Senior project manager

Band 7 · Project manager · 476 job evaluation points

A senior project manager leads large, complex, or high-risk projects, such as replacing a clinical system across an organisation, and may manage other project staff.

Responsibilities

Lead large or high-risk projects, such as clinical system replacements or multi-site deployments.
Manage complex dependencies with suppliers, other projects, and partner health and care organisations.
Lead go-live decisions with the clinical safety officer, operational leads, and the senior responsible owner.
Manage the project budget and commercial arrangements, including change control with suppliers.
Make sure benefits for patients and staff are defined, owned, and measured.
Manage and develop project managers and project support staff.

Skills

Skill	Expected level	What this level means
Project managementThis reference	Expert (4)	You can: manage large, complex, or high-risk projects set project management standards and coach project managers recover failing projects
PlanningUK GDaD PCF	Practitioner (3)	You can: understand the environment and prioritise the most important or high value tasks use data to inform planning manage complex internal and external dependencies provide delivery confidence remove blockers or impediments that affect plans and can develop a plan for difficult situations ensure that teams plan appropriately for their capacity
Stakeholder relationship managementUK GDaD PCF	Practitioner (3)	You can: work with the team to develop and maintain an understanding of stakeholders work with the team to develop and implement stakeholder communications strategies identify and resolve issues, influence stakeholders and manage relationships effectively build long-term strategic relationships and communicate clearly and regularly with stakeholders
Managing decisions and risksUK GDaD PCF	Practitioner (3)	You can: work with consequential or complex risks build consensus between services or independent stakeholders lead others to make good design decisions apply different risk methodologies in proportion to the risk
Financial managementUK GDaD PCF	Practitioner (3)	You can: negotiate, influence or set budgets in complex environments write or input into business cases and can communicate business-value propositions
Commercial managementUK GDaD PCF	Working (2)	You can: act as the point of contact for contracted suppliers understand appropriate internal contacts and processes within a government department understand how and when third parties should be brought into digital, data and technology projects
Understanding health and care servicesThis reference	Working (2)	You can: explain the clinical and care workflows your work supports use common health care terms correctly with clinical and care colleagues recognise when a change could affect patient care and raise it
Clinical risk managementThis reference	Working (2)	You can: take part in hazard workshops and contribute to a hazard log follow the clinical risk management process for your work provide evidence for a clinical safety case, such as test results
Information governance and data protectionThis reference	Working (2)	You can: apply data protection principles to your work contribute to data protection impact assessments handle information requests and records correctly
People managementThis reference	Working (2)	You can: supervise day-to-day work and give feedback take part in recruitment and induction hold regular one-to-one conversations

Typical qualifications and experience

A recognised project management qualification, or equivalent experience.
Substantial experience of managing complex projects in a regulated or safety-critical setting.

Band 7 outline

Knowledge: Highly developed specialist knowledge, typically to master's level or equivalent experience.
Autonomy: Works to organisational policy; decides how results are achieved; is the expert others consult.
Scope: Several products or services, or a specialist function.
Leadership: Leads a team or a professional practice area.
Accountability: Delivery of a service or specialist function, and its budget if held.

Job evaluation (illustrative)

Factor	Level	Level summary	Points
Communication and relationship skills	5	Gives highly complex or contentious information needing developed persuasion and negotiation, presents to large groups, or communicates where there are significant barriers to acceptance.	45
Knowledge, training, and experience	6	Specialist knowledge across the range of the specialism (postgraduate diploma level or equivalent).	156
Analytical and judgemental skills	4	Judgements on complex facts or situations needing analysis, interpretation, and comparison of options.	42
Planning and organisational skills	4	Plans a broad range of complex activities or strategies, adjusting them as needed.	42
Physical skills	2	Skills gained through practice, such as standard keyboard use or driving.	15
Responsibility for patient and client care	1	Helps patients, clients, or relatives during incidental contact.	4
Responsibility for policy and service development	4	Implements policy and develops policy or services for a service or several areas.	32
Responsibility for financial and physical resources	3	Authorises payments, buys some assets or supplies, monitors or holds a delegated budget, or maintains assets.	21
Responsibility for people	3	Manages a group of staff day to day, teaches core or specialist training, or gives core HR advice.	21
Responsibility for information resources	5	Designs and develops major information systems, or runs information systems for several services as the main duty.	34
Responsibility for research and development	1	Carries out surveys or audits for own work; occasionally takes part in research or testing.	5
Freedom to act	4	Results are defined, but the job holder decides how to achieve them, within broad policy.	32
Physical effort	1	Sitting, standing, and walking, with little physical effort.	3
Mental effort	3	Frequent concentration on unpredictable work, or occasional prolonged concentration.	12
Emotional effort	1	Rare exposure, or occasional indirect exposure, to distressing circumstances.	5
Working conditions	2	Occasional unpleasant conditions, frequent travel or outdoor work, or near-continuous screen use on most days.	7
Total (Band 7: 466 to 539)			476