Project Manager

82825 - Project Manager

The Project Manager will report to the Client Delivery Manager and will work within UKPN Services based in our Chatham office. You will be a permanent employee in our UK Power Networks team.

You will attract a salary of £68,144 and a bonus of 3%.

If you are successful, you will need to undertake a medical and DBS reference check

Close Date: 20th November 2026

We also provide the following additional benefits

• 25 Days Annual Leave plus bank holidays.
• Reservist Leave – Additional 18 days full pay and 22 unpaid
• Personal Pension Plan – Personal contribution rates of 4% or 5% (UK Power Networks will make a corresponding contribution of 8% or 10%)
• Tenancy Loan Deposit Scheme, Season Ticket Loan
• Tax efficient benefits: Cycle to Work, Home & Tech, and Green Car Leasing Schemes
• Occupational Health support
• Switched On – scheme providing discount on hundreds of retailers' products
• Discounted gym membership
• Employee Assistance Programme

Job Purpose:

• To manage a portfolio of UK Power Networks Services projects, supporting the Client Connections business in the delivery of customer connection and diversion works across the DNO network, predominantly involving overhead line and underground cable projects up to and including 11kV.

• Projects may be delivered throughout the UK Power Networks footprint and can range from electrical works packages through to full turnkey solutions.

• Projects are identified and categorised according to complexity, with UK Power Networks Services providing commercial quotations and delivery solutions.

• Following award, the Project Manager is responsible for the safe, efficient, and commercially successful delivery of projects, ensuring compliance with UK Power Networks standards, operational procedures, CDM 2015 regulations, environmental requirements, and customer expectations.

• The role provides end-to-end project management from initial enquiry and quotation stage through to review of concept design, buildability, construction, commissioning, handover, and post-commercial review & governance, thus ensuring projects are delivered safely, on programme, within budget, and to the required quality standards.

• Projects may range from delivery of solely electrical works packages to full turnkey solutions.

• The Project Manager is responsible for the safe, compliant and commercially successful delivery of projects, from initial enquiry and quotation through to construction, commissioning, handover and project close-out, ensuring delivery to agreed programme, budget and quality requirements.

Principal Accountabilities:

• Demonstrate visible commitment to the UK Power Networks General Safety Policy and Stay Safe programme, promoting a strong safety culture and ensuring compliance with all health, safety and environmental requirements.

• Actively discharge project management responsibilities under CDM 2015, ensuring duty-holder responsibilities are clearly defined, project risks are managed throughout the lifecycle and appropriate project documentation including PCI, CPP and design risk information is developed, reviewed and maintained.

• Act as the primary interface between customers, internal stakeholders, contractors and suppliers, developing effective relationships to support safe, commercially successful and customer-focused project delivery.

• Manage a portfolio of Client Connections projects throughout the project lifecycle from enquiry, quotation and award through planning, design, construction, commissioning, handover and close-out, ensuring delivery is safe, compliant, on programme and profitable.

• Manage both full turnkey projects and electrical-only delivery packages. This includes coordinating design, procurement, construction, commissioning and handover activities, or the provision of specialist electrical resources including SAPs, Jointers, Fitters, Overhead Line teams and Commissioning Engineers.

• Take ownership and manage all commercial and contractual aspects of projects, including NEC3/NEC4 administration, project forecasting, cost reporting, earned value assessment, cost-to-complete forecasting, client and contractor variations, Early Warning Notices (EWNs), Compensation Events (CEs), subcontract management, applications for payment and margin protection, ensuring projects remain commercially successful and achieve agreed profitability objectives.

• Identify, assess and manage project risks, opportunities and emerging issues, implementing mitigation measures and escalating where necessary to minimise impacts on safety, programme, quality, cost and customer satisfaction.

• Coordinate interfaces with principal contractors, civil contractors and third parties to ensure site readiness, programme alignment, efficient delivery of works and effective management of project risks.

• Ensure labour, plant and contractor resources are utilised effectively and efficiently, maintaining high standards of safety, quality and productivity.

• Provide construction assurance through site inspections, audits and project governance activities, ensuring quality of workmanship, technical compliance, adherence to design specifications and compliance with testing and commissioning requirements.

• Identify and promote best practice, lessons learned and continuous improvement opportunities to enhance project delivery performance across UK Power Networks Services.

Key Competencies:

• Programme management of a portfolio of projects to a high level of safety and quality
• To manage client project requirements and exceed in client delivery expectations
• Manage all projects throughout their lifecycle from enquiry, through tender/quotation and on to completion in line with project processes
• Liaison with all disciplines within the UKPN Services team to ensure a consistent and appropriate strategy to deliver a successful project and exceed client expectation
• Manage project financial performance, including forecasting, cost-to-complete assessments, profit protection, applications for payment, client and contractor variations, Early Warning Notices and Compensation Events.
• Demonstrable practical application of CDM 2015, including Client, Principal Designer and Principal Contractor interfaces, design-risk management, PCI and Construction Phase Plan reviews.
• Ability to manage challenging customer, contractor and stakeholder situations whilst protecting safety, programme and commercial objectives.
• Management of NRSWA / street works contractors
• Effectively manage workload. Take full responsibility and ownership of the success and quality of projects
• A can do and customer friendly attitude is important
• Professional reporting and presentation to UK Power Networks Services senior management
• An understanding of the HV and LV networks (11kV to 132KV) and civils groundworks would be advantageous;
• Demonstrable experience of administering NEC contracts including Early Warnings, Compensation Events, programme submissions, change management and commercial negotiations with clients and supply chain partners.
• Demonstrable experience presenting project performance, commercial position, risks and recovery plans to senior management and clients.

Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications & Experience:

Essential

• Full UK driving licence
• Applicants must be able to achieve any project related Security Clearance
• Previous Project Management Experience
• PRINCE2 or APM (PMQ)
• CDM 2015 - knowledge and practical experience
• Practical experience operating within NEC3/NEC4 contractual environments including Early Warning Notices, Compensation Events, programme submissions, applications for payment, commercial change control and contractor/client variation management.
• Experience managing and recovering projects where programme, commercial or resource pressures have impacted delivery, including development and implementation of recovery plans.
• Experience delivering electricity-distribution infrastructure projects including overhead line, underground cable, substation or customer connection works.
• Knowledge and practical experience of NRSWA, Street Works permitting, traffic management and coordination of works within the public highway.
• A good understanding and use of Microsoft Office packages Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Project.

Desirable

• Electrical Engineering (to HNC or similar) is the preferred requirement however, applications from candidates with a lesser qualification and a strong record of accomplishment in the installation of electrical distribution infrastructures (construction) would be welcomed.
• Experience of Primavera programme planning package
• NEBOSH Certificate in construction.

Please note this position does not offer blended working. Applicants must be able to commit to working in the office 4 days a week.

Personal Characteristics:

• Work as a Team Player in a dedicated team of project managers and support staff

• Able to prioritise and manage multiple projects at the same time

• Strong interpersonal skills

• Willing to challenge and be different rather than accepting the status quo

Health & Safety Responsibilities:

Managers and supervisors carry both legal and company responsibilities for ensuring the health and safety of their employees, those under their control and those who might be affected by the work undertaken, i.e. public, visitors and employees of other organisations. This includes briefing individuals working for them and ensuring there is the necessary understanding, competence and application of requirements to work safely and without harming the environment.

Employees will ensure they fully understand the health and safety risks involved in their work activities and their responsibility to apply the controls needed to manage those risks to acceptable levels. Similarly where work activities can have an adverse impact upon the environment, and particularly where there are legal requirements, employees will understand those impacts and the controls they must ensure are applied.

Employees need to be aware that for some craft and operational roles that work at height, or use fall arrest devices, there is an upper weight limit of 116Kg due to maximum safe working load of the safety equipment that is used.

If in doubt, ask!

We’re committed to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone feels welcome, valued and able to be themselves. We encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. If you meet the essential criteria and believe your skills, experience or transferable strengths could make you a great fit for the role, we’d love to hear from you. If you need any adjustments or support during the recruitment process, please let us know and we’ll be happy to help.

We may use AI-enabled tools to support elements of our recruitment process. These tools help us manage applications more efficiently and consistently, but they do not make hiring decisions. All recruitment decisions are made by trained employees using human judgement and oversight. We are committed to using AI responsibly, fairly and transparently, in line with our legal, regulatory and ethical obligations.

Your data will be hosted within a secure environment and will only be used by UK Power Networks for the purpose of which it is intended. The data is used only as an input to provide insights for the screening process and is not retained by the model or by UK Power Networks’ contractor, shared with the contractor’s other customers or with OpenAI, or used to train or improve AI models.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. Where applicable, this role is subject to safer recruitment processes and robust pre‑employment checks

If you have any queries in connection to this vacancy or your application, please contact us at careers@ukpowernetworks.co.uk quoting the vacancy reference number and a member of the team will get in touch with you as soon as possible.