Senior Project Manager

Role overview

CPS is looking for a Senior Project Manager to report into the Head of Delivery. This position brings together senior-level project delivery, leadership of client engagement, mentoring of project managers, and governance oversight across the Project Management team. The successful person will be commercially minded, confident with clients, and able to help strengthen delivery practices across the business.

The role is primarily home-based, with occasional trips to customer locations for important meetings.

What the role involves

• Leading client work from early sales support and mobilisation through delivery, financial management, handover, and long-term sustainment.
• Taking ownership of delivery standards, governance, scope management, planning, RAID tracking, change control, reporting, financial performance, and client sign-off.
• Providing practical advisory leadership to customers and internal stakeholders so delivery aligns with business goals, adoption requirements, and change impacts.
• Maintaining strong commercial judgement, safeguarding project margin, and spotting opportunities to deepen client relationships.
• Strengthening and embedding CPS project management methods and standards across engagements.
• Supporting resource planning, escalation management, problem solving, and resolution of client issues.
• Coaching and mentoring Project Managers, including support with objectives, reviews, development planning, career progression, and succession planning.
• Helping with PM Team Lead cover, annual leave scheduling, sickness cover, and recruitment activity.

Primary purpose

The core aim of the role is to deliver complex, high-visibility client projects while also supporting team leadership, governance, and capability development. It covers the full project lifecycle, from pre-sale activity and mobilisation through to delivery, commercial control, client acceptance, and handover.

The Senior Project Manager is expected to set the benchmark for delivery quality, commercial discipline, client confidence, and team capability.

Personal attributes

• Self-assured, credible, and commercially aware.
• Highly organised, detailed, and focused on quality.
• Resilient, persistent, and oriented toward practical solutions.
• Strong at communication and building productive relationships.
• Able to influence others without forcing decisions.
• Quick to understand new information and work through problems efficiently.

Experience and capability

• Experience delivering projects through the full lifecycle in professional services, consulting, or shared services environments.
• Proven ability to juggle multiple clients, projects, priorities, and commercial obligations.
• Strong control over budgets, billing, forecasting, and overall commercial performance.
• Capability to lead cross-functional teams made up of CPS colleagues, client stakeholders, and external partners.
• Background in delivering Microsoft and third-party technology initiatives from design through release and sustainment.
• Working knowledge of business analysis, including the ability to shape, review, and challenge requirements.
• Hands-on experience with both Agile and Waterfall delivery methods.
• Willingness to travel when needed.

Typical background

• Experience as a Senior Project Manager, Project Manager, or Change Manager delivering IT, digital, or business transformation initiatives.
• Previous work in IT consultancy, professional services, or client-facing delivery settings.
• Experience managing multiple client engagements, project teams, budgets, risks, stakeholders, and commercial expectations.
• Solid understanding of project governance, delivery frameworks, and technology implementation lifecycles.
• Professional qualifications such as APM, PRINCE2, or Agile/Scrum certification are desirable.
• Degree-level education or equivalent professional experience.

Benefits

The benefits listed below were current when this role was written and may change over time.

• A compressed 9-day fortnight, meaning 10 working days are completed across 9 days so every other Friday can be taken off.
• Private medical insurance through Vitality Health.
• Medical cash plan cover with Medicash.
• Life assurance / death in service cover through YuLife.
• Employee Assistance Programme.
• 25 days of holiday plus all public holidays, rising to 26 days after 1 year, 27 days after 2 years, and 28 days after 5 years.
• Your birthday off work.
• Access to Costco membership.
• Salary sacrifice options for workplace pension, EV car schemes, discounted gym membership, cycle schemes, and home and tech discounts for IKEA and Curry PC World.
• Workplace pension information: employer contribution is currently 5.5% of qualifying salary and may increase if business targets are met; employee contribution is 4% of qualifying salary, with the option to contribute more.
• Holiday exchange scheme allowing purchase of up to 10 extra days per year and sale of up to 5 days.
• Quarterly and annual star performer awards selected by peers and colleagues.
• Spot awards from £25 upwards to recognise strong performance quickly.
• Annual professional and personal training budget to support personal development plans.
• Career development frameworks.
• Reward schemes intended to recognise hard work and help with everyday affordability.
• Monthly employee experience and engagement survey.
• Quarterly company meetings, with at least one, usually the March/April kick-off, typically held in person; others run as town halls.
• In-person company meetings usually last 2 to 3 days and rotate location each year.
• Social and team-building activities organised by the Employee Forum.
• Regular, meaningful one-to-one meetings.
• Long-service recognition at 5, 10, 15, 20 years and beyond.
• An award-winning culture, including recognition as a Great Place to Work and multiple Best Workplaces awards for development, wellbeing, women, and tech.