Senior Project Manager – International Bilateral Fund

Background: The UK Space Agency: 

The UK Space Agency (UKSA) is an executive agency of the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology (DSIT) and provides technical advice on the government’s space strategy, supporting the UK space sector to deliver the government’s vision. 

Space is a part of everyday life. Satellites underpin our national economy, from agriculture and banking to aviation and shipping, and support our national security. Space science provides critical data to understand and address global challenges such as climate change, while missions to explore our solar system unite nations and advance humanity’s horizons. 

We support a thriving space sector in the UK, which generates an annual income of £16.5 billion and employs 47,000 people across the country. 

Through our portfolio of programmes and projects, we encourage the development of national space capabilities and are an early-stage investor in space research and development.  We also promote the UK space sector’s interests and achievements; make connections to join up industry and academia; and represent the UK in international space programmes. 

We have a powerful global voice, partnering with institutions across the world, including the European Space Agency. 

More information about the Agency is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-space-agency 

To discover more please watch this film https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbZZ-o0IkVU

Our Inclusive Environment

We have an inclusive culture to make UK Space Agency a brilliant place to work where our people feel valued, have a voice and can be their authentic selves. We value difference and diversity, not only because we believe it is the right thing to do, but because it will help us be more innovative and make better decisions.

We offer first-class flexible working benefits, excellent employee well-being support and a great pension. We are fortunate to have a range of excellent staff networks and are proud to be a Disability Confident Leader employer. We will support talented people from all backgrounds to build a career and thrive.

We actively welcome applications from anyone who shares our commitment to inclusion.

Summary:

We are seeking a highly motivated individual looking to further their career in project and programme delivery by joining our International Bilateral Programme.

This is an exciting opportunity to work at the heart of international collaboration on innovative space missions and capabilities.  The post holder will use their project delivery skills to enable pioneering funding opportunities to industry, academia and research organisations in the UK to work with international partners on strategically important projects.

The International Bilateral Fund (IBF) is UK Space Agency’s first dedicated, multi-year fund focussed entirely on building and strengthening the UK’s relationships with strategically important international partners from priority and emerging space nations. These funds will leverage and harness the UK’s national capabilities, support the development of new capabilities, improve our international competitiveness, and influence and catalyse investment in the UK. This will be achieved through offering funding opportunities to industry, academia and research organisations to work with our international partners on strategically important projects.

With strong demand from the space sector, a confirmed budget allocation until March 2025, and a strong portfolio of projects in place, this is an exciting opportunity to oversee the delivery of this exciting new programme and create new global opportunities and partnerships for the UK.

The post holder will lead on implementing the remainder of the programme, monitoring an exciting portfolio of grant-funded projects. The post holder will also lead on the production of the business case covering future iterations of the IBF.

The post holder will report to the (G6) Head of International Relations, managing the high complexity projects in the programme, reporting on progress and escalating as appropriate.  This includes monitoring critical path activities, key risks, national and international dependencies and implementing benefits management mechanisms. The post holder will Line Manage an HEO Project Support Officer, who will be responsible for the day-to-day management of the lower complexity projects in the programme, and who will support the postholder on running calls, embedding of required programme governance and assurance processes, stakeholder engagement, benefits management and knowledge management across the range of projects.

This role is aligned to the Project Manager (G7) in the Government Project Delivery Profession’s Project Delivery Capability Framework.

The post holder will be supported to undertake role specific and professional development L&D activities.

Key Responsibilities:

Working as part of the International Relations team, your role will be to manage the delivery of an International Bilateral Fund (IBF) through grants, contracts and challenge funding. You will be responsible for the following:

• Delivery – Create and lead small, medium and large projects to deliver the agreed outcomes within time, cost and quality constraints.
• Project Management – Day to day management and leadership of the project and the project team. Provide effective leadership and management controls. Set project controls. Design the project structure and organisation appropriate to stage. Set appropriate delivery methodologies. Manage effective transition between project phases.
• Budget – Develop the budget and track delivery within budget.
• Resources – Identify skill requirements and recruit; deploy and develop resources. Manage medium sized team.
• Benefits Realisation – Deliver the agreed Business Case benefits and outcomes. Ensure appropriate Benefits Realisation Strategy is in place, and monitor longer term delivery of benefits against the Business Case.
• Stakeholder Management – Identify and manage stakeholder relationships including those requiring senior level support. Develop the Stakeholder Management plan to manage internal and external relationships appropriately.
• Risks & Issues – Identify and monitor project risks and issues. Develop mitigating actions and escalate as appropriate. Identify and work with related projects to manage interdependencies.
• Governance – Support effective governance and decision making. Provide reporting and engage in mechanisms that hold you, as Project Manager, to account for delivery.
• Assurance – Engage with assurance reviews and support action on recommendations. Organise assurance processes such as gateway reviews, as required.
• Change Management – Ensure effective Change Management processes are in place to agree and document changes to deliverables as agreed with stakeholders.
• Guidance & Support – Provide support, guidance and coaching for the project team. Show commitment to personal development. Promote effective individual and team performance.
• Project Performance & Controls – Cascade vision and translate into delivery objectives for the team. Develop and maintain Project Plan. Identify and set appropriate Project Controls. Manage performance and report progress to sponsors
• Knowledge Management – Identify Lessons Learned with the project teams and share these to optimise future project delivery
• Line management responsibilities may be included.
• Contribute as required and on an ad hoc basis to wider UK Space Agency’s outreach/communications objectives
• Contribute as required, and on an ad-hoc basis, to Ministerial briefing and engagement with cross-government senior stakeholders and the UK Space Agency Executive in respect of the Programme.

Essential:

• Strong experience of working in a programme or project delivery environment with multiple external delivery partners and stakeholders
• Good analytical and problem-solving ability to develop solutions to emerging issues
• Confidence to work with multiple internal and external stakeholders at all levels.
• Excellent communication skills to provide clear messages to internal teams and external stakeholders, including presentation skills.
• Resilience and the ability to adapt to changing circumstances and priorities in an environment of high interest to ministers, the sector and the public.

Desirable:

• Recent experience of UK grant management
• Knowledge and understanding of the UK/international space sector landscape
• We are looking for candidates that demonstrate suitable project and programme management qualifications for this demanding role, such as Agile Project Management Practitioner, APM PMQ, Prince 2 Practitioner or MSP Practitioner (or a willingness to undertake these)

We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service
• Delivering at Pace
• Working Together

Benefits

UK Space Agency offers a competitive mix of benefits including:

A culture of flexible working, such as job sharing, homeworking and compressed hours.

Automatic enrolment into the Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 27%

A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by 1 day per year up to a maximum of 30.

An extensive range of learning & professional development opportunities, which all staff are actively encouraged to pursue.

Access to a range of retail, travel, and lifestyle employee discounts.

A generous maternity/paternity and adoption leave package.

This job role may be suitable for hybrid working, which is an informal, non-contractual and voluntary arrangement, blending a balance of attendance in the workplace (your permanent duty station which is based on business assessment of where the work is best done) and working from home, or elsewhere, as a personal choice (if the role is suitable for this).  If you are successful, any opportunities for hybrid working will be discussed with you prior to you taking up your post.

The internal roles rules apply to existing Civil Servants, i.e., level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest. 

Civil Servants:

Prior agreement to be released on a loan basis must be obtained before commencing the application process. In the case of Civil Servants, the terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant. This includes grade on return.

UK Space Agency Employees:

You must seek approval from your substantive manager before applying for any non-permanent vacancy, this includes applying for a new post during an existing temporary posting.  Please note that if applying for a temporary post within UK Space Agency or elsewhere on promotion, successful appointment will not automatically result in a permanent promotion – you will revert to your current substantive grade at the end of the Fixed Term or Loan period (unless funding has been approved to make the post permanent).

Job contact :

• Name : Lauren Newell
• Email : lauren.newell@ukspaceagency.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : uksarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk