Area Project Manager

VIVO provides facilities management and accommodation maintenance for the UK military and its partners. VIVO embodies both experience and innovation.

We put our Customers and Families First. They are the driving force behind everything we do. We drive forward improvements for them to ensure the service they receive, whether reactive repairs or a major project, is completed safely and on time. In order to achieve this, we have 4 core values: open, caring, agile and collaborative. These are at the heart of everything we do.

Location: Bovington Camp, to cover 7 sites in Dorset (on site role)

Permanent, Full time

Salary: £62,000-£68,000 + Benefits

We are seeking an experienced Area Projects Lead to take ownership of the delivery of Billable Works projects across 7 MOD sites in Dorset. This is a key leadership role responsible for managing a programme of projects, ensuring safe, compliant and commercially successful delivery in line with contractual and MOD requirements.

As Area Projects Lead, you will establish and lead a team to deliver both planned and reactive projects across your geographical area, ensuring all works are completed within agreed budgets, timelines and performance expectations. You will play a central role in developing future programmes of work, working closely with stakeholders to align project delivery with asset condition data and operational priorities. A strong focus on safety and compliance is essential.

You will embed a Safety First culture, ensuring all projects adhere to statutory legislation, JSP standards and health, safety and environmental requirements, including CDM and asbestos regulations. You will also support the development of governance procedures to ensure consistent, safe and profitable project delivery.

You will act as the key point of escalation for supply chain matters and ensure robust project processes are in place, including clear project briefs, specifications, procurement strategies and tender documentation. You will oversee project delivery from inception through to completion and handover, ensuring all works are delivered to agreed programmes and standards.

Working closely with stakeholders, including the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) and Top Level Budget (TLB) holders, you will maintain strong relationships and ensure clear communication throughout the project lifecycle. You will provide regular reporting on progress, performance and risks, ensuring stakeholders are fully informed and engaged.

From a technical perspective, you will oversee the delivery of all projects above £25k in value, ensuring compliance with contractual and regulatory standards. You will manage risk through early warning processes and risk reduction meetings, and ensure all projects are successfully handed over for ongoing maintenance. You will also play a key role in supporting sustainability objectives, identifying opportunities to reduce carbon emissions throughout both construction and asset lifecycle, in line with MOD policies.

Leadership is central to this role. You will manage and develop a team of Project Managers, ensuring they are supported, coached and equipped to deliver effectively. You will foster a high-performance culture, ensuring consistent delivery standards, strong stakeholder engagement and continuous professional development across the team.

From a commercial perspective, you will manage area budgets, monitor financial performance and ensure projects are delivered efficiently and provide value for money. You will support contract risk management, supply chain performance and ensure milestone payments and reporting requirements are achieved.

About You

You will have proven experience managing project delivery within construction, property maintenance or facilities management, ideally within a complex or regulated environment. You will be confident leading teams, managing stakeholders and delivering projects to time, cost and quality targets. You will hold an HNC (or equivalent) in a relevant engineering or construction discipline, along with a recognised project management qualification (e.g. PRINCE2 or APM) and a health and safety qualification such as IOSH. A full UK driving licence is required.

You will bring strong leadership, organisational and communication skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and drive performance across teams and supply chain partners. Experience within a defence or public sector environment would be advantageous. The ability to obtain and maintain SC Clearance will be a condition of employment.

This is an excellent opportunity to lead a high-profile programme of works, driving safe, efficient and high-quality project delivery across a critical defence estate.

What We Offer

• 6% employee matched pension contribution
• Life assurance 2x annual salary
• Private medical cover for self and partner
• Bonus
• 25 days annual leave
• Company car/car allowance

The role you have applied for is with VIVO Defence Services, a joint venture between Serco and EQUANS. By applying for this role, please be aware that information contained within your CV may be shared between VIVO Defence Services, Serco and EQUANS during the recruitment process.

At VIVO, we are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organisation that supports the needs of all. Therefore, we will make reasonable adjustments at interview through to employment for our candidates and strongly encourage applications from a diverse candidate pool. We are open to discussions around flexibility and flexible working and operate a hybrid work structure in many of our business areas. We are proudly a Disability Confident Leader. Disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the job will be given the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities at an interview.