ADR UK Project Manager

ESRC
Salary: 37841 per annum.
Band: UKRI Band D.
Contract Type: Open ended.
Hours: Full-time or Part Time (minimum 0.8 FTE) (flexible working available).
Location: Polaris House Swindon Wiltshire - Hybrid working available.

Closing Date: Wednesday 3rd June 2026.

About the role

ADR UK (Administrative Data Research UK) is a partnership redefining the way researchers access the UKs wealth of public sector data (administrative data) to enable better advised policy decisions that improve peoples lives.

This role will sit within the ADR UK Programme Management Office. The ADR UK Programme Management Office within the Strategic Hub provides programme project and organisational change together with business analysis support leading the design implementation and embedding of change across ADR UK to deliver its vision and realise its strategic objectives.

The Project Manager will be responsible for driving and coordinating the delivery of their projects to ensure that:

• They are completed on time and within budget.
• The projects objectives are met.
• Risks and issues are effectively managed.
• The correct governance and reporting procedures are followed.

Your responsibilities:

• Ensure projects deliver agreed outcomes within time cost and quality constraints.
• Track delivery within budget as necessary and recommend how financial and other resources should be allocated between projects to best support strategic objectives.
• Identify and monitor project risks and issues and develop mitigating actions and raise as appropriate.
• Set project controls select and apply appropriate delivery methodologies and support the agreed assurance requirements through project delivery.
• Partner engagement and partnership working identify key partners and develop effective relationships to influence change and impact decisions.
• Monitoring delivery against the approved business case in order to justify the continuation of projects in terms of benefits value for money and risk.
• Contribute to the development and promotion of the Programme Management Office(PMO) including supporting and advocating the use of PMO standardised processes and documentation.
• Operate effectively within a matrix management environment on one or more assignments with the flexibility and resilience to respond to the changing demands of a fast-paced environment.
• Attention to detail in the creation and maintenance of a range of control documentation including but not limited to; business case programme plan risks issues and actions logs/registers monitoring and evaluation and budget management.
• Collation of documents and co-ordination of audit and assurance activities including formal project gateway reviews audits and deep dives.
• Actively contribute to the PMO supporting the development of templates guidance notes and documentation for a range of programme management tools and techniques.
• Represent the programme for queries relating to PMO administration and the use of templates.
• The project manager will also prepare and present updates to relevant groups within the established governance structure.

This is not a comprehensive list and we may require you to undertake other duties within the Strategic Hub commensurate with the level of responsibility of this post.

Personal Specification

The below criteria will be scored during Shortlisting (S) Interview (I) or both (S&I).

Essential

• Educated to degree level in a relevant field or experience of working in a sophisticated programme/project environment (S&I).
• Qualification in a recognised project/programme management methodology (e.g. PRINCE 2 MSP AGILE etc.) (S&I).
• Able to evidence a strong understanding of project methodologies and lifecycles including good working knowledge of project management software and tools (S&I).
• Able to evidence how to manage plan supervise and coordinate multiple projects or changeactivities independently and use initiative (S&I).
• An awareness of risk issue and change management processes within project environments along with business case commercial and procurement awareness (S&I).
• Excellent written communications skills including minuting meetings to a high level and control documentation (S&I).
• Knowledge and understanding of corporate governance systems and processes (S&I).
• Experience of providing corporate governance support to Boards and/or Committees (S&I).
• Experience engaging with multi-level partners both internally and externally to ensure project delivery (S&I).

Desirable

• An understanding of the processes through which ESRC funded researchers currently access data for research purposes (I).
• Experience of working with relevant policy government or other partners in the research data landscape (I).
• Experience of the Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) Gateway Review and Health check process (I).

Benefits

We recognise and value our employees as individuals and aim to provide a favourable pay and rewards package. We are committed to supporting employees development and promote a culture of continuous learning!

A list of benefits below:

• An outstanding defined benefit pension scheme.
• 30 days annual leave in addition to 10.5 public and privilege days (full time equivalent).
• Employee discounts and offers on retail and leisure activities.
• Employee assistance programme providing confidential help and advice.
• Flexible working options.

Plus many more benefits and wellbeing initiatives that enable our employees to have a great work life balance!

For further information on our benefits please see:

Benefits of working at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)

Current Hybrid Arrangements

ADR UKs current arrangements are that every quarter the whole team will come down to the Swindon office (Polaris House). For other months each team will go into the office that they are based in (either Swindon or London). Dates have been set for the year in advance.

Other attendance in office is as business need dictates and the post holder may also be required to attend up to 3 governance meetings around the UK annually (rotates London Cardiff Edinburgh Belfast).

UKRI is an Equal Opportunity & Disability Confident Employer.

Please apply online if you experience any issue applying please contact

Please note if you will require sponsorship to work in the UK as part of your sponsorship application you and any dependants travelling with you will be required to pay costs directly to The Home Office for the application before you start your role with us. UKRI is normally able to reimburse some or all of these fees after you have become an employee and this can be discussed with the Hiring Manager. For more information please visit or contact