Innovation Project Managers

Job Requisition Number 9003

Work Type Permanent (37 Hours Per Week)

Job Function Project Management

Salary Range £52,793.00 Per Annum

Closing Date 23:59 on 25/10/2026

Job Title: Innovation Project Managers (2x Positions Available)

Please note: References to "Scale & Embed" have been removed from this role title as they are no longer applicable following recent organisational changes.

This role is the Innovation Project Manager responsible for managing approved, complex and cross-functional innovation and business improvement activity through controlled delivery or adoption, with significant operational, environmental, customer, financial, regulatory or service impact.

Depending on the assignment, projects may focus on pilot and validation activity, or implementation, adoption and embedment activity. Once assigned, the role owns controlled delivery for that stage of the project lifecycle from an approved business case, mandate or delivery brief through to the agreed handover, closure or decision point. The role works with Innovation Managers, business sponsors, operational teams, enabling functions, suppliers and partners.

It brings people from different teams together around one shared objective and ensures delivery is well governed, progress is visible, evidence is robust and impacts are controlled. It also ensures value for money and return on investment are actively managed, with outcomes handed over with clear ownership, benefit measures and next steps.

Lead the delivery of assigned work streams within complex innovation and business improvement projects, ensuring agreed outcomes are delivered within approved scope, time, cost, quality, risk and governance parameters.

Manage delivery plans, requirements, budgets, forecasts, benefits, ROI tracking, governance controls and delivery documentation, ensuring alignment with business strategy, regulatory commitments and investment objectives.

Maintain project controls including RAID logs, milestones, change control, reporting and approvals, ensuring compliance with DCWW and PfMO/ePMO governance processes.

Lead and influence cross-functional teams, suppliers and partners, coordinating resources, maintaining delivery momentum and ensuring responsibilities are clearly understood and delivered.

Apply appropriate project delivery methodologies, including waterfall, agile and hybrid approaches, to ensure effective and consistent project delivery.

Control project budgets, forecasts and spend, reporting variances and ensuring value for money, benefit realisation and return on investment.

Manage supplier and partner performance, resolving delivery, commercial and contractual issues while ensuring agreed costs, quality and timescales are achieved.

Coordinate assurance activities, reviews, testing, acceptance, user validation and service readiness activities to support successful implementation, transition and handover.

Support the delivery of pilots, proofs of concept, trials, business adoption and change activities, ensuring objectives, risks, benefits, success measures and stakeholder requirements are effectively managed.

Prepare and present reports, recommendations, lessons learned and governance papers to senior stakeholders, using evidence, insights and performance data to support delivery decisions, benefits realisation and continuous improvement.

Undertake any other duties as required to meet the needs of the business.

Essential Qualifications, Experience, Knowledge & Skills

Qualifications

• Project management qualification or equivalent experience managing projects in a governed delivery environment.

Experience

• Significant experience managing complex projects through governance, including planning, budgets, RAID, approvals, funding, forecasting, reporting, change control, assurance, implementation, closure and benefits handover.
• Experience leading matrix delivery across teams, suppliers, partners and enabling services, securing resources, maintaining resource plans and aligning milestones, budgets, risks, dependencies and outcomes to one shared objective.
• Experience working across waterfall, agile or hybrid delivery frameworks and applying project standards, controls and consistent ways of working.
• Experience leading approved pilots, trials, proofs of concept, implementation or embedment, using evidence, success criteria, risk controls and operational constraints to inform delivery decisions.
• Experience supporting high-impact or high-risk delivery stages or…