Senior Project Manager

The UK Government has established UK Industrial Fusion Solutions (UKIFS) Ltd, a subsidiary of UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA), to lead the charge in delivering fusion energy through design and delivery of the Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP) prototype fusion plant. UKIFS is establishing itself, setting up the company, attracting talent, engaging with industry, developing a supply chain, and planning and constructing of the STEP prototype. Fusion energy, crucial for combating climate change and ensuring energy independence, is expected to be commercially viable by mid‑century. The UK, led by UKIFS, aims for a prototype fusion plant, targeting first operations around 2040.

Fusion energy offers the potential for significant quantities of low‑carbon, inherently safe, abundantly fuelled, baseload energy, supporting sustainable climate action and energy independence. While the technical challenge remains high, confidence is increasing, and the rewards of realising fusion are almost incalculable. Anticipated to come online for commercial purposes in the middle of this century, fusion offers a viable means to sustainable net zero in the UK and globally, and to increased energy security. The UK is currently a world leader in fusion research and development and in the drive to realise commercially viable energy from fusion, a sector with an estimated value of £tns per year.

As a Senior Project Manager, you’ll play a pivotal role in delivering some of the most ambitious and ground‑breaking projects in the UK. These projects vary in complexity, risk, and scale from under £50k to over £0.5bn with a typical annual budget for this level exceeding £10m. You’ll be at the heart of initiatives that span science, research and innovation, engineering, technology, and facility development, all contributing to STEP’s mission: generating net energy from fusion and building a commercially viable fusion industry.

Responsibilities:

• Driving project delivery in alignment with UK Government standards and best practices.
• Leading teams and coaching others to build capability and maintain quality.
• Managing budgets and negotiating decisions to keep projects on track.
• Influencing and engaging internal and external partners, including universities, suppliers, and professional networks.
• Identifying opportunities for improvement and shaping innovative solutions.

Accountabilities:

• Create and lead the project to deliver the agreed outcomes within time, cost and quality constraints.
• Day to day management and leadership of the project and the project team.
• Provide effective leadership and management controls in accordance with UKIFS corporate standards.
• Design the project structure and organisation appropriate to the stage of the project throughout the delivery lifecycle.
• Use industry standard and appropriate delivery methodologies in accordance with UKIFS standards and the stage of the project.
• Develop the budget and track delivery within budget.
• Manage effective transition between project phases and transition to business as usual at the end of the project.
• Develop and draft the Business Case, with input from specialists as necessary.
• Deliver the agreed Business Case benefits and outcomes.
• Ensure appropriate Benefits Realisation Strategy is in place and monitor longer term delivery of benefits against the Business Case.
• Identify skill requirements and deploy and develop resources.
• Manage a medium sized team.
• Identify and manage stakeholder relationships and need for senior level support.
• Manage internal and external relationships as appropriate.
• Identify and monitor project risks and issues.
• Develop mitigating actions and escalate as appropriate.
• Identify and work with related projects and programmes to manage interdependencies.
• Support effective governance and decision making.
• Provide timely and accurate reporting and engage in mechanisms that hold you, as Senior Project Manager, to account for delivery.
• Engage with assurance reviews in accordance with UKIFS standards, and support action on recommendations.
• Organise assurance processes such as stage gate reviews, as required.
• Ensure effective Change Management is in place to agree and document changes to deliverables as agreed with stakeholders, and in line with corporate change processes.
• Cascade vision and translate into delivery objectives for the team.
• Develop and maintain Project Plan.
• Identify and set appropriate Project Controls.
• Manage performance and report progress to sponsors.
• Provide support, guidance and coaching for the project team.
• Show commitment to personal development.
• Promote effective individual and team performance.

Budget Responsibilities:

• The job holder will manage the assigned budget allocation of typical budget expenditure of greater than £10m pa.
• Responsible for tracking invoices project expenditure against the budget allocation.
• Responsible for early identification of any forecasted under or overspend and proposing solutions / mitigating actions through to appropriate governance structure (Project reviews / Board report etc.) for decision.

Qualifications:

• Relevant Professional Qualifications: APM Practitioner Qualification, APM Registered Project Professional, PRINCE2 Practitioner, Agile Project Management Practitioner.
• Essential Skills and Experience: Proven track record of leading a variety of complicated (L5)/complex (L6) projects. Ability to engage successfully with diverse groups of stakeholders. Previously worked in a multi‑disciplined environment, managing projects that impact across multiple business areas.
• Desirable Experience: Experience of projects using agile or hybrid delivery methodology. Experience of working on science/engineering related projects. Previously worked on projects that form part of a wider programme of deliverables. Experience of working within the public sector with an understanding of public sector procurement would be an advantage. Honours/ Masters degree in programme & project management. Degree in a relevant science or engineering discipline.

We welcome applications from under‑represented groups, particularly women in STEM and individuals from British black and ethnic minority backgrounds, and individuals with disabilities. Our Executive team, supported by our ‘Equality, Diversity and Inclusion’ (EDI) Partner and Inclusion Ambassadors, actively promotes EDI and takes steps to increase diversity within our organisation.