Defra Group Property (DgP) Project Manager

Within DgP we provide services that underpin workplaces for more than 30,000 colleagues, covering an extensive portfolio of almost 300 sites across Defra Group. Defra has the largest estate by area within the whole of government (c900,000 acres), comprising a diverse mix of operational and administrative assets. The portfolio includes offices, depots, incident response facilities, warehouses, laboratories, port and border inspection facilities, stores and land

As a Project Manager in DgP as part of Defras wider Project Delivery profession the successful candidate will be providing end to end Project Management leadership and the application of technical project management skills and experience to deliver a range of Property related projects. This role provides the successful candidate with an opportunity to work across DgP and with the wider Defra Group with the Arms Length Bodies when delivery property related project ensuring property solutions act as enabler to wider Defra Group outcomes

The team is looking for a confident, collaborative and delivery-focused Project Manager who can operate effectively across organisational boundaries, bringing together property and programme delivery to achieve shared outcomes. Your role will be central in ensuring the successful integration of property within the Water Regulator programme

This Project Manager role initially focusses on the Water Regulator Programme within Defra Group Property (DgP) but as a generic Project Manager will also in the long term cover other property related projects.

Our ambitious 25-year Environment Plan and legislative agenda is delivering transformational change across the Environment, Agriculture and Marine sectors. As part of this, Defra is establishing a new Water Regulator to strengthen oversight, improve environmental outcomes and ensure the long-term sustainability of water resources.

Defra Group Property plays a critical role in enabling this delivery. Our estate underpins essential servicesfrom offices and laboratories to operational infrastructure that supports flood resilience, environmental monitoring and national capability. As we support the creation of the Water Regulator, property will be fundamental in ensuring the organisation is set up to operate effectively, safely and sustainably.

This role sits at the intersection of Defra Group Property and the wider Water Regulator Programme. The Project Manager will act as a key link between DgP and programme stakeholders across the Defra Group, ensuring that property-related requirements are fully understood, integrated and delivered as part of the wider programme. You will play a crucial role in aligning strategic property delivery with programme objectives, ensuring a coherent and joined-up approach.

The Defra Group is a large and complex organisation of around 30,000 staff, working across core Defra and its arms length bodies, with significant investment in infrastructure and transformation programmes. Delivering the Water Regulator requires strong, coordinated project leadership across multiple functions and stakeholders

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the delivery of property-related elements of the Water Regulator programme, ensuring alignment with wider programme objectives.
• Act as the key interface between Defra Group Property and the Water Regulator Programme, ensuring effective coordination, communication and integration.
• Provide day-to-day leadership and management of the project and wider Project Group, establishing appropriate governance, structures and controls.
• Develop and maintain robust project plans, ensuring delivery is clearly tracked and reported across both DgP and programme governance structures.
• Ensure property requirements are clearly defined, scoped and delivered in line with programme timelines, budget and quality expectations

You will be able to demonstrate the following skills and experience

Project Delivery & Integration

• Proven experience delivering complex projects or programmes, ideally across organisational or functional boundaries.
• Experience operating in a bridge role, coordinating delivery between multiple teams or departments.

Stakeholder Engagement & Influence

• Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build relationships and influence at senior levels.
• Experience working across organisational boundaries to align priorities and resolve competing demands.

Leadership & Collaboration

• Ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and create a collaborative, high-performing environment.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to translate complex requirements between technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Governance, Planning & Controls

• Experience establishing governance, project controls and reporting in complex delivery environments.
• Ability to manage plans, budgets and performance within agreed constraints.

Risk, Issue & Change Management

• Strong ability to identify and manage risks, issues and interdependencies, particularly across programme interfaces.
• Experience managing change in a dynamic and evolving programme environment.

Planning

• Experience of developing and maintaining delivery plans including roadmaps and resource plans
• Experience of embedding the use of plan in a Project and reporting against progress against the plan

Data & Digital Capability

• Experience using data and digital tools to monitor delivery, generate insights and inform decision-making.