely communications throughout the project.

• Coordination of multi-disciplined teams, both internal and third party, to achieve the project deliverables to schedule, to budget and to the required quality, including:
i) Being a champion for continuous improvement, not only for the project or programme but also for JIC and the wider stakeholder organisations.
ii) Line managing, mentoring and nurturing in-house support staff and providing ‘on-the-job’ training to more junior members as required to promote continuous improvement of the team.

• Ensuring appropriate processes and project documentation are established, including project plans, Risk, Assumptions, Issues, Dependencies (RAID) logs, Dashboard reports and highlight reports are developed and maintained, including:
i) Identify and monitor project risks and issues and maintain overview of their potential impact on the wider programme;
ii) Develop mitigating actions and escalate as appropriate.

• Identify the need for and set appropriate project assurance within the framework outlined in the Integrated Assurance and Approvals Plan (IAAP) to support good governance and scrutiny through project Healthchecks and Gateway Reviews.

• The ability to prepare, develop, commission and update business cases to justify the initiation and continuation of projects in terms of benefits, value for money and risk.

• Management of project budgets; gaining sign off from stakeholders including Finance and Project/Programme Boards as required.

• Generation of accurate, relevant and timely reporting to enable progress to be tracked centrally.

• Embedding monitoring, evaluation and benefits realisation within the project, and importantly stabilising the hand-over into business as usual (BAU)

• Providing reports to the delivery’s associated Boards, their meetings as and when required to support effective governance and decision making.

• Sharing best practice with, manage and mentor other members within the projects and programme professional community.

• Provide constructive support to the wider PMO function associated with the delivery of the Programme.

Across these broad elements there is a general requirement to carry out other duties, working independently and as a member of the wider team, on behalf of JIC consistent with the grading of the post, and as agreed with the line manager, any other duties commensurate with the nature of the post.

Education & Qualifications

Requirement

Importance

Project Management Qualification such as Agile Foundation, PRINCE2 Foundation, APM Project Management, or transferable skillset

Essential

Educated to degree level in a relevant discipline, or equivalent experience in a professional environment

Essential

Membership of a professional body e.g. APM, RICS

Desirable

PRINCE2 Practitioner, Agile Practitioner, or equivalent higher-level Project Management Qualification

Desirable

Specialist Knowledge & Skills

Requirement

Importance

Knowledge of industry standard procurement approaches commonly used in public sector projects and ability to determine practical solutions whilst considering JIC procurement rules

Essential

Good working knowledge of MS Office packages (i.e. Word, Excel, PowerPoint etc.)

Essential

Knowledge of Microsoft Project, Visio and other project management related software and tools

Essential

Understanding and knowledge of the workings of a common data environment (CDE) on construction projects for information management and document control and ability to influence how the CDE can be used to protect the interests of the client

Essential

Where a CDE is absent, demonstrable knowledge and skills of establishing project communications and protocols to control information flow and ensure audit trails of decisions made and good project governance

Essential

Understanding of the constraints and protocols of working on infrastructure projects in a specialist research environment

Desirable

Knowledge of the various stakeholder groups at JIC, other institutes and NRP organisations

Desirable

Understanding the relationship that needs to be established and nurtured within the PMO environment

Desirable

Relevant Experience

Requirement

Importance

Experience working as a member of a large or high complexity project team, or as a specialist or workstream lead for small to medium, low complexity projects with multiple interfaces

Essential

Demonstrable broad senior project management experience gathered from a wide cross-section of industries enabling best practice to be brought to the role and ability to challenge the status quo

Essential

Able to evidence a good understanding of Project methodologies and lifecycles

Essential

Able to evidence experience of successfully engaging with and influencing a range of internal and external stakeholders

Essential

Able to deputise for the Project Director at times of absence

Essential

Previous experience at working on infrastructure projects on the NRP

Desirable

Interpersonal & Communication Skills

Requirement

Importance

Excellent written and verbal communication and stakeholder management skills

Essential

Document production to a high standard, able to proofread and redact work as required to deliver effective and cogent outputs

Essential

Attention to detail, delivered consistently including managing data and maintaining audit trials

Essential

Ability to identify and summarise key points from complex discussions and meetings and documents

Essential

A willingness to challenge preconceptions and offer well-reasoned and considered judgements to all levels of stakeholders

Essential

The ability to understand and communicate detailed processes quickly

Essential

Excellent interpersonal and team working skills with friendly and approachable disposition

Essential

Highly developed analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to quickly understand new and complex issues and to apply solutions

Essential

The ability to create and present a compelling vision, set clear direction that motivates others to work towards a common goal. Whilst also being able to adapt to ambiguity and change as well as engaging and communicating with stakeholders

Essential

Self-organisation skills and a demonstrable ability to manage and prioritise a workload and multiple project or work streams

Essential

Ability to work independently and autonomously as necessary to meet the requirements of the role, whilst operating transparently as a member of a wider team

Essential

The ability to recognise, anticipate and effectively deal with existing or potential conflicts at an individual, team or strategic level

Essential

Able to work in an environment of uncertainty and continual change. Feel comfortable making decisions and setting direction without having the full picture and re-focus as details emerge. Apply knowledge and techniques to reduce ambiguity

Desirable

Able to plan, lead and effect positive cultural change, securing commitment and buy-in and promoting a positive long-term vision. Also, able to recognise when broader culture change is necessary to deliver a project

Desirable

Additional Requirements

Requirement

Importance

Promotes equality and values diversity

Essential

Willingness to work outside standard working hours when required

Essential

Ability to maintain confidentiality and security of information where appropriate

Essential

Willingness to embrace the expected values and behaviours of all staff at the JIC/ TSL / NBI, ensuring it is a great place to work

Essential

Able to present a positive image of self and the Institute, promoting both the international reputation and public engagement aims of the Institute

Essential

Attention to detail

Essential

John Innes Centre

The John Innes Centre is an independent, international centre of excellence in plant and microbial genetics, carrying out fundamental and strategic research, to train scientists and making our findings available to society.

Our research makes use of a wide range of disciplines in the biological and chemical sciences including; cell biology, biochemistry, chemistry, genetics and molecular biology.

For more information about working at the John Innes Centre, please click here.

We pride ourselves on being a welcoming and inclusive working environment for all. We have a diverse and multicultural scientific community and thrive on our European and international links, appointing staff from across the world. Any candidate who would like further information on current or anticipated immigration requirements can contact the HR Team on +44 (0)1603 450888 or nbi.recruitment@nbi.ac.uk.

We are proud to hold a prestigious Athena SWAN Gold award, recognising the impact of our work in promoting gender equality in science. We are also a proud member of the Stonewall Diversity Champion’s programme, a founding signatory of the Tecnician Commitment and, as a Disability Confident employer, guarantee to offer an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the post.

The John Innes Centre is a registered charity (No. 223852), limited by guarantee (registered in England No. 511709).

Department

Directorate

Living in Norfolk

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NGI Senior Construction Project Manager
Salary:                £55,500 - £62,500 per annum depending on qualifications and experience.
Contract:           4 years, full time
Location:           John Innes Centre, Norwich, UK.
Closing date:     14 April 2025
Reference:        1004866

We are seeking to appoint a Senior Project Manager to join the NGI delivery team, working alongside to support our existing Senior Project Manager.

About the John Innes Centre:

The John Innes Centre is an independent, international centre of excellence in plant and microbial sciences. We nurture a creative, curiosity-led approach to answering fundamental questions in bioscience, and translate that knowledge into societal benefits. Our strategic vision, Healthy Plants, Healthy People, Healthy Planet, sets out our ambitious long-term goals for the game changing impact of our science globally. 

Our employees enjoy access to state-of-the-art technology and a diverse range of specialist training opportunities, including support for leadership and management. Click here to find out more about working at the John Innes Centre.

About the NGI Programme:

The Programme Management Office (PMO) within JIC is established to deliver the JIC-TSL Next Generation Infrastructure (NGI) programme of work involving various physical and soft projects, and business change/improvement activities across the organisation. The impact will primarily be across JIC and TSL who are joint principal stakeholders responsible for delivering the shared benefits.

The Senior Project Manager will be responsible for leading the implementation of a full lifecycle project or multi projects and business improvement activities, which may be part of a wider programme across the JIC businesses, its partner organisations, community and stakeholders.

This appointment will also contribute towards the Programme Office vision of developing as a professionally organised and appropriately resourced department that directly supports and contributes to the delivery of the JIC-TSL NGI strategic aims and objectives.

The role:

The Senior Project Manager will be responsible for leading the implementation of a full lifecycle project or multi projects and business improvement activities, which may be part of a wider programme across the JIC businesses, its partner organisations, community and stakeholders.

This appointment will also contribute towards the Programme Office vision of developing as a professionally organised and appropriately resourced department that directly supports and contributes to the delivery of the JIC-TSL NGI strategic aims and objectives.

The ideal candidate:

The ideal candidate will be educated to degree level in a relevant discipline or have equivalent experience in a professional environment. They will have knowledge of Microsoft Project, Visio and other project management related software and tools, and demonstrable broad senior project management experience gathered from a wide cross-section of industries enabling best practice to be brought to the role and ability to challenge the status quo.

Additional information:

Applicants are required to submit a covering letter along with their CV as part of their application explaining how you are suitable for the role and how their experience matches the job description.

This role meets the criteria for a visa application, and we encourage all qualified candidates to apply. Please contact the Human Resources Team if you have any questions regarding your application or visa options.

We are an equal opportunities employer, actively supporting inclusivity and diversity.  As a Disability Confident organisation, we guarantee to offer an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for this vacancy. We are proud to hold a prestigious Gold Athena SWAN award in recognition of our inclusive culture, commitment and good practices towards advancing of gender equality. We offer an exciting, stimulating, diverse research environment and actively promote a family friendly workplace. The Institute is also a member of Stonewall’s Diversity Champions programme.

The John Innes Centre is a registered charity (No. 223852) grant-aided by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.