Project Manager, Front Office in Oxford

We are seeking an experienced Project Manager to lead and deliver high-impact change initiatives within the Technology and Operations function at OUP. This role is central to driving large-scale business transformation, ensuring projects are successfully executed either as part of wider programmes or as stand-alone strategic initiatives. You will play a key role in supporting OUP’s global growth by delivering projects that are well-governed, efficiently managed, and aligned to business objectives by balancing time, cost, quality, and risk throughout the lifecycle.

As Project Manager, you will take ownership of defining, initiating, and delivering complex projects using a range of methodologies, including Waterfall and Agile. You will focus heavily on early-stage project shaping by scoping, planning, and structuring delivery for success, before leading execution or supporting transition into delivery phases where appropriate. Working closely with internal teams and external partners, you will ensure projects are coordinated, risk-managed, and effectively communicated. A strong emphasis will be placed on stakeholder engagement, governance frameworks, and continuous optimisation to maximise project value and business outcomes.

This role requires someone who thrives in a collaborative environment and is committed to continuous improvement. You will be responsible for managing project budgets, securing resources, and embedding robust change management practices to ensure successful adoption of outcomes. Building and maintaining strong relationships across Technology, Operations, and wider OUP stakeholders will be essential, as will holding delivery partners accountable. Ultimately, your ability to lead, influence, and deliver will be critical in ensuring key projects drive meaningful and lasting impact across the organisation. This is an 18-month fixed term contract. We operate a hybrid working policy that requires a minimum of 2 days per week in the Oxford office.

About You

• Demonstrated track record in delivery of complex business projects with multiple stakeholders.
• Strong track record of engaging with and influencing stakeholders.
• Strong track record of implementing defined governance framework to ensure clear decisions, scope management and risk/issue management processes which are clearly understood and effective.
• Demonstrated track record of business knowledge and awareness, has built strong relationships with business stakeholders and able to both support and challenge these teams.
• Demonstrated track record of managing in ambiguity and able to cut through this to ensure the right decisions are made to realise business outcomes.
• Work for complex organisations undergoing complex and significant transformation, disruption and/or change.
• Demonstration of strong strategic thinking skills and ability to analyse complex issues, be bold in decision making and to design and implement practical solutions to address them.
• Proven ability to develop, coach and motivate people across internal and external virtual teams, recognise gaps and build plans to develop capability.
• Experience in building empowered and cross-functional trusted teams.
• Demonstrable ability to use communication and presentation skills to influence at all levels and ability to articulate business/technical outcomes using simple clear language.
• Track record of using applicable tools for the role – examples include Office suite, MS Project/EPM, Jira.
• Financially astute.

We care about work/life balance here at OUP. With this in mind we offer 25 days’ holiday that rises with service, plus bank holidays and Christmas closure (3-days) and a 35-hour working week. We are open to discussing flexibility in respect to working patterns, dependent on role. We also have a great variety of active employee networks and societies. We help make your money go further by contributing to your pension up to 12%, offering loans and savings schemes through our partnership with Salary Finance, in addition to travel to work schemes and access to a wide range of local discounts. This role comes with the added benefit of a discretionary annual payment.