The Senior Project Manager is responsible for the successful delivery of complex, high-value, and novel projects and programme portfolios. This role provides leadership across multiple projects, line-manages a team of Project Managers and Project Engineers, and acts as a primary escalation point for delivery, commercial, and client-related issues within their project portfolio.

The role combines hands-on programme leadership with people management, strategic planning, and senior stakeholder engagement, ensuring projects are delivered safely, on time, within budget, and to agreed quality standards while maintaining strong client relationships.

What you'll be doing:

Project, Programme & Portfolio Management

• Lead and oversee the delivery of complex, novel, and high-risk projects, often involving ambiguity, innovation, or evolving requirements.

• Hold overall responsibility and accountability for batch work, programme portfolios, or grouped project scopes, ensuring alignment with organisational strategy and client objectives.

• Ensure robust governance, planning, risk management, and reporting across all assigned projects and programmes.

• Manage interdependencies between projects, resources, and stakeholders to optimise delivery performance.

• Take ownership of programme-level financial performance, including forecasting, cost control, and commercial risk management.

 Line Management & Leadership

• Line-manage, coach, and develop a team of Project Managers and Project Engineers, providing clear direction, support, and performance management.

• Set objectives, conduct regular one-to-ones and performance reviews, and support professional development and succession planning in conjunction with the Head of Department.

• Promote best practice in project management disciplines, tools, and behaviours across the team.

• Foster a high-performing, collaborative culture focused on accountability, continuous improvement, and delivery excellence.

Escalation & Issue Resolution

• Act as the primary escalation point for project-related issues raised by direct reports, including schedule, cost, quality, resource, and stakeholder challenges.

• Lead the resolution of complex or critical issues, making timely decisions and escalating further where required.

• Provide expert guidance and intervention on troubled or at-risk projects to recover performance.

Client & Stakeholder Management

• Build, maintain, and strengthen senior-level client relationships, acting as a trusted delivery partner.

• Serve as a key point of contact for clients across programme portfolios, ensuring clear communication, expectation management, and issue resolution.

• Support business development activities, including contributing to bids, proposals, and scope definition for new or follow-on work.

• Ensure client satisfaction through consistent delivery performance and proactive relationship management.

 Governance, Risk & Compliance

• Ensure all projects comply with organisational governance, health & safety, quality, and regulatory requirements.

• Oversee risk and opportunity management at both project and programme level.

• Champion lessons learned and continuous improvement across portfolios.

Who we are looking for:

• Proven experience delivering complex, multi-disciplinary, or novel projects within a programme or portfolio environment.

• Experience of leading, supporting and developing a team

• Experience of the UK Water Industry and / or manufacturing industry

• Knowledge and experience of NEC4 contract management

• A project management qualification (e.g. PRINCE2 Practitioner, APM, PMP, or equivalent) or Professional Chartership

• IOSH qualification

• A full UK driving licence

• An individual with highly developed interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build trust, influence at all levels, manage conflict effectively and foster strong collaboration across diverse teams and stakeholders.

• A candidate with a strong track record of managing multiple projects or batch work with shared resources and interdependencies.

• A person with excellent stakeholder and client management skills, including engagement at senior levels.

• Strong commercial, financial, and contractual awareness.

• Excellent leadership, communication, and decision-making skills.
  

About us

ELIQUO HYDROK is an award-winning, established and growing, market leader. We provide water treatment solutions that keep seas and rivers clean and drinking water safe. From flood water management to sewage filtration systems, we provide innovative, environmentally considerate, cost-effective, and practical solutions to municipal water companies.

We’re passionate about our people, offering a range of benefits to our valued employees, including hybrid working and a Medicash healthcare plan. You will be part of a team of 180+ colleagues delivering high-quality, essential services underpinning water infrastructure and environmental improvement across the UK.

Inclusion & Diversity

At Eliquo Hydrok, we are committed to fostering a culture of Fairness, Inclusion and Respect across all areas of our business. We actively promote equality and diversity, and do not tolerate discrimination of any kind - whether based on gender, race, disability, age, religion, sexual orientation, or employment status. Our goal is to ensure that every individual, regardless of background, feels respected, valued, and empowered to reach their full potential. To support fairness in our recruitment process, we ask all applicants to complete an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) survey after applying. This helps us monitor and improve our practices, ensuring equal access to opportunities for everyone.

Benefits

• Flexible/hybrid working options available

• Medicash Health Plan

• Company Pension

• Sick Pay

• On-site parking

• Cycle to Work Scheme

• Company Events

• Appraisal and Personal Development programme