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.

Overview

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.

Key Responsibilities

• Coordinating and delivering the relevant programme's 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.

• 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)

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!

• 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!

UKRI is an Equal Opportunity & Disability Confident Employer.