Job title: Senior Project Manager
Company: British Council
Job description: We support peace and prosperity by building connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and countries worldwide.
We work directly with individuals to help them gain the skills, confidence and connections to transform their lives and shape a better world in partnership with the UK. We support them to build networks and explore creative ideas, to learn English, to get a high-quality education and to gain internationally recognised qualifications.
Working with people in over 200 countries and territories, we are on the ground in more than 100 countries. In 2021-22 we reached 650 million people.
Senior Project Manager (Global Estates)
Pay Band: 9
Salary: Starting £55,699 (+ £3,300 market allowance if based in London)
Contract Type: Indefinite
Location: UK; London, Manchester, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Belfast.
Requirements: Candidates must have the pre-existing (permanent) right to work in location.
Mobility / relocation / visa sponsoring support will not be provided.
Benefits include, but are not limited to:
- 32 days annual leave, in addition to public holidays
- 3 days volunteering leave
- Career average defined benefit pension scheme
- An unrivalled opportunity for you to get to use all the experience you’ve built up working in and / or leading global organisations to support us in building trust across the world!
Closing date: Sunday 3rd December, 11:59pm UK time.
Context
The role delivers a portfolio of Capital Programmes and Projects and the Investment Plan across the global estate an is part of the GE specialist team. The estate is British Council’s highest spend category, after people with over 300 commercial property interests.
A number of the British Council wide transformation programmes have Capital Project implications in order to implement new operating models and achieve financial benefits.
The role of the Global Estates function is to ensure that the British Council estate properly projects the British Council brand and values, works hard for the business, and provides a modern, welcoming and functional place in which to work and do business.
Role Purpose
The Project Manager (Capital Projects) Global Estates (GE) leads on modernisation and refurbishment estate programmes and projects in property portfolio (in the UK and overseas) as well as delivery of parts of the capital investment programme, leveraging internal and external resources in their network to deliver a more fit for purpose and affordable future estate for the British Council.
The role will also contribute to the development and implementation of estate portfolio strategies and asset management plans through identifying regional and strategic business unit estate requirements and opportunities to drive value for money and improvements to the global estate.
The role will strategically partner the business, leading and aligning GE Capital Projects with the business strategy through building and leveraging the senior leadership network within British Council, the wider Government departments and our professional services partners.
Main Accountabilities
Leadership & Management
- Provide professional leadership to the global network managing BAU estates across 100+ countries to ensure the British Council global estate remains legally compliant and fit for purpose.
- Provide leadership, management, and support to assure the effective development and implementation of GE strategies, plans and changes across a matrix managed organization; regionally and globally.
Capital Projects
- Lead the commissioning and management of capital change estate projects within their portfolio (in the UK and overseas) and the overall portfolio management of the capital investment programme to ensure benefits are delivered.
- Develop and gain approval for business cases for GE capital projects, supporting the prioritization of funding relating to the global property portfolio.
- Develop client briefs into full project specifications in conjunction with workplace design, Transaction Management, Regional/Country property managers and other GE capital and strategic projects.
- Deliver projects including relocations, fit out, refurbishment, compliance and maintenance projects, feasibility/condition surveys, ensuring successful delivery to the required time, budget, quality and all necessary BC estate standards and brand guidelines are met.
Strategy and Planning
- Contribute to the development and implementation of real estate strategies through identifying and realizing opportunities to drive forward on value and improvements to the efficiency and effectiveness of the global estate.
- Contribute to the delivery of regional and country rationalisation strategies in accordance with priorities identified in capital plan and contributing to updates as required.
- Implement key initiatives in capital planning including liaising with other members of GE on the procurement of a global professional and technical services framework contracts, the global roll out of smart working and an estate governance and business case roll out.
Business Partnering & stakeholder engagement.
- Strategically partner the business, supporting and influencing the formation of GE strategy and implementation of projects/initiatives through understanding the business strategy as well as wider opportunities.
- Build and maintain strong working relationships with the network, strategic business units and related corporate functions to ensure that capital projects reflect business needs and are delivered on time, within agreed budget and to the design/specification agreed with business clients. Work closely with Project Owners/SROs and local coordinators.
- Pro-actively share insights to challenge, influence and add value to decision making, optimizing opportunity whilst balancing risk.
- Implement global approaches for building GE strategy in order to strengthen GE reputation as a valued business partner.
Transaction Management
- Provide support and professional advice re alignment of TM activities with GE Capital Projects and where necessary, oversee and undertake property transactions, in conjunction with the GE Transaction team and global professional service partners.
Partnership working
- Work closely with the British Council’s multi-disciplinary global property partners to successfully deliver all aspects of occupational real estate management and project delivery
- Work closely with other specialists in Global Estates, Finance, Global Information Systems, Human Resources, Procurement and others, to ensure that inter-dependencies between GE and other corporate functions are properly managed and that opportunities for improvements are identified.
Innovation and Continuous Improvement
- Lead change in their area of specialism/matrix/portfolio – create compelling vision, manage stakeholders, manage risks and dependencies, robust plan, embed changes, achieve benefits, etc.
- Set high standards and reflect best practice in the work of the team, ensuring that the GE team strives to achieve the right business outcomes.
- Develop innovative approaches to portfolio optimisation in order to support workplace strategy.
- Work with other members of the GE team to develop global standard business GE processes.
Technical and Subject Matter Expert
- Provide insight and professional advice on GE matters and plans in order to build stakeholder/client and GE team awareness and enable better decision making, improved estate performance and achieve business objectives.
- Gather/share knowledge/trends from the global real estate sector to grow the professionalism of the GE team and identify opportunities for British Council benefit.
- Provide Real Estate expertise in relation to service delivery for assigned geographical region/property portfolio, delivering demonstrable improvements in value, performance and sustainability of the regional portfolio, working collaboratively with other GE functions/team.
Role specific skills
- Excellent Programme and Project Management skills.
- High level communications and stakeholder management skills.
- Ability to commission and manage multi-disciplinary professionals.
- Ability to think and act strategically, commercially, and corporately, to develop and convey a clear and innovative vision, and to enthuse staff and stakeholders.
- Driven and self-motivated individual who always wants to improve processes.
- Able to think out of the box to find innovative solutions to practical problems.
- Organised and rigorous.
- Capable of quick, broad analysis of opportunities with commercially savvy approach.
- A high degree of personal integrity and sensitivity.
- Ability to work under pressure.
Role specific knowledge and experience
- Proven professional experience in an equivalent position within a complex matrix global organisation, Programme and Project Management experience, delivering capital works outside of the UK in challenging markets, understanding of robust project governance and controls.
- Proven track record of delivering complex high-profile projects, on time, on budget and to a quality standard.
- Thorough understanding of the real estate and project management lifecycle and principles.
- Strong vendor management and commercialism skills, particularly in relationship to alliances/partnerships with service providers.
- Financial Management of Capital Projects experience, from creating business cases to controlling costs, managing budgets and reporting on benefits.
- Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary estates team.
- Experience of managing service provision through both in-house staff and professional partners.
- Sound understanding of relevant real estate legislation.
Closing date: Sunday 3rd December, 11:59pm UK tim
A connected and trusted UK in a more connected and trusted world.
Equality , Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Statement
The British Council is committed to policies and practices of equality, diversity and inclusion across everything we do. We support all staff to make sure their behaviour is consistent with this commitment. We want to address under representation and encourage applicants from under-represented groups, in particular, but not exclusively, on grounds of ethnicity and disability. All disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria are guaranteed an interview and we have Disability Confident Employer Status. We welcome discussions about specific requirements or adjustments to enable participation and engagement in our work and activities.
The British Council is committed to safeguarding children, young people and adults who we work with.
We believe that all children and adults everywhere in the world deserve to live in safe environments and have the right to be protected from all forms of abuse, maltreatment and exploitation as set out in article 19, UNCRC (United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child) 1989.
Appointment to positions where there is direct involvement with vulnerable groups will be dependent on thorough checks being completed; these will include qualification checks, reference checks, identity & criminal record checks in line with legal requirements and with the British Council’s Safeguarding policies for Adults and Children.
If you have any problems with your application please email
Please note: Applications to this role can only be considered when made through the Apply section of our careers website. Our ‘ASK HR’ email is only to be used in case of a technical issue encountered when applying through the careers website. Emails with supporting statements and CV/Resumes sent to this email address will not be reviewed and will be deleted.
Expected salary:
Location: Manchester
Job date: Sun, 12 Nov 2023 01:58:02 GMT
