Digital Project Manager in Manchester

Digital Project Manager Full time / Part time. Salary: £44,297- £49,813pa, with potential for further progression to £56,082pa with our pay progression scheme. Location: Manchester Contracted to our Wilmslow office, we will be relocating to Manchester city centre from 28 September 2026. Once the move takes place your contracted office will be Circle Square, Manchester. Through hybrid working we offer flexible home and office-based working opportunities and there will be times when you will be expected to attend the office to collaborate with colleagues or travel due to business need.

Why work for the ICO?

• Pay progression scheme.
• Hybrid and flexible working options.
• 25 days paid holiday per year, plus privilege and public holidays.
• Flexi leave (up to 26 additional days leave per year).
• Pension (employer contribution around 28.9%).
• Online discount scheme to save money at major supermarkets, retailers, gyms, restaurants, insurance providers and many more.
• Health Cash Plan.
• Fantastic development opportunities to learn and progress.

Job summary

The Digital Project Manager is responsible for leading the delivery of digital, data and technology related projects across the ICO. Reporting to the Digital Programme Manager, the Digital Project Manager ensures that projects are delivered effectively, consistently, and with measurable impact. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is the independent regulator of information rights. In a data-driven world, we provide advice, guidance, and support to organisations enabling compliance with their obligations, as well as protecting individuals and their personal data. As an employer, we are passionate about making a positive difference to the lives and careers of our people, and we empower you to be curious, impactful, collaborative and respectful.

Job description

Key responsibilities:

• Lead the delivery of DDaT projects in alignment with organisational priorities whilst ensuring projects teams are empowered to deliver effectively.
• Use skills and experience to lead and direct end-to-end project delivery, working closely with roles within the digital delivery team such as Scrum Masters, User Centre Design specialists, Technical Business Analysts, Test Engineers, Product Owners and Architecture.
• Develop and maintain a comprehensive approach to project delivery by use of the Agile methods in a JIRA environment.
• Identify and proactively manage cross-organisational resource required to successfully delivery projects.
• Lead on the engagement with and coordination of actions across stakeholder groups within wider business.
• Ensure effective assurance reporting and visibility of deliverables, risks, and issues by monitoring and controlling project progress using appropriate tools, and by preparing and delivering reports and papers for project and programme boards.
• Where appropriate, provide leadership, coaching, challenge and guidance to ensure objectives are met and delivery is consistent across the organisation.
• Ensure outputs are effectively implemented and embedded within the business.
• Provide business process change support, coordinate communications and training activities, and work in partnership with stakeholders and benefit owners to maximise adoption and realise benefits.
• Facilitate lessons learned exercises, embedding findings into delivery practice to support a continuous learning culture and improve project management standards.
• Organise and support project events, including workshops, stakeholder briefings, and assurance activities.

Essential criteria assessed at application stage

• Experience of managing and delivering projects in public or private sector environments.
• Evidence of successful implementation of projects that deliver strategic value across varied domains including but not limited to digital, data, regulatory, and transformational workstreams.
• Very strong interpersonal skills, including the ability to negotiate and to build and maintain good working relationships both internally and externally, up to and including senior management level.
• Excellent understanding and application of Agile delivery methodologies including Scrum.
• Good working knowledge of JIRA.
• Ability to deliver projects under strategic oversight, working in partnership with the Digital Programme Manager to ensure alignment with organisational priorities.
• Demonstrated leadership in managing project teams, with experience in coaching, mentoring, and developing capability across a matrix environment.
• Understanding of portfolio, programme and project governance and assurance, with the ability to contribute to reporting and decision-making processes.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and influencing skills, with the ability to represent project interests across governance forums and enable effective decision-making.
• Excellent judgement and the ability to deal with a changing environment both on a day-to-day and long-term basis.
• Commitment to continuous improvement, with experience in leading lessons learned exercises and embedding findings into delivery practice.

Essential criteria assessed during interview

• Experience of managing and delivering projects in public or private sector environments.
• Evidence of successful implementation of projects that deliver strategic value across varied domains including but not limited to digital, data, regulatory, and transformational workstreams.
• Very strong interpersonal skills, including the ability to negotiate and to build and maintain good working relationships both internally and externally, up to and including senior management level.
• Good working knowledge of JIRA and the application of Agile Scrum.
• Ability to deliver projects under strategic oversight, working in partnership with the Digital Programme Manager to ensure alignment with organisational priorities.
• Understanding of portfolio, programme and project governance and assurance, with the ability to contribute to reporting and decision-making processes.
• Excellent judgement and the ability to deal with a changing environment both on a day-to-day and long-term basis.
• Commitment to continuous improvement, with experience in leading lessons learned exercises and embedding findings into delivery practice.

Equality, diversity, and inclusion

Equality, diversity, and inclusion. The ICO is committed to promoting and enhancing equality, diversity, and inclusion. We are focused on developing a workforce that is representative of the communities we serve and together we are building an inclusive workplace where all of our colleagues have the opportunity to make a real difference. We are championing this through our Equality Diversity and Inclusion Board together with a number of staff networks. Read more about our commitment on our website.

Candidates with a disability who meet the minimum criteria for this vacancy will be invited to interview as part of the ICO’s commitment to the Disability Confident Scheme. As part of the ICO’s commitment to our EDI objectives and creating a workplace that represents the communities and societies we serve, we guarantee an interview to candidates who identify as belonging from an ethnic minority background and who meet the minimum criteria for this vacancy.

Clearance Required for this role

Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS)

Closing Date

Closing Date: 23:59, Thursday 17 September.