Project Manager - Newport

The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) is the official UK government body responsible for intellectual property (IP) rights including patents, designs, trademarks, and copyright. We operate and maintain a clear and accessible IP system in the UK, which encourages innovation and helps the economy and society to benefit from knowledge and ideas. We help people get the right type of protection for their creation or invention.

Delivering the best IP services to our customers is central to the IPO strategy and we are building on our strengths in rights granting and related services to improve our digital service offering and data. The role sits in the Portfolio Management Office (PMO) within the Strategy directorate. The post holder will be part of a team of project professionals responsible for delivering the Portfolio to support the IPO Strategy and corporate priorities. This will consist of a variety of IT and Business change initiatives across the IPO.

Working Style

This role will be carried out in-line with IPO Hybrid working arrangements where staff are currently expected to spend at least 20% of their time working onsite from one of our offices. This role is based in our Newport Office. The requirement for attendance at an office location can vary by role so we would encourage candidates to discuss working arrangements with the recruiting manager to agree a reasonable balance between working from home and the office.

Main duties consist of but are not limited to:

• Deliver end‑to‑end IT projects, ensuring outcomes are achieved within agreed time, cost, quality, and aligned to the organisation's System/Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC).
• Maintain and assure detailed project plans using MS Project, Azure DevOps, or similar toolsets, running planning sessions with technical teams to sequence work, identify dependencies, and keep plans accurate and up to date.
• Manage technical risks and issues, proactively identifying technology‑related impacts and ensuring effective tracking, escalation, and mitigation.
• Provide clear leadership to multidisciplinary technical teams, maintaining delivery direction, scope, and alignment with the business case.
• Produce concise and accurate delivery reports, including progress summaries, performance metrics, and time and cost forecasts for governance purposes.
• Work with resource owners and technical leads to manage forward demand, secure required skills, and ensure capacity for key delivery milestones.

Person specification

Essential criteria

• Proven experience delivering complex IT projects using Agile, Waterfall, or Hybrid methodologies within structured governance frameworks, with strong knowledge of project management principles and proficiency in digital delivery toolsets such as MS Project, Azure DevOps, and related technologies.
• Demonstrable experience across all levels of testing, from unit and integration testing through to system testing and UAT, with the ability to develop comprehensive test plans aligned to organisational testing strategies.
• Extensive experience working with technical teams - including developers, engineers, testers, and architects - with the ability to interpret technical information and manage complex technical dependencies effectively.
• Demonstrable ability to manage technical risks and issues, including identifying emerging technology related risks, assessing impact, securing appropriate technical ownership, and producing and maintaining high quality delivery artefacts (such as PIDs, Gantt charts, POAPs, Level 0 plans, milestone trackers and technical delivery roadmaps) to support governance and assurance.
• Skilled in technical dependency management, with sufficient understanding of architecture and system design to identify, validate, and coordinate interdependencies across multiple teams, services, or platforms.
• Must hold a recognised project management qualification, such as PRINCE2 Practitioner, APMQ, Agile Practitioner, or equivalent.

How to Apply

Click the 'Apply now' button and complete the application form by providing the following: 750-word Personal Statement. Use this to explain why you're suitable for the role. Structure your statement around the essential criteria in the Person Specification. Make sure to provide clear examples to show how you meet each requirement.

Behaviours

Provide one 250-word example for each of the following Behaviour headings:

• Communicating and influencing
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form: Communicating and Influencing.

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process: At interview you will be assessed on technical criteria.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £47,766, Intellectual Property Office contributes £13,837 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides. A flexible working scheme with excellent development opportunities 25 days annual leave moving to 30 days in annual increments (1 day per year) over 5 years of reckonable service. You will also get 8 days public leave and 1 day privilege leave. Family friendly policies that support modern working families and individuals with caring responsibilities. A variety of support functions; Staff Counselling Service, Peer to Peer Support Group. Eligibility for special and office-wide bonus payments. The opportunity to form part of our many inclusive network groups. A range of wellbeing initiatives; Onsite Gym (Newport office), Eye Care Scheme, Volunteering Programme, Cycling facilities. Free car parking is available on site at our Newport office. On-site shop, restaurant and coffee shop at our Newport office.

Please note that benefits may be subject to change.

Things you need to know

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check and if successful you must also hold, or be willing to obtain, a higher Security Clearance. For meaningful checks to be carried out individuals will need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time, depending on the level of clearance, to enable appropriate checks to be carried out and produce a result which provides the required level of assurance. For this role the successful individual will need to have consistently lived in the UK for a minimum 5 years in order to meet the relevant security clearance.

Further information on the vetting process can be found at National security vetting: clearance levels - GOV.UK.

If you have questions regarding this or are unsure if you meet the eligibility criteria, please contact the recruitment team for more information.

The assessment process will comprise of the following:

• Stage 1 - Sift: An initial sift of applications will be carried out to create a shortlist. This will be based on the evidence provided for the following Success Profile elements: Experience. Your 750 word Personal statement will demonstrate your essential criteria. Behaviours: Provide one 250-word example for each of the following Behaviour headings; Communicating and influencing.
• Stage 2 - Interviews: If invited to interview, Behaviours, Experience and Technical based questioning will be used. Specific information regarding the Success Profile elements that will be assessed at interview will be contained within the interview invitation. Interviews for this role will be carried in person at our Newport Office.

This recruitment campaign will keep a reserve list for 12 months. If you meet the requirements for this role but aren’t offered after passing the interview, you’ll be placed on the reserve list.

The successful candidate would be expected to remain in the role for a minimum of 12 months before applying for another role. Applicants to note: CVs sent direct to the IPO will not be accepted.

For more information on the IPO's terms and conditions, please review the attached IPO Modernised Terms and Conditions document attached at the bottom of this advert. Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security: Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check.

Nationality requirements: This job is broadly open to the following groups: UK nationals, nationals of the Republic of Ireland, nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK, nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS).

Further information on nationality requirements can be found on the relevant government website.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found.