Senior Project Manager

UCC Academy is the internal partner for accelerating the delivery of University College Cork’s priorities. We bring targeted professional capabilities and deep institutional knowledge to every engagement, enabling the University to achieve its strategic and operational goals.

We uniquely collaborate, innovate, advise, and operate with flexibility—ensuring our work is aligned with UCC’s evolving needs.

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• Delivering Excellence and Value
  
• Success and Growth
  
• Wellbeing and Balance
  
• Trust and Collaboration
  

The Senior Project Manager is a key delivery role within the Project Solutions function, responsible for leading the planning, execution and successful delivery of complex projects and workstreams. This role acts as a delivery partner to clients, shaping delivery approaches, guiding decision‑making, and supporting the design and implementation of impactful solutions. Working closely with internal teams and external stakeholders, the Senior Project Manager ensures that projects are delivered on time, within scope and budget, and to a high‑quality standard, while also providing input that enhances delivery and organisational outcomes.

This role requires strong project management expertise, excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills, and the ability to manage competing priorities in a dynamic environment. The Senior Project Manager drives business development by building strong relationships with our clients, contributes to continuous improvement and oversees quality assurance. Providing leadership across the project lifecycle, this is a management level role, responsible for ensuring delivery excellence, supporting team development and contributing to the strategic and operational success of the Project Solutions function.

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• Lead the planning, scheduling and delivery of complex or multi‑stream projects, ensuring alignment with defined objectives and stakeholder expectations.
  
• Develop and maintain detailed project plans, and timelines to support effective delivery.
  
• Apply robust scope management practices, ensuring clear definition, tracking, and control of project deliverables.
  
• Oversee project governance and delivery frameworks to ensure successful project outcomes.
  
• Embed quality assurance practices across all project phases, promoting consistency and compliance with internal and external standards.
  
• Responsible for project contracting and engagement processes, including the development of new agreements, extensions and change requests, ensuring compliance and delivery assurance from initiation through to project completion.
  
• Proactively manage risks, dependencies, and change, identifying and implementing mitigation measures, ensuring timely resolution, escalating issues where appropriate.
  
• Apply change management approaches to ensure stakeholder adoption and successful implementation of project outcomes.
  
• Coordinate and manage project resources, including internal and external contributors, ensuring effective collaboration and delivery.
  

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• Manage project budgets and financial tracking, ensuring alignment with approved funding and value for money.
  
• Identify and address scope creep, cost variances, and delivery risks in a timely and proactive manner, proactively escalating where required.
  
• Oversee and monitor project performance against key milestones, deliverables, and KPIs, providing regular updates to stakeholders.
  
• Utilise reporting tools such as Power BI and other relevant systems to monitor project performance, generate insights, and support data‑driven decision‑making across key milestones and KPIs.
  

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• Identify and contribute to the development of new project opportunities that align with UCC Academy’s and UCC’s strategic priorities.
  
• Lead and support the development of proposals, business cases, and stakeholder engagement for emerging projects.
  
• Champion continuous improvement by leading enhancements to project delivery processes, tools, and templates.
  
• Contribute to the creation of Project Solutions assets and promote use of best practice that supports consistent, high‑quality, market relevant project delivery.
  

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• Build and maintain strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders, acting as a trusted advisor and delivery partner.
  
• Lead the development and implementation of stakeholder engagement strategies, to promote alignment, transparency, and collaboration throughout the project lifecycle.
  
• Facilitate effective communication and collaboration across diverse teams and functions, enabling informed decision‑making and issue resolution.
  
• Gather, analyse and integrate stakeholder feedback to inform project delivery and support continuous improvement.
  

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• Provide line management to assigned team members, supporting performance, development, and wellbeing.
  
• Manage resources on assigned projects, ensuring clarity of roles, effective collaboration and delivery accountability.
  
• Mentor colleagues across UCC Academy and wider UCC group, fostering a culture of collaboration, continuous learning, and professional excellence.
  
• Contribute to the development and achievement of team objectives, aligning individual and collective performance with both UCC Academy and UCC’s strategic goals.
  
• Promote knowledge sharing and capability building within UCC Academy and wider UCC group.
  
• Demonstrate accountability for personal performance and growth, aligning with UCC Academy’s values and contributing positively to team and organisation.
  

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• Ensure compliance with data protection, risk management, and other relevant policies across all workstream activities.
  
• Adhere to internal policies and external standards, including public sector and funding body requirements, recognising these as critical compliance obligations, ensuring wider team member adherence as required.
  
• Undertake additional responsibilities as assigned, contributing flexibly to the wider goals of the Project Solutions function.
  

This list is not exhaustive, and the Senior Project Manager will undertake other duties as appropriately requested.

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• 5 years’ experience in programme or project management, including leading complex or multi‑stream projects.
  
• Professional project management certification (e.g. PMP, PRINCE2 Practitioner, PM2, AgilePM).
  
• A relevant third‑level qualification (e.g. in Business, Project Management or related field) or relevant equivalent experience.
  
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office.
  
• Proven experience managing project budgets, resources, and stakeholder relationships.
  
• Demonstrated ability to deliver projects aligned with strategic goals and organisational priorities.
  
• Strong understanding of project governance, risk management, and quality assurance frameworks.
  
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence and engage stakeholders at all levels.
  
• Proficiency in project management tools and software (e.g. MS Project, Smartsheet, or other relevant tools used to effectively manage projects).
  
• Familiarity with business development processes, including proposal writing, stakeholder engagement and contracting.
  
• Ability to manage competing priorities and deliver results in a dynamic environment.
  
• Experience in line management or mentoring of team members.
  
• Demonstrated ability to foster collaboration across teams and functions.
  
• Understanding of data protection, compliance, and risk management in a project context.
  

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• Professional change management certification (e.g. Prosci Adkar).
  
• Experience working in or with higher education institutions or public sector organisations.
  
• Experience contributing to organisational strategy or service development.
  
• Knowledge of continuous improvement methodologies (e.g. Lean, Six Sigma).
  

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• Employment Type: The post is full‑time. A six‑month probationary period will apply.
  
• Eligibility: You must be eligible to work in Ireland to be considered for the role.
  
• Salary on commencement: Job Level 4: €56,000-€76,640 per annum. New entrants to UCC Academy will likely be appointed onto one of the first three points of the scale, subject to experience.
  
• Term: Permanent contract on successful completion of a 6‑month probationary period.
  
• Annual Leave: 25 Days plus up to 5 discretionary Company Days.
  
• Pension: Company Defined Contribution Pension Scheme.
  
• Location: Our place of work is the Western Gateway Building, UCC. Onsite presence is required, with opportunities for flexible working when organisation and client needs allow.
  

In order to be considered for the post, we ask you to submit a 2 page CV and cover letter outlining why this role is of interest and how you meet the requirements. xcfaprz Closing date for applications is 9:00am, Wednesday 15 April 2026.

By submitting your CV you are deemed to give your consent to UCC Academy to share your CV and personal details with the University and individual departments within the University for the purposes of recruitment.