Senior Project Manager in North Shields

Place of Work/Group Company: Nijhuis Saur Industries UK and Ireland, office based preferred with flexible working opportunities; this position will require regular travel to projects and client sites across the UK as appropriate.

Summary: The Senior Project Manager is a key member of the project delivery team, supporting the Head of Projects with overall project management, governance and delivery across the NSI UK portfolio. The role will provide senior leadership across multiple projects and project teams, ensuring consistent application of NSI project management standards and effective integration of engineering, procurement, commercial, QHSE and site delivery activities. The Senior Project Manager will take direct accountability for assigned complex or high-value projects while supporting the Head of Projects with portfolio performance, resource planning, risk management, client relationships and the development of project management capability across the business.

Key Focus:

• Supporting the Head of Projects with overall management, governance, performance and prioritisation across the NSI UK project portfolio.
• Leadership of complex and/or high-value projects, with effective management of client relationships, programme, cost, quality, safety and project risk, ensuring contractual, commercial and operational objectives are achieved.
• Coordination and challenge across engineering, commercial, procurement, QHSE, commissioning and site delivery teams to achieve integrated project outcomes.
• Senior stakeholder management across clients, supply chain partners, framework partners and internal leadership teams.
• Leadership, coaching and development of Project Managers and wider project delivery personnel, promoting consistent standards and continuous improvement.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Be accountable for client, time, cost, quality, health and safety, environment (QHSE) performance across assigned projects, and provide oversight and assurance across the wider portfolio as delegated by the project team.
• Provide senior leadership and direction to Project Managers and multidisciplinary delivery teams; set clear objectives, monitor performance, coach individuals and address performance or resource issues promptly.
• Develop and maintain strong senior-level client relationships, acting as an escalation point where required and ensuring stakeholder expectations are actively managed.
• Lead portfolio and project reviews, ensuring robust reporting, accurate forecasting, effective governance and timely escalation of issues to the Head of Projects.
• Develop, approve and maintain Project Execution Plans, detailed programmes, schedules and recovery plans that enable accurate monitoring of progress and achievement of targeted performance.
• Own and actively manage project risk and opportunity, ensuring mitigation and opportunity actions are defined, assigned and monitored across the project lifecycle.
• Ensure quality requirements and client expectations are clearly defined and incorporated into project Quality Plans and delivery processes.
• Ensure site establishment and delivery arrangements enable safe, efficient and effective execution of construction, installation, testing, commissioning and handover activities.
• Ensure compliance with all applicable statutory, regulatory, company, environmental, quality and health and safety requirements, working closely with QHSE and site management teams.
• Lead value engineering, constructability and continuous improvement initiatives throughout design and delivery, balancing whole-life value, programme, quality and risk.
• Ensure timely delivery and coordination of design information, working closely with engineering and design management teams to resolve technical interfaces and constraints.
• Contribute to supply chain strategy and selection, oversee supplier and subcontractor performance, and intervene where performance threatens project outcomes.
• Lead contract administration and change control in accordance with contract requirements, including early warnings, compensation events/notices, variations, claims and associated records as applicable.
• Maintain strong commercial control, including budget management, cost forecasting, cash flow awareness, change management and recovery of contractual entitlement in partnership with the Commercial team.
• Ensure internal and external project reporting is accurate, timely and decision-focused, with clear actions, owners and deadlines.
• Support the Head of Projects with portfolio resource planning, workload balancing, project allocation, succession planning and identification of capability or recruitment needs.
• Support the development, standardisation and implementation of project management processes, tools, lessons learned and performance measures across NSI UK.
• Undertake project assurance, peer reviews and recovery support on other UK projects where required, providing constructive challenge and leadership to improve delivery performance.

Personal Skills and People Management:

• Proactive, solutions-focused and committed to continuous improvement, lessons learned and consistent project management standards.
• Highly organised and resilient, able to prioritise competing demands across multiple projects while maintaining attention to detail and strategic perspective.
• Commercially astute and decisive, with sound judgement and the confidence to challenge constructively, escalate when necessary and make evidence-based decisions.
• Excellent written and verbal communicator, able to tailor complex technical, commercial and delivery information for clients, senior leaders and project teams.
• Confident in managing performance, resolving conflict and handling difficult conversations constructively and fairly.
• Able to delegate effectively while retaining appropriate oversight, empowering team members to make decisions within clearly defined responsibilities.
• Strong people manager with the ability to coach, mentor, motivate and develop Project Managers and multidisciplinary team members at different levels of experience.
• Visible, credible and collaborative leader who sets high standards, creates accountability and builds trust across project teams and stakeholders.

Required Skills/Qualifications:

• Typically 10+ years of progressive experience in project delivery, including at least 5 years leading complex, multidisciplinary design and build projects as a Project Manager or Senior Project Manager, preferably within the Water industry or another regulated infrastructure sector.
• Degree or equivalent Level 6 qualification in Engineering, Construction Management, Project Management or a related technical discipline; substantial relevant experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
• Recognised or working towards professional project management qualification such as APM Project Management Qualification (PMQ), APM Project Professional Qualification (PPQ), PMI Project Management Professional (PMP) or equivalent. Chartered Project Professional (ChPP) status, or active progress toward chartership, is highly desirable.
• Strong working knowledge and practical experience of NEC contracts, particularly NEC4 ECC. Experience of FIDIC forms of contract is desirable.
• Demonstrable experience managing multiple concurrent projects and/or a programme or portfolio of projects, with responsibility for programme, cost, risk, quality, safety, commercial performance and client relationships.
• Demonstrable experience of managing and developing Project Managers and multidisciplinary teams, including objective setting, coaching, delegation, performance management, succession planning and resource allocation.
• Proven commercial and financial management capability, including budgeting, forecasting, change control, risk and opportunity management, supplier/subcontract management and contract administration.
• Experience working within the Water industry, utilities, energy, nuclear, process engineering/ heavy engineering or other highly regulated industries is strongly desirable.
• Strong technical understanding of multidisciplinary MEICA design, construction, installation, commissioning and handover, with the ability to lead and challenge technical and delivery teams.
• Appropriate CSCS card for the role and level of responsibility.
• Security Clearance (SC), or the ability to obtain and maintain SC where required by project/client requirements.
• Full UK driving licence and willingness to travel regularly to project and client sites across the UK.

Working for us means:

• Holidays - 25 days + 8 day statutory, buy and sell scheme available.
• Probationary Period – 6 months.
• Pension – Can join immediately or auto enrolled after 3 months - Employee 5% and Employer 5% via salary sacrifice.
• Eligible to join Private Healthcare after successfully completing probation.
• Enrolled in Group Income Protection and Death in Service (4 x basic salary) upon commencement of employment.
• Notice – 1 week during probation, increasing to 1 month thereafter.

Nijhuis Saur Industries UK & Ireland are committed to maintaining Environmental & Social Impact goals: To reach Net Zero emissions across our value chain by 2040. To continuously meet high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, accountability, maintaining B-Corp Certification. To be a socially responsible company creating a positive impact to all stakeholders including workers, communities, customers, and our planet. Nijhuis Saur Industries UK & Ireland are an equal opportunity employer; we are committed to providing equal opportunities in all aspects of employment in line with the Equality Act 2010.