Description & Requirements
On behalf of The Government Property Agency, we are looking for a Project Manager - HR Workplan (Inside IR35) for a 6 month contract. This is a hybrid working role (travel required to Birmingham on an ad-hoc basis).
The Government Property Agency is an Executive Agency of the cabinet office. It is changing the way the Civil Service works and is at the forefront of Government's transformation agenda; reshaping the relationship civil servants have with their place of work. The Agency is central to the delivery of key Government policies including moving 22,000 Civil Service roles out of London by 2030 and tackling climate change by contributing to the Net Zero agenda. To do this we are delivering a major change programme across the UK and consolidating our portfolio in order to save £1.4 Bn over 10 years.
Beyond the bricks and mortar, the GPA is about providing great workplaces for our people.
This is an ambitious and exciting task, for which we need innovative people, with strong commercial acumen, who are passionate about visualising and implementing customer needs.
Job Purpose:
This role will provide project management support for the 16 strategic priorities identified for the HR workplan in 2026/27, which are directly linked to the HR business plan deliverables. Primary support will be to the implementation of the new ‘Neo’ HR platform which is a significant digital and cultural change.
As a Project Manager - HR Workplan, your main responsibilities will be to:
- Oversee the delivery of the projects to ensure that objectives are clearly defined and achieved within the agreed time, cost and quality constraints, in accordance with GPA’s delivery methodology and the wider UK Government project management standards.
- Project governance, working with stakeholders to ensure the agreed project outputs are delivered to enable the projected benefits to be realised.
- Designing the project structure appropriate to stage, selecting and applying relevant delivery methodologies.
- Identifying and monitoring project risks and issues. Develop mitigating actions and escalate as appropriate.
- Ensure effective change management processes are in place to embed the changes within the organisation.
Essential:
- Proven End-to-End Delivery Track Record: Demonstrable experience delivering complex, high-priority projects within a fast-paced environment. Must have a history of managing projects from inception through to business-as-usual transition using structured methodologies (Agile, Waterfall, or Hybrid).
- HR & Workforce Transformation Expertise: Specific experience managing HR or People-focused projects.
- Technical & Digital Capability: Proven experience managing projects with a significant technical or systems component (e.g., HRIS/HCM rollouts, data migrations, digital workflow automation, or HR analytics tools) alongside non-technical deliverables.
- Formal Project & Change Qualifications: Practitioner-level certifications in project management (e.g., APM PMQ/PPQ, PRINCE2 Practitioner, AgilePM) or formal change management credentials (e.g., Prosci, MSP).
- Stakeholder Management & Governance: Exceptional communication, influencing, and reporting skills. Proven ability to build consensus, handle pushback, and navigate complex governance frameworks.
- Immediate Autonomy & Project Controls: Ability to hit the ground running without hand-holding. Highly skilled in establishing and maintaining robust project controls—including baseline plans, RAID logs, resource forecasting, and risk mitigation strategies.
Desirable:
- Civil Service / Public Sector Context: Knowledge of Central Government HR frameworks, Civil Service Success Profiles, or prior experience working within the Government Property Agency (GPA) or Cabinet Office landscape.
- HR Enterprise System Experience: Hands-on experience working with standard public sector or enterprise HR systems (e.g., Oracle Cloud/Metis, Workday, SAP, or Civica).
- Business Change & Adoption: Demonstrated expertise in structured change management principles (e.g., Prosci, Kotter) to drive user adoption, manage resistance, and embed sustainable change across diverse business units.
Please be aware that this role can only be worked within the UK and not Overseas.
DE&I Commitment
GPA guarantees to interview all candidates who have a disability and who meet all the essential criteria for the vacancy. In cases where we have a high volume of candidates who have a disability who meet all the essential criteria, we will interview the best candidates from within that group. This scheme encourages candidates with a disability and/or neurodivergence to apply. In exceptional circumstances, we may also need to apply the desirable criteria in our shortlisting process which may include holding active security clearance.
Armed Forces Covenant
The Government Property Agency guarantees to interview veterans or spouses / partners of military personnel who meet all the essential criteria for the vacancy. In cases where we have a high volume of ex-military candidates / military spouses or partners, who meet all of the essential criteria, we will interview the best candidates from within that group. In exceptional circumstances, we may also need to apply the desirable criteria in our shortlisting process which may include holding active security clearance.
In applying for this role, you acknowledge the following "this role falls in scope of the Off Payroll Working in the Public Sector legislation. Any rates of payment quoted will reflect the gross rate per day for the assignment and will be subject to appropriate taxes and statutory costs. As such the payment to the intermediary and your income resulting from this contract will be different."