Project Manager (One NIHR)

LGC Ltd (www.lgcgroup.com) is an international life sciences company working with customers in the government, academic, pharmaceutical, agricultural biotechnology, food, environment, security and sports sectors.  

LGC’s Grant Management Group (GMG) works with UK government departments and arm’s length bodies to support medical and health research across the UK. Our activities include funding call management, contract management and Intellectual Property management. We work with senior level stakeholders in academia, the NHS, government and industry to promote improvements in medical and health care in the UK and overseas. 

We are looking for an experienced Project Manager to contribute project management expertise and support to GMG’s contribution and response to OneNIHR. This will be a full-time, fixed-term position for an initial period of up to 6 months.

Through Best Research for Best Health: The Next Chapter, NIHR has set out how it will address health and social care challenges across the nation and further afield through core workstreams and areas of strategic focus where significant changes are needed in how we work. Some of the key challenges NIHR faces in delivering against its mission relate to how easy it is for people to understand and work with us, access our evidence and evaluate our impact. The One NIHR Programme is a programme of business transformation initiated to address this. The principles of the programme are Simplification, Consistency, Standardisation, Acceleration, Challenge and Inclusion.

The One NIHR programme has matured to a point at which it has divided into two overarching themes.

Theme 1 will cover Functional Leadership, Business Planning, Internal Comms and People Development. Theme 2 will cover Culture, Business Process Standardisation, Standard Application Form, development of a single award management system & Business Intelligence and Data.

The Theme 2 programme is now well into the “system design phase”, defined as the point at which a supplier can be instructed to build the new award management system, based on unambiguous and detailed documentation. Next, a package of work will need to be designed and delivered covering the business transformation to the new system and the initiation of new cross NIHR continuous improvement processes. Key considerations for this phase will be stakeholder training plans, operation of dual systems for a transition period, the governance of systems and processes and responding to staff queries around new ways of working.

Theme 2 will also regularly interact with Theme 1. At a GMG level, it will be necessary to develop the outputs from both themes into our ways of working, which will require extensive stakeholder management and consideration of how GMG is structured to fully exploit the benefits of One NIHR.

Key Responsibilities:

• Coordination of work undertaken across GMG supporting the programme of work, including business and system design-related work packages 
• Provision of hands-on support to programme workstreams and other internal GMG working groups to ensure timely delivery of discrete packages of development and implementation work
• Working with the Implementation Coordinator to engage and involve key stakeholder groups that are important to the delivery of each area of activity
• Development of plans for implementation of programme outputs
• Develop a clear communication plan and corresponding materials
• Maintaining a query log and disseminating answers
• Other project management support as required 

Qualifications and Experience 
Required Criteria 

• Degree: A bachelor's degree in fields such as, Project Management, Business Administration, Science, or Engineering 
• Professional Certifications: Agile project management, PRINCE2, Six Sigma or Waterfall 
• Technical Skills, Microsoft Project, Asana, Jira, or Trello
• Risk management: Identifying, assessing, and mitigating project risks
• Budgeting and resource allocation: Managing finances and resources effectively

​​​​​​​Desired Criteria 

• Experience of working within health, social care and life sciences sector including industry, academia and the NHS 
• A good understanding of the the NIHR 

Other Skills and Abilities:

• Proficiency in managing stakeholders
• Evidence of problem solving; ability to handle complex project challenges and propose viable solutions 
• Experience of managing complex, multifaceted projects
• Experience of fast paced projects
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Effective at working with staff at all levels
  Excellent planning and organisational skills
• Excellent attention to detail
• Well-developed written and presentation skills

Salary & Benefits 

• £47,300 to £49,900
• Bonus - subject to company performance
• 25 days annual leave, plus public holidays (UK)
• Enhanced contributory pension scheme
• Life Insurance
• Benenden Healthcare
• Season Ticket Loan
• Laptop, IT equipment and remote IT support

NB: This is a 6 month FTC position, inquiries from secondees and consultants welcome. 

NB: This is an office based, hybrid role, with an expectation for all employees to attend our offices in Twickenham worked as 1 day per week, and may increase, subject to team requirements. 

Application
If you are excited about the prospect of joining our team and believe you possess the relevant skills and background, we invite you to apply. Please submit your CV along with a 'Statement of Suitability' that showcases your key skills and experiences in relation to the 'Required Criteria' outlined in the job description. Additionally, share your enthusiasm for working with
the LGC Group. 

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES 
LGC strongly believes that every job applicant and employee should be valued for their individual talents regardless of age, disability, race, colour, ethnic or national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, religion, or belief. Short listing, interviewing and selection will always be carried out without regard to gender, sexual orientation, marital status, colour, race, nationality, ethnic or national origins, religion or belief, age, or trade union membership.