Portfolio Director - Construction

On behalf of UK Parliament, we are looking for a Portfolio Director - Construction (Inside IR35) for an 18 month contract. This is a hybrid working role (travel to London required).

Job Purpose: The interim Portfolio Director will provide leadership and direction across a complex portfolio of activity, ensuring that strategic objectives continue to be delivered and that appropriate governance arrangements remain in place. The role will help maintain organisational stability, support informed decision-making and provide effective engagement with key stakeholders across Parliament.

As a Portfolio Director - Construction, your main responsibilities will be:

• Direct Management of a team of Assistant Directors responsible for the delivery of a programme of schemes to time, quality and cost.
• Overall responsibility for the wider portfolio team, ensuring effective delivery of schemes within the Portfolio.
• Team leadership - ensure continued support for team role development, increase in professional knowledge and an increased awareness of the different approaches used to manage projects, programmes and portfolios with a commitment to celebrating diversity through building working environments that support all teams to achieve.
• Governance - Portfolio Directors may act as the SRO or SRO delegate on nominated projects whilst utilising the IHSE reporting structure to raise, report and communicate all issues identified.
• Stakeholders - establish positive relationships with all stakeholders outside of Project Delivery. Ensure that the accountability within Project Delivery is understood and respected and all changes to resources, processes and reporting considers the bigger picture and not just a single project, programme or portfolio. Ensure that Parliamentary stakeholders are communicated with effectively and consistently across the portfolio and that all issues and complaints are resolved or escalated swiftly.
• Safety - ensure that the approach to safety on all projects within the Portfolio is in line with Parliamentary standards, addressing any issues in a timely manner and identifying areas for improvement working closely with the Project Delivery Safety Team.
• Reporting - ensure that the reporting cycle is adhered to and that all timescales are met. Work with the PD PMO and IHSE PMO in the development of quality informed portfolio level reporting that supports the effective delivery of projects and programmes. Ensure that there is clear evidence on the performance of the projects within the portfolio and any risks and issues are being appropriately raised and action plans addressed. Chair the Project Boards within the Portfolio ensuring that all parties including stakeholders, are clear on their accountabilities and that key performance metrics are reported and managed.

Essential:

• Membership of a relevant professional body - e.g. RICS, APD, CIOB, RIBA, CIBSE
• Substantial experience of leading client-side complex and multi-million-pound construction or estates programmes, spanning multiple locations and years, to meet business objectives within a structured environment.
• Experience of NEC Contract, of delivering a programme of projects to expected objectives of time, cost and quality.
• Excellent people management, with experience of establishing high performing technical teams through developing ability and creating an inclusive and collaborative culture which values diversity and encourages openness, approachability and sensitivity.
• Demonstrable experience of monitoring performance, addressing poor performance and ensuring achievement of project objectives and outcomes within a complex client environment.
• The ability to evaluate data from various sources to make well considered and often difficult decisions and presenting reasonable conclusions to inform and/or influence senior Stakeholders.

Please be aware that this role can only be worked within the UK and not Overseas.

Disability Confident: As a member of the Disability Confident Scheme, UK Parliament guarantees to interview all candidates who have a disability and who meet all the essential criteria for the vacancy. In cases where we have a high volume of candidates who have a disability who meet all the essential criteria, we will interview the best candidates from within that group. This scheme encourages candidates with a disability and/or neurodivergence to apply.

Armed Forces Covenant: UK Parliament guarantees to interview veterans or spouses/partners of military personnel who meet all the essential criteria for the vacancy. In cases where we have a high volume of ex-military candidates/military spouses or partners, who meet all of the essential criteria, we will interview the best candidates from within that group. In exceptional circumstances, we may also need to apply the desirable criteria in our shortlisting process which may include holding active security clearance.

In applying for this role, you acknowledge the following: this role falls in scope of the Off Payroll Working in the Public Sector legislation. Any rates of payment quoted will reflect the gross rate per day for the assignment and will be subject to appropriate taxes and statutory costs. As such the payment to the intermediary and your income resulting from this contract will be different.