Principal Project Manager

About the Company - Our Client is a Council on the South Coast and this is an excellent hybrid opportunity outside IR35.

The Service - We are the Transport Service, which forms part of the City Council's Economy, Transport and Planning Directorate. Our core business areas are Transport Planning, Transport Delivery, Network Management, Road Safety & Active Travel and Parking Management. We work on highways projects across the city to support the delivery of the Council's adopted Local Transport Plan 4. We aim to produce exemplar work, through our Transport Gateway Process, to a high standard, that others aspire towards. As a service we take pride in our work by valuing others, focusing on what is important so that we make a real and positive difference.

About the Role - This is a temporary Principal Project Manager role to lead successful delivery of a bus lane enforcement project to support the council's Bus Lane Improvement Plan (BSIP), highways obligations and compliance with legislation. It sits within the Transport Delivery team. Your role will be to successfully project manage the implementation of camera enforcement in five bus lanes, two of which to enable PHV access, overseeing the project from initiation to delivery to challenging timescales, and ensuring that signage and lining is compliant with all relevant guidance. You will work closely with officers, contractors and elected members to ensure that the highest standards are achieved within the constraints of time and budget.

Responsibilities - The Project Manager is responsible for the day-to-day management of the project, ensuring delivery within the defined time, cost, and quality tolerances. Key responsibilities include:

• Governance – Implement and follow approved governance structure. Establish regular project team meetings (highlight reports, checkpoint meetings, etc.) to maintain a consistent cadence.
• Initiation – Confirm the feasibility of the project, considering budget, resources, timeline, and the project's continued justification.
• Planning / Scheduling – Set project objectives, define roles and responsibilities and develop the Project Implementation Document (PID), identifying the product-based schedule and project stages.
• Resources – Identify, assign, and direct resources in accordance with the PID, ensuring availability and appropriate allocation of resources.
• Finance – Implement budget management from the feasibility stage and throughout the lifecycle, using the project budget controls to keep finances on track.
• Progress – Monitor and control project progress using the established reporting, tracking progress against the PID and stage boundaries. Produce regular Highlight Reports.
• Risks / Issues – Use risk management processes to identify, assess, and manage project risks and issues, ensuring proactive mitigation and escalation where necessary.
• Assurance – As needed prepare for and attend Health Checks and Gateway Reviews as part of the Quality Assurance process to ensure the project is meeting quality standards.
• Quality – Utilise standard organisational templates and tools. Establish robust configuration management for project documentation and records.
• Scope – Monitor the project's deliverables against the scope. Implement Change Control processes to manage any changes, ensuring continued alignment with expected benefits.
• Stakeholders – Manage relationships with stakeholders, including internal and external clients, third parties, and key stakeholders, in line with project Communication Strategy.
• Reporting – Provide regular and accurate reports to the Project Board and Senior Management, including monthly reports, Exception Reports and Closure Reports as needed.
• Closure – Conduct project closure, ensuring that a formal review of lessons learned is completed, and that the benefits are tracked post-project.

Required Skills -

• Project and Programme Management – Proven experience managing projects and/or programmes across the full lifecycle, from initiation through to closure.
• Presentation and Communication Skills – Ability to effectively present project information, articulate key decisions, and manage stakeholder expectations.
• Report Writing – Strong ability to produce structured and clear reports, including project status updates, information reports, and lessons learned documentation.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Packages – Advanced skills in Microsoft Office tools (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Project), with the ability to use them for project planning, scheduling, and monitoring progress.
• Managing Multi-Disciplinary Teams and Contractors – Experience leading diverse consultant teams and procuring contractors, ensuring roles and responsibilities are clearly defined.
• Budget Management – Expertise in managing and operating large, complex budgets. Track financial performance and ensure regular financial appraisals, keeping the project within budget constraints.
• Stakeholder Engagement – Proven ability to develop productive working relationships with internal and external stakeholders, managing expectations and ensuring alignment with project objectives.
• Community Engagement (Desirable) – Experience with community outreach and engagement, ensuring that stakeholder communication is effective, particularly for projects that affect the public.
• Senior Management and Cabinet Member Liaison – Essential experience working closely with senior managers, and desirable experience with Cabinet Members.
• Expertise in delivering transport projects.

Pay range and compensation package - £50 to £55 per hour outside IR35.