Senior Project Manager

Location/s: London, Croydon, Manchester; UK
Recruiter contact: Ainsley Anstess

Mott MacDonald is a global engineering, management, and development consultancy with over 20,000 employees across more than 50 countries and 140+ offices. 

We work across incredible global industries, delivering exciting work that is defining our future and making an important societal impact in the communities we serve. Our people power our performance – we succeed when they do. With countless opportunities to collaborate, learn, and grow, the possibilities for excellence are as varied as every individual. 

Whether you want to grow as a subject matter expert or broaden your experience with roles across our international community, you’re surrounded by global specialists who want to combine their expertise and champion you to be your best. As a proudly employee-owned business, we benefit our clients, our communities, and each other, investing in creating the right space for everyone to feel empowered, included, and valued. Whatever your ambition, Mott MacDonald is where people come to be brilliant.

About the business unit 
We help conceive, drive, and implement transport solutions for cities, regions, and asset owners/operators around the globe. From preparing the business case and advising on related issues - such as revenue, procurement, and environmental legislation - to delivering the completed infrastructure and helping maintain it. Our planning, engineering, environmental and management skills cover the whole project cycle. We play a major role in developing and delivering the Global Transport Sector Strategy.

Overview of the role

As a Senior Project Manager in the Rail division, you will lead the delivery of feasibility studies, design and related professional services for UK rail clients, including transport authorities, design-and-build (D&B) contractors and rolling stock manufacturers.

Working within a team of 40 project management professionals, you will manage projects delivered by multidisciplinary technical teams. Infrastructure work ranges from small renewals of around £100,000 to major D&B schemes exceeding £3 million, covering stations, bridges, accessibility upgrades, track, signalling, telecommunications, electrification and plant, traction power, overhead catenary and tunnel systems. Rolling stock projects typically involve new fleet procurement or fleet life extension. Most projects also include systems engineering and assurance.

You will work within a matrix structure, reporting professionally to the Head of Discipline for Project Management and, for each assignment, to the relevant Project Principal within your client portfolio.

We contribute to many of the UK’s largest and most complex rail projects, providing a strong environment for career development. Senior Project Managers who deliver positive outcomes for clients, colleagues and the business can progress to Project Principal roles, supervising other project managers, or move into flagship projects in the UK or internationally.

Candidate specification

Essential:

• Excellent coordination and communication skills, with the ability to work effectively across multicultural, multidisciplinary teams
• Proven experience managing projects from client engagement and bid development through planning, design and delivery
• Strong knowledge and practical experience of project controls, including earned value analysis
• Proven experience managing project change, including administration, negotiation and close-out
• A degree in project management, engineering or a related discipline
• Chartered status, or progress towards it, with a relevant professional institution

Desirable:

• Working towards APM Chartered Project Professional (ChPP) status or an equivalent qualification
• Knowledge of the rail sector, including civil and structural engineering, rail systems and/or rolling stock
• Understanding of design development and delivery on railway projects
• A proactive approach to improving project delivery efficiency
• Experience establishing and/or administering NEC contracts
• Experience negotiating and agreeing project final accounts
• Experience developing and maintaining project programmes in Primavera P6
• Experience managing the technical or commercial aspects of bids and proposals
• Experience supervising and developing early-career project professionals

UK Immigration

Mott MacDonald Ltd. are not currently offering sponsorship to candidates under the Skilled Worker visa route in the UK. This decision is as a consequence of the changes made to the Skilled Worker route by the UK Government in April 2024. We continue to welcome applications from candidates who are eligible for alternative immigration routes in the UK, that do not require sponsorship as a Skilled Worker now or in future.

Agile working  

At Mott MacDonald, we believe it makes business sense for you and your manager to choose how you can work most effectively to meet your client, team, and personal commitments. We offer a hybrid working policy that embraces your well-being, flexibility, and trust.

Equality, diversity, and inclusion 

We put equality, diversity, and inclusion at the heart of our business, seeking to promote fair employment procedures and practices to ensure equal opportunities for all. We encourage individual expression in our workplace and are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels they can contribute.

AI Usage

At Mott MacDonald, we see the value AI can bring, but we take a people-first approach to hiring. While AI tools can help candidates prepare and build confidence, every application and hiring decision is reviewed by our recruitment and hiring teams. We encourage the responsible use of AI while ensuring we get to know the real person behind the application.

Accessibility

We want you to feel supported and able to perform at your best throughout our recruitment process. If there is anything we can do to make applying or interviewing with us more accessible, please contact us at [email removed] and we'll be happy to discuss how we can help.

We offer some fantastic benefits including:

Financial wellbeing

• We match employee pension contributions between 4.5% and 7%.
• Life assurance equal up to 4 x your basic salary, with an option to increase the level of cover to 6 x your salary.
• Our income protection scheme provides a financial benefit, as well as absence and return to work support due to long-term illness or injury.
• Flexible benefits, including increased life assurance cover, critical illness insurance, payroll saving and will writing.
• As an independently owned business we share the financial success of the business with all our colleagues in various ways including annual bonus schemes.

Employee Ownership

• Our employee ownership model means no external investors, just us, creating a culture of shared success.
• Our employees have a stake and a voice in our business, giving them a direct connection to our success through our person