Senior Project Manager in London

We are currently recruiting for an experienced Senior Project Manager to take overall responsibility for the delivery of a £30m, highly complex hotel conversion project in Central London. The project involves the transformation of an existing listed town hall into a luxury 5-star hotel, incorporating over 90 bedrooms, a large ballroom, restaurants and high-end guest facilities. This is a particularly detailed and technically challenging project, combining major structural and construction works with specialist heritage restoration and high-end hotel fitout. The central London location also creates significant logistical challenges, so the successful candidate will need to have experience working on complex projects where careful planning, coordination and strong site management are essential.

The Senior Project Manager will report directly to the Construction Director and will have overall responsibility for the successful delivery of the project, managing the site team, contractors, programme, quality, health & safety and day-to-day construction activities. The successful candidate will initially be heavily involved in the preconstruction phase for approximately 4 weeks before moving into a 100% site-based role for the remainder of the project.

• £30m conversion of an existing listed town hall into a luxury 5-star hotel, incorporating 90+ bedrooms, ballroom, restaurants and high-end guest facilities.
• Complex Central London scheme involving significant logistical challenges, demolition, structural steelwork, SFS extension, M&E, roofing, internal fitout and specialist heritage restoration works.
• Multiple trades, contractors and specialist subcontractor packages being delivered concurrently.

The Senior Project Manager will take a lead role throughout the project, initially supporting the preconstruction process before taking full responsibility for the site delivery. You will coordinate the various construction disciplines and ensure all works are delivered safely, to programme, within budget and to the required quality standards.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Overall responsibility for day-to-day project delivery, including programme, quality, budget and health & safety.
• Leading the project team and coordinating contractors, subcontractors and multiple specialist trades.
• Overseeing demolition, structural steelwork, SFS, M&E, roofing, internal fitout and heritage restoration works.
• Managing complex project logistics within a highly constrained Central London environment.
• Monitoring progress against programme, identifying risks and delays and implementing mitigation where required.
• Working closely with the Design Manager and Quantity Surveyors to ensure design, programme and commercial requirements are controlled.
• Reviewing drawings, specifications and technical information and ensuring works are delivered correctly.
• Chairing client, subcontractor and project meetings and maintaining strong relationships with key stakeholders.
• Providing regular progress updates to the Construction Director and ensuring the project is successfully delivered through to completion and handover.

You will lead a substantial project team including 2 Site Managers, Finishing Foreman, Ganger, labour and skilled trades, 2 Quantity Surveyors and a Design Manager, alongside the wider subcontractor, consultant and professional teams. This is a hands-on leadership position requiring someone who can provide clear direction to the site team while maintaining a strong overview of the overall programme, commercial position, quality and client relationship.

We are looking for a Senior Project Manager with a proven track record of delivering complex construction projects, rather than someone whose experience is limited to straightforward new-build schemes.

• Strong Senior Project Manager / Project Manager background with experience delivering £20m–£30m+ projects.
• Previous experience across hotel construction/conversion, residential or commercial conversions, major refurbishment, high-end fitout or similarly complex schemes.
• Experience working within listed or heritage buildings is highly desirable, alongside strong understanding of structural works and construction sequencing.
• Proven ability to manage multiple contractors and subcontractors, with strong client-facing experience and confidence chairing meetings.
• Excellent understanding of construction drawings, specifications, programming, quality, health & safety and commercial project controls.
• IT and email literate with good Microsoft skills and the ability to produce and understand project information.
• Excellent communication and leadership skills with a proven track record of successfully delivering complex projects.

The first 4 weeks will involve significant involvement in preconstruction, working closely with the Construction Director and wider team to ensure the project is fully prepared for delivery. Following this period, the Senior Project Manager will be required to be 100% site based in Central London for the duration of the project. Due to the complexity of the scheme, this is not a role for someone looking to oversee the project remotely. The successful candidate will be expected to be heavily involved in the day-to-day delivery, with strong visibility across the site and regular interaction with the client, contractors and project team.

Package:

• £420–£450 per day CIS
• 2-year initial contract
• Central London location
• Mid/Late October start

This is a major, highly detailed conversion project requiring a Senior Project Manager with genuine experience of complex construction, refurbishment or conversion schemes. The successful candidate will need to be comfortable taking ownership of a £30m project, leading a sizeable delivery team and managing the challenges associated with a listed building, specialist heritage works and a logistically challenging Central London location.