Senior Project Manager

Do you have experience in project management and successfully implementing change?

Do you thrive on leading from the front when delivering projects, bringing structure and clarity to a complex and changing environment?

If you can build and utilise strong relationships at a senior level in order to deliver project outcomes, we would love to hear from you!

Please refer to ‘How to Apply’ section for information as to what to include within your CV. 

Joining our department comes with many benefits, including:

• Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary. Read more about Civil Service Pensions here
• 25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave), plus 8 bank holidays a privilege day for the King’s birthday
• Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.

Read more in the Benefits section below!

Find out more about what it’s like working at Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency – Department for Transport Careers

Familiarisation Session
Would you like to find out more about the role, the digital team and what it’s like to work at DVLA? If so, DVLA are organising a familiarisation session where you can virtually ‘meet the team’ on 18th February at 12pm.

Please click here to book on

Job Description
We are looking for experienced Project Managers to take responsibility for leading and driving the delivery of a range of key strategic transformational change projects.

Your day-to-day responsibilities will include managing one or more complex, medium/high risk programmes or projects, delivering changes via multi-disciplinary, matrix-managed teams.

As a strong and experienced project leader, you will be responsible for creating a cohesive delivery environment, motivating and supporting your teams with any challenges that they may face. You will be responsible for securing and managing internal resources and external suppliers, taking full responsibility for budgetary forecasting and management, managing the dependencies and interfaces with other projects, programmes and BAU operations.

You will lead multi-disciplinary teams delivering a range of transformational digital, technology and business change projects, planning in detail through all lifecycle stages, and working collaboratively to realise benefits and achieve business outcomes. In addition to strong change management skills, individuals that have an interest and experience in delivering change through technology would thrive in our environment.

Our Project and Portfolio Management (PPM) capability sits within the IT Services (ITS) Directorate, where we take responsibility for managing and delivering strategic change programmes across the entire Agency. This role will report directly to one of our Portfolio Managers, where you will work as part of their senior team within a programme environment. You will play an active and critical part in improving the performance of the wider project delivery environment.

At the Driver and Vehicle Licencing Agency (DVLA), PPM is about more than just technology delivery. Our projects and programmes encompass the full business change lifecycle, covering areas such as customer migration and digital channel shift, business process improvement, strategic procurement, asset replacement, and IT infrastructure delivery. All the while, we focus on improving outcomes for our customers, stakeholders and staff, which makes the DVLA Change Portfolio an exciting and challenging environment within which to work.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3Knp4Vxj5o&list=PLF5emsLAajcB-egy8OiTRQ_wrewOBlX2I 

Your responsibilities will include but will not be limited to:

• Project Management: Day to day management and leadership of the project and the project team. Provide effective leadership and management controls. Set project controls. Design the project structure and organisation appropriate to stage. Set appropriate delivery methodologies. Develop detailed plans. Manage effective transition between project phases.
• Risks & Issues: Identify and monitor project risks and issues. Develop mitigating actions and escalate as appropriate. Identify and work with related projects to manage interdependencies.
• Budget: Develop the budget and track delivery within budget.
• Stakeholder Management: Identify and manage stakeholder relationships and need for senior level support. Manage internal and external relationships as appropriate. Great line management is important to us as an organisation, and we will equip and support line managers to develop the skills they need. We aim to empower line managers to create teams where people can flourish and deliver excellent outcomes for the public.

About you
You will have a depth of experience of successfully managing medium or large-scale projects, with a track record of delivering a range of business outcomes.

You may have gathered relevant professional project management qualifications over the course of your career (Prince2, Prince2Agile, MSP, MoP, and/or APMP, or equivalent). If these are not already held, then you must be willing to work towards them once in role.

Your leadership approach will see you lead from the front and drive those around you to achieve shared objectives, while using your team and wider networks to ensure the right things happen. You will be comfortable with empowerment, using your problem-solving skills to evaluate the best solutions while presenting your findings persuasively in order to gain buy-in.

You will be confident when making decisions and handling difficult conversations with others, professionally and with sensitivity. You will have excellent communication skills, adapting your style and quickly developing rapport to maximise both impact and understanding.

You will be comfortable engaging at all levels across DVLA, DfT and Government where required, acting as an ambassador for DVLA change delivery and the wider Government Project Delivery Profession.

Additional information
Working for the Digital Team At DVLA, licensing is just the start. Every project you implement, touch and deliver has a ripple effect that’ll wash across the nation. Here the work you’re doing has the capacity to change the way 50 million people interact with our services. As we aim to keep our roads some of the safest in the world, our innovative, transformative digital-led services help optimise a nation of individuals and business every single day.

This role is full time only. Full time roles at DVLA consist of 37 hours per week.

This role is suitable for hybrid working, which is a non-contractual arrangement where a combination of workplace and home-based working can be accommodated subject to business requirements.

The expectation at present is a minimum of 60% of your working time a month will be spent at either your designated workplace (the location cited in the advert) or, when required for business reasons, in another office/work location. There may be occasions where you are required to attend above the minimum expectation.

Visa Sponsorship Please take note that DVLA does not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker License sponsor and are unable to sponsor any individuals for Skilled Worker Sponsorship.

Benefits
Passionate, reliable and always willing to push yourself and those around you, you’ll continue to seek improvement in your own role and challenge us too. Because we pride ourselves on how we approach your development. From training courses to specialist skills workshops and opportunities to grow your expertise, we thrive when you thrive. You can find out more about all of the above here alongside a full list of our benefits:

• Best in class learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity with a range of staff communities to support all our colleagues
• Generous employer contribution of 28.97%, depending on chosen pension scheme
• Digital communities with clear career frameworks
• On-site gym plus personal training available (membership applies)
• On-site nursery, restaurants and coffee bar
• 25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave).
• 8 Bank Holidays plus an additional Privilege Day to mark the King’s birthday.
• Free Parking.

How to apply
The selection process for this role will be:

Stage 1: Sift of CV

Stage 2: Video Interview

Stage 3: Interview and Assessment

You must be successful at each stage to progress to the next stage.

Stage 1: Sift As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide a CV to Inspire People (our Recruitment Partners) which outlines your experience and suitability for the role (based on the experience points outlined in the essential criteria on this advert). Upon receipt of your CV, DVLA Hiring Managers will complete a sift.

For this role you will need to submit a CV. Within your CV please provide detailed evidence of your experience of the following essential criteria:

• Demonstrating your depth of experience in successfully leading and implementing complex projects or programmes: describing how you took personal accountability for project outcomes.
• Building strong relationships, managing stakeholders at a senior level effectively and with confidence.
• Experience of selecting and implementing project controls and methodologies appropriate to a technical or business change project, in order to deliver against time, cost and quality objectives. Can describe the governance arrangements put in place in order to ensure successful delivery, and demonstrate how project controls have been utilised within those governance arrangements.
• Experience of defining and developing delivery plans in a complex change environment; describing how you ensured they were viable.

The sift will take place on 26th February 2026.

Should we receive a high volume of quality applications, we may invite a shortlist of the highest scoring candidates to interview. This means that some applications that meet the required standard could be placed ‘on hold’ after the sift and invited to interview if the vacant position(s) remain unfilled. You will be notified if your application is being put ‘on hold’ once the sift has been completed. Following interviews, any applicants remaining on hold will be notified by the panel of the next steps regarding their application.

Stage 2: Pre-recorded video interview If at sift your application is successful, you will be invited to the first stage of the interview process (hosted by Inspire People), where you will be asked to complete a pre-recorded video interview (this again will be based on the experience points outlined in the essential criteria on this advert). If you are successful at this stage, you will be invited to a final stage interview (which will include an assessment) and be conducted by DVLA Hiring Managers.

Stage 3 Interview and Assessment If invited to interview, this may consist of a range of question types. These could include questions around behaviours and how you would respond in any situation as well as specific examples of things you have done.

Interview
The selection process will be designed specifically for the role. As a result, your assessment will include:

• An interview and presentation

Behaviours – Success Profiles

• Leadership

Technical – Project Delivery Capability Framework 

• Project Delivery: Planning (Skill level: Practitioner)
• Project Delivery: Stakeholder Engagement (Skill level: Practitioner)
• Project Delivery: Governance (Skill level: Practitioner)   

Experience – 

• Experience in successfully leading and implementing complex projects or programmes.

Assessment and Interview Final stage interviews will take place from 16th March 2026.

This interview will be conducted face to face, details of which will be provided, should you be selected for interview.

Please familiarise yourself with the Project Delivery Framework as you will be tested on elements of these during the interview stage.

The Department for Transport alongside other Government Departments recruit using Success Profiles. This means for each role we consider what you will need to demonstrate in order to be successful. This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, drives up performance and improves diversity and inclusivity.

Use of AI
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Reasonable Adjustments
As a Disability Confident Leader employer, we are committed to ensuring that the recruitment process is fair, accessible and allows all candidates to perform at their best. If a person with a visible or non-visible disability is substantially disadvantaged, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes. Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need during the recruitment process. 

Job Contact:
Zymante Gintalaite (Zee)
Email: zee@inspirepeople.net

Attachments

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