Programme & Construction Manager Defence Academy- Shrivenham, Swindon Competitive salary plus benefits 37 Hours per week- Monday- Friday Serco have an exciting new role for a Programme & Construction Senior Project Manager in our Estates department. Serco is responsible under the DACI and PFI contracts for delivering planned, reactive, SV/ARC variation projects as well as AMP Estates projects across the Defence Academy site. As a Client-Side Project Manager accountable for the delivery of projects delivery, to ensure Serco meets its contractual requirements, on time, on budget to an auditable standard. The role will manage and deliver a broad portfolio of estates projects, this will be a challenging role and requires an individual with the experience of managing major construction projects from inception to completion, with values ranging from £2M to £40M. These projects include infrastructure upgrades, refurbishments, M&E systems, plant replacements, and sustainability initiatives such as decarbonisation and renewables. Main Accountabilities: Project Programming: Lead the planning and programming of multiple concurrent projects, ensuring robust schedules and resource plans are in place for each phase Pre-Works Management: Oversee all pre-works activities, including site assessments, contractor selection, and initial coordination meetings Team Management: Manage a team of project managers and contractors, providing clear direction and support to ensure all projects are delivered on time and within budget Client Relationship: Act as the primary point of contact for the client, building and maintaining a strong, positive relationship. The client is heavily involved and has strong preferences, so excellent communication and adaptability are essential. Delivery Focus: Strong on delivery, focus will be on programming, coordination, and ensuring all pre-works and works are executed to the highest standards Reporting: Provide regular updates to the Head of Estates, on project progress, risks, and milestones, to enable reporting to the client and internal stakeholders Lead the delivery of full lifecycle projects in a complex, fast-paced environment Manage multi-disciplinary project teams to meet objectives on time, within scope and budget Create and maintain robust business cases, plans, budgets, and governance structures Provide expert advice and reports for cost management, procurement and analysis of works Work closely with Building Surveyors, Project Managers and external consultants to develop Employer’s Requirements documents, tender documentation and reports. Maintain control of procurement activity undertaken, liaising and in conjunction with Serco’s procurement colleagues and strategy, while adhering to contractual requirements on site Adhere to all company protocols and procedures To subject all areas of responsibility to continuous review with the objective of identifying and implementing improvement and cost saving measures What you’ll need to do the role: The ideal candidate will demonstrate a positive proactive approach to the role, and will be committed to delivering customer service excellence, with good commercial results. Able to achieve BPSS clearance Significant demonstrable experience in similar specialist roles gained in a client, consultant or contractor capacity A track record of working with teams and managing projects by prioritising workloads and delivering deadlines Proven Pre-Works Management: Demonstrated experience in pre-works management and coordination, ideally within technical, construction, or facilities environments Project Portfolio Oversight: Experience managing multiple projects (ideally 7–10) simultaneously, with budgets between £500K - £40M each Client-Facing Skills: Exceptional client relationship management skills, with the ability to respond quickly and effectively to client feedback Team Leadership: Experience managing project managers and contractors, ensuring clear communication and accountability Programming Skills: Ability to develop and maintain detailed project schedules and resource plans What we offer: The Defence Academy sits within a beautiful and secure site which hosts 2 lakes and is surrounded by acres of scenic woodland. The Academy trains the future commanders and staff officers of all three UK Armed Services and those from many countries around the world. Other benefits of working on this site include: Free, secure onsite parking. Opportunity to join many sports and activity clubs (heavily subsidised subscription costs). Gym membership, the site boasting 2 fully equipped gymnasiums. 18-hole golf course (annual membership circa £375). Fully equipped riding stables, with the opportunity for lessons. Other sporting facilities include tennis courts, Astro-turf football pitches and much more. Pension: Up to 6% contributory pension scheme Holidays: 25 days' annual leave plus bank holidays Training and development: We offer a wide range of learning opportunities with over 1,100 internal courses available, funding for qualifications and apprenticeships, mentoring opportunities, and a focus on internal progression. Wellbeing: 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme, BUPA Anytime HealthLine, wellbeing app, Simplyhealth cash plans to claim back money towards healthcare costs, 30% off at Serco-managed leisure centres Discounts: Save across around 1,000 retailers, from food and clothing to days out, entertainment and travel Employee networks: Dedicated networks where colleagues can come together to find support, share challenges, discuss ideas, network and be part of a community. Charity: Support a charity or organisation with a paid volunteering day each year. You can also choose to donate to your favourite charity tax-free, through our Payroll Giving Scheme. To discover more about our careers in Defence, meet our team, and to find out more about what we offer, please follow this Link. We’re also a signatory of the UK Governments Women in Defence Charter, to find out more please click here. Please click on the apply button to complete your application. Occasionally we receive a large volume of applications for our roles and when that happens, we sometimes bring the closing date forward, so please apply promptly to avoid disappointment. At Serco, we see people first and foremost for their performance and potential. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organisation that supports the needs of all. As such we will make reasonable adjustments at interview through to employment for our candidates and strongly encourage applications from a diverse candidate pool. We are open to discussions around flexibility and flexible working. As a proud Disability Confident Leader and holder of the Gold Inclusive Employer Standard, disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the job will be given the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities at an interview. defencejobs