Interim HR Project Manager (Higher Education)
Location:London / Hybrid (Hybrid minimum two days per week on site in London)
Rate:£40-£45 per hour (Inside IR35)
Start date:Immediate Start
A leading London-based higher education institution is seeking an experienced Interim HR Project Manager to support the delivery of a wide portfolio of HR transformation initiatives. This is an excellent opportunity for a seasoned project professional with consultancy-level standards to join a complex, high-profile environment and make an immediate impact.
This role requires more than project coordination or IT-only project experience. You will need a comprehensive project delivery tool kit, advanced stakeholder skills, and the ability to drive cultural and behavioural change across a large organisation.
The Opportunity
Working closely with senior HR leaders, you will coordinate and oversee a programme of HR projects, using a structured, agile approach to planning, prioritisation and delivery. You will play a key role in shaping how HR manages its roadmap, facilitates termly planning cycles, and embeds new ways of working.
You will bring people together across multi-disciplinary teams, using your influence and decisiveness to maintain momentum, remove blockers and ensure timely delivery of outcomes. This is a delivery-focused role that requires someone who can hit the ground running.
Key Responsibilities
* Lead and oversee a portfolio of HR projects, providing structured agile delivery and regular reporting
* Support termly planning cycles, helping prioritise initiatives and define clear deliverables
* Coach and guide HR teams in agile practice and project delivery disciplines
* Translate complex requirements into user stories and delivery plans
* Facilitate collaboration across product, service and operational teams
* Monitor progress, risks, dependencies, resource gaps and financials
* Ensure readiness for go-live of HR initiatives including testing, training and change support
* Support the development and continuous improvement of HR delivery frameworks and processes
Essential Experience
You will be an experienced Project or Programme Manager with a proven track record of delivering HR or people-focused projects in a complex organisation. You will also bring:
* Consulting-level delivery experience
* Strong background in agile project management methods
* Ability to lead and influence multi-disciplinary project teams
* Excellent facilitation, communication and stakeholder engagement skills
* Strong financial management of project budgets and reporting
* Proficiency with project management tools such as Jira
* Degree-level education (or equivalent experience) with a recognised project management qualification (PMP, APM, Prince2 etc.)