Senior Project Manager - Property Technology in Bristol

Overview

This role leads the coordinated delivery of the PSTN switch off programme, Access Control stabilisation, and wider property technology initiatives. It requires strong communication, organisational leadership, and stakeholder alignment across Estates, Digital, Operations and contractors.

Location and duration

This role is based in our Bristol office and is a 12 month fixed-term contract. Unite Students is progressing through the national PSTN switch off programme while also strengthening operational reliability across key property technology systems. As Property Technology Manager, you will oversee the PSTN programme's final phases, ensuring controlled disconnection, continuity, and alignment with lift and fire tenders. Alongside this, you will stabilise our Access Control estate ensuring computers are online, secured, running the correct software versions, communicating with controllers, asset tracked, and proactively monitored with alerting. The role requires clear communication, coordination, decision making and disciplined delivery within a complex, multi programme environment.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate the safe, controlled switch off of PSTN lines with clear communication to Estates and Operations.
• Support and track progress on the Lift Modernisation and Fire Systems tenders that remove PSTN dependencies.
• Oversee continuity solutions to maintain lift emergency lines and fire autodiallers until permanent replacements are in place.
• Provide structured reporting, RAID management, decision logging and stakeholder updates across multiple programmes.
• Drive alignment with Estates, Digital, Procurement, Facilities and contractors to maintain progress and surface risks early.

Access Control Stabilisation

• Ensure every building has a compliant computer that is online, accessible, on the correct software version and communicating with controllers.
• Ensure computers and connected devices are fully asset tracked with clear ownership, location and lifecycle visibility.
• Deliver monitoring and alerting capability so offline computers and dropped communication controllers are surfaced proactively.
• Coordinate remediation, commissioning activities, configuration checks and software updates with contractors and internal teams.
• Strengthen governance around asset registers, software version control, and configuration standards.
• Support documentation, guidance, training and handover activity for operational teams.

Property Technology Delivery

• Work with Operations, Estates and contractors across a range of property technology systems as required.
• Apply structured project management practices, ensuring plans, dependencies and communications remain aligned.
• Provide leadership, problem solving, and proactive risk and issue management.

What We’re Looking For in You

• The ability to plan, manage and deliver projects with autonomy and structured governance.
• Technical understanding across estates technology, installation environments, software behaviour and system dependencies.
• Outstanding communication and coordination skills in complex environments.
• Demonstrable experience managing multiple stakeholder technical or estates projects.
• Ability to manage suppliers and contractors, maintaining delivery oversight.
• Strong organisational discipline with RAID, timelines, planning and structured reporting.
• Ability to explain risks, impacts and decisions clearly to non-technical colleagues.
• Experience stabilising or improving an operational technology service is beneficial.
• Calm, proactive, adaptable mindset with strong problem solving ability.
• Familiarity with project management methods (PRINCE2, Agile, PMP) is desirable.

What You’ll Get in Return

• A discretionary annual bonus so you can share in the company’s success.
• 25 days’ paid holiday and an annual holiday buying scheme, with 5 additional days awarded for long service.
• A generous pension scheme - employer contributions between 5% and 11% depending on how much you save.
• Various benefits to support your health and wellbeing including a Healthcare Cash Plan, an Employee Assistance Programme, a Wellbeing platform and a Gym benefit that you can share with your family and friends.
• Enhanced Family Leave including 18 weeks full pay for birthing parents and 4 weeks for non-birthing parents.
• Lots of other great benefits including an annual ShareSave scheme, Employee Life Assurance, a discounts portal and more!

About Unite Students

Founded in 1991, Unite Students is the UK’s leading provider of purpose-built student accommodation. You can find us in 23 leading university towns and cities, with 70,000 students calling US home! We are driven by our values, culture, and a commitment to develop diverse and inclusive teams, filled with positive energy and new ideas. Instinctive inclusion. We know that to create and maintain a happy healthy organisation, we have to work hard to ensure inclusion isn’t just what we do but who we are. People make Unite Students. Employees, students and neighbours all contribute to building environments where we can all thrive. Room for Everyone. We’re proud to be an employer that embraces individuality, and we’re passionate about building inclusive teams. We focus on creating a collaborative culture where you can be you, where your voice is heard, and where you can truly belong. We take great pride in being rated Gold Investors in People and are constantly striving to provide the highest standard of learning and development opportunities and professional pathways for our people. Building a home for success, for both our employees and students, requires exceptional people with a passion for creating room for everyone, doing what’s right, keeping US safe, and raising the bar. Join us as we build better experiences for students that live with us.