Job profile

Are you an experienced project manager with a track record of success?

This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in the delivery of the UKRI funded Great South West Global Autonomy Cluster LIPF (Local Innovation Partnership Fund) programme. This is a £20m five-year programme which aims to grow the regional autonomy cluster, working with a range of partners across the geography.

About the role:

As the Programme Manager, you will:

• support the Programme Director and lead the day-to-day management and operational delivery of the programme, ensuring all programme activities, funding streams, partners and projects are delivered on time, within budget and in accordance with UKRI requirements.
• provide programme-wide coordination.
• performance management and governance support.
• lead a small team made up of a Programme administrator and a grants manager.

You will be responsible for:

• leading the day-to-day management of the programme and its workstreams, including developing and maintaining detailed programme delivery plans.
• performance management and KPI monitoring, including monitoring progress against milestones, deliverables and outputs.
• leading the preparation of quarterly, annual and ad hoc reports for the funder, coordinating reporting inputs from partners and grant recipients
• risk management - managing the programme governance framework and monitoring delivery risks and ensuring mitigation plans are implemented.

For this role, you will need to be on site 3 days a week. Although we can accommodate working from home for this role, flexibility to be on-site will be expected due to business needs.

This is a full time, fixed term role, working 37 hours per week until 31/03/2031 due to funding.

For an informal discussion to find out more about the role then please contact Adrian Dawson: by email at adrian.dawson@plymouth.ac.uk

What we’re looking for:

You should have:

• previous experience of successfully delivering complex business projects on time and to budget.
• excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to build productive and influential relationships with both academic and professional staff, and with external stakeholders.
• strong organisational skills with the ability to prioritise, multi-task and delegate.
• excellent organisational and time management skills with the ability to prioritise and self-manage.

For more information about the job and the person specification, please refer to the job description.

Application Process:

Please apply online, demonstrating how you meet the essential criteria outlined in the knowledge, qualifications, training, skills and experience elements of the job description in your supporting statement.

Following the closing date of the vacancy, you will be notified on the outcome of your application in due course.

Our Offer:

A successful external candidate for this position would be employed by the University of Plymouth Services Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of the University of Plymouth. Employees of the University of Plymouth Services Limited work alongside the University of Plymouth colleagues in delivery of Plymouth’s strategic vision, and will adopt the University of Plymouth’s HR policies and procedures in full unless otherwise stated.

We have a wide range of staff benefits available to employees, depending on eligibility:

• Generous annual leave: 35 Days Annual Leave (pro rata if part-time) plus Bank Holidays* & Closure Days*
• Generous pension scheme
• Cycle to Work & Electric Car Scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Development opportunities
• Enhanced family leave
• Flexible working
• Retailer discounts
• On-site nursery

*Pro rata if part-time/fixed term contract

A summary of our comprehensive benefits can be viewed here.

Additional Information:

The University of Plymouth is building an inclusive and equitable university where everyone feels represented, supported, and empowered to thrive. Our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion is guided by the Inclusive Institutions Framework, a strategic and externally validated approach that embeds these principles across the entire institution. To find out more please visit our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion webpages

closing date: monday 16th November 2026 at 12 o'clock midnight