Project Manager / Benefits Manager IS8 Life Science Programme

Medical Research Council

Salary: £37,841 per annum

Band: UKRI Band D

Contract Type: Open ended

Hours: Full-time (flexible working available)

Location: Polaris House, Swindon, Wiltshire - Hybrid working available

Closing Date: Wednesday 1st July 2026

Purpose

To support the effective management, delivery, and coordination of the UKRI Life Sciences Industrial Strategy programme.

As the Life Sciences Project Manager / Benefits Manager, you will work with colleagues across UKRI to help deliver strategic government and societal priorities through the UKRI Life Sciences programme. You will play a key role in programme and project governance, ensuring that intended benefits and outcomes are successfully achieved.

You will be responsible for driving and overseeing the delivery of a set of projects, ensuring that objectives are clearly defined and delivered within agreed time, cost, and quality parameters. You will facilitate collaboration across teams and lead effective communication with stakeholders to support the design, development, and delivery of programme activities.

You will provide matrix management oversight of relevant UKRI teams and work closely with teams supporting other Industrial Strategy programmes.

Key Responsibilities

Programme Responsibilities

• Coordinating and delivering the relevant programmes various projects, dependencies (internal and external), key milestones, risks, governance, financial management, and benefits planning
• Matrix working with teams across the councils for the delivery of activities
• Coordinating and contributing to the development of Business Cases
• Identifying and managing internal and external stakeholder relationships.
• Managing resources and direct planning scheduling, resourcing and estimating for complex and large-scale programmes.
• Overseeing risk and issue management and ensuring mitigations are in place and resolved.
• Developing project specific benefits realisation plans to ensure realisation of benefits for programmes through planning and designing and ensuring that project outputs meet programme requirements.
• Managing programme performance & controls including maintaining overall integrity and coherence of programme and governance framework to support the project. Plan and coordinate the delivery of programme assurance activities.
• Working with project leads to ensure dependencies are actively managed, and act as an arbiter and enforcer to resolve issues between the various elements of the programme.
• Seeking and managing approval of project budgets through appropriate governance, and tracking delivery within budget.

Wider Responsibilities

• Guidance & Support Seek appropriate support, guidance and coaching from the project community. Show commitment to personal development. Promote effective individual and team performance.
• Budget and Resourcing working with colleagues across UKRI to ensure needs fit within the organisation.
• Support the delivery of continuous improvement interventions as required.

About you /Personal Specification

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

• Experience of project management of complex R&D programmes.(S&I)
• Experience of successfully engaging with a range of internal and external stakeholders.(S&I)
• Project management qualification such as APM project management qualification / PRINCE2 or transferrable skill set.(S)
• The ability to identify, analyse and interpret quantitative and qualitative evidence and data to enable decision making, strategy development and implementation.(S/I)
• Management experience, coupled with the ability to mentor, motivate, support and inspire others to work effectively to deliver their own personal objectives and team goals.(I)
• The ability to review ways of working and suggest improvements, contributing to the development and implementation of new ideas and approaches.(I)
• An understanding of the wider strategic environment UKRI operates in and an interest or understanding of the research environment and related Government departments. (I)
• Excellent written communication skills, including a good working knowledge of MS Office packages. (S&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 salary 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)

UKRI is an Equal Opportunity & Disability Confident Employer.

Please apply online, if you experience any issue applying, please contact .

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