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Project Manager – Origin No Dig®

Newcastle Upon Tyne

£55,000- £65,000

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30 May 2026

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Job Description

Job Summary

A key part of this role is managing the full project lifecycle, from project initiation, planning, mobilisation, and delivery through to commissioning, handover, review, and lessons learned. The Project Manager will act as a central point of coordination between clients, field services, engineering, commercial, HSEQ, supply chain partners, and other key stakeholders.

The role requires strong project management capability, technical understanding of Origin No Dig® and trenchless methodologies, and the ability to manage complex stakeholder environments within the regulated water sector. The Project Manager will ensure projects are delivered in line with agreed scope, programme, budget, quality requirements, safety standards, and client expectations.

The role will also be responsible for managing specific No Dig® Mains research and development projects, including international innovation initiatives. This includes supporting the development, trialling, validation, and continuous improvement of Origin technologies, methodologies, and delivery models to strengthen Origin’s operational capability and long-term market position.

The position is central to delivering efficient, innovative, and high-quality outcomes for Origin’s client portfolio helping address challenges such as leakage reduction, asset resilience, environmental sustainability, carbon reduction, customer disruption, regulatory performance, and long-term network investment.

Roles & Responsibilities

1. Project Planning, Delivery & Control

Manage the full lifecycle of Origin No Dig® projects from initiation through to completion, handover, and close-out.
Develop, maintain, and monitor project programmes, ensuring alignment with client requirements, internal delivery plans, regulatory commitments, and commercial objectives.
Coordinate mobilisation activities including resource planning, site readiness, permits, materials, plant, subcontractors, and supply chain inputs.
Ensure projects are delivered safely, on time, within budget, and to the required quality standards.
Monitor progress against programme milestones, identify risks or delays, and implement corrective actions where required.
Maintain effective project controls, including reporting, action tracking, risk registers, change control, and project documentation.
Ensure clear communication of project status, issues, dependencies, and decisions to internal and external stakeholders.

2. Origin No Dig® Technical Delivery

Oversee the delivery of trenchless and low-disruption repair projects.
Support the selection and application of appropriate no dig methodologies, technologies, and delivery approaches.
Review and support technical submissions, design information, construction methodologies, method statements, risk assessments, and quality plans.
Work closely with engineering, operations, field services and site teams to resolve technical issues and support effective project execution.
Ensure technical solutions are practical, safe, compliant, and aligned with client requirements and site conditions.
Promote innovation and best practice in trenchless delivery, minimising disruption to customers, communities, highways, and the environment.

3. Specific Origin No Dig® Project Responsibility

Lead and manage specific Origin No Dig® research and development projects, including international innovation projects.
Coordinate technical, operational, commercial, and client stakeholders to ensure R&D projects are delivered in line with agreed objectives, timelines, budgets, and quality standards.
Support the development, trialling, validation, and continuous improvement of Origin No Dig® technologies, methodologies, materials, equipment, and delivery models.
Ensure R&D projects are planned, governed, documented, and reviewed with the same discipline as operational delivery projects.
Capture technical findings, lessons learned, performance data, risks, and opportunities from R&D activity.
Translate R&D outcomes into practical operational improvements, new service capabilities, future project methodologies, and commercial opportunities.
Support Origin in client-facing, supplier, partner, and international R&D forums, providing clear updates on progress, risks, technical findings, and value creation.
Support the integration of successful R&D outcomes into standard delivery processes, training materials, client proposals, and future business development activity.

4. Commercial & Financial Management

Manage project budgets, forecasts, cost control, and financial performance across assigned projects.
Support procurement of materials, plant, equipment, subcontractors, and specialist services required for project delivery.

Work with commercial teams to manage contract requirements, applications for payment, variations, compensation events, claims, and change control.

Monitor project profitability, margin, and commercial risk, ensuring timely escalation where required.

Support proposals, project business cases, cost estimates, and ROI-driven solutions aligned to client challenges.
Ensure commercial decisions are aligned with project objectives, client requirements, and Origin’s business goals.

5. Client Engagement & Stakeholder Management

Act as the primary project point of contact for assigned Origin No Dig® clients and project stakeholders.
Build and maintain strong working relationships with water companies, local authorities, framework partners, suppliers, subcontractors, and internal teams.
Lead project meetings, performance reviews, progress updates, and stakeholder coordination sessions where required.

Translate technical and operational project information into clear, value-led communication for client stakeholders.

Manage client expectations proactively, ensuring issues, risks, and decisions are communicated clearly and promptly.

Support public interface and customer impact management where project delivery affects communities, highways, or operational water networks.
Coordinate with supply chain partners and framework stakeholders to ensure consistent delivery performance.

6. Programme, Reporting & Governance

Maintain accurate project reporting across programme, cost, risk, quality, safety, commercial performance, and delivery status.
Provide clear and timely updates to senior leadership, clients, and internal stakeholders.
Track project actions, dependencies, approvals, milestones, risks, and opportunities through to resolution.
Ensure project documentation is accurate, controlled, accessible, and compliant with internal systems and client requirements.
Support governance reviews, project boards, gateway reviews, and post-project evaluations where required.
Oversee the production, review, and approval of project/job reports prepared by Project Engineers, ensuring accuracy, quality, and alignment with client and internal reporting standards.
Draft, review, and obtain approval of RAMS (Risk Assessments and Method Statements), ensuring all documentation is compliant with statutory, client, and company health & safety requirements prior to works commencing.
Ensure lessons learned are captured and shared across the business to improve future project delivery.

7. Cross-Functional Leadership

Collaborate across operations, field services, engineering, commercial, sales, HSEQ and support functions to deliver cohesive project outcomes.
Influence internal stakeholders to prioritise critical project actions, resources, and deliverables.
Provide direction, support, and coordination to project engineers, supervisors, delivery teams, subcontractors, and suppliers.
Promote knowledge sharing and best practice across technical and non-technical teams.
Mentor and support junior team members where applicable.
Foster a collaborative, accountable, and high-performance project delivery culture.

8. Innovation & Value Creation

Identify opportunities to deliver added value through innovation, efficiency improvements, improved delivery models, and integrated solutions.

Promote the use of data, analytics, trenchless technologies, and low-disruption methods to improve client outcomes.
Support pilot projects, trials, and innovation initiatives within water company programmes.
Help position Origin as a strategic partner supporting long-term asset performance, leakage reduction, sustainability, resilience, and customer service improvement.
Provide feedback to internal teams to inform service development, technical improvement, operational efficiency, and market differentiation.

8. HSEQ Responsibilities

Ensure all project activities align with water industry regulations, organisational policies, client requirements, and safety standards.
Promote a strong safety culture across project teams, suppliers, subcontractors, and site operations.
Promote a “stop the job” culture where activities are unsafe, poorly controlled, or non-compliant.
Ensure safe, compliant, high-quality delivery across all assigned projects.
Understand and manage project risks, including PEAR-related risks where applicable.
Challenge unsafe or poorly controlled practices and ensure corrective actions are implemented.
Ensure compliance with relevant legislation and standards, including CDM Regulations, NRSWA requirements, environmental obligations, and client-specific procedures.
Support risk management, contract compliance, quality assurance, and service delivery assurance processes.
Conduct or support site audits, inspections, incident reviews, and lessons learned reviews where required.
Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives across operational, commercial, technical, and HSEQ functions.
As part of our commitment to ISO 27001 you will contribute to our information security responsibilities and our integrated management system. This will include but is not limited to:

- Complying with all information security policies and procedures

-Reporting security incidents or suspicious activity promptly

-Following access control and data handling requirements

- Participating in mandatory security awareness training

- Protecting organisational assets and information

Job Specific Skills & Knowledge

Proven experience managing projects within the water industry, utilities, civil engineering, infrastructure, or a closely related sector.
Demonstrated experience delivering projects safely, commercially, and to agreed programme, cost, and quality requirements.
Strong understanding of trenchless technologies, no-dig mains solutions, asset management, and data-driven infrastructure solutions is preferable but not essential.
Experience managing research and development projects, pilots, trials, or technical innovation programmes is desirable.
Experience working with or alongside water companies, framework partners, local authorities, and supply chain organisations.
Strong project management capability, including planning, risk management, reporting, governance, stakeholder coordination, and change control.
Strong commercial awareness, including budget management, forecasting, procurement, contract administration, variations, and financial reporting.
Experience managing complex stakeholder environments across operational, technical, commercial, and executive levels.
Ability to manage multiple priorities across complex project programmes.
Strong analytical, visualisation, and interpretive skills.
High level of proficiency in Microsoft 365, particularly Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Project, and TEAMS.
Advanced interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to work effectively across multi-disciplinary teams.
Consistency and thoroughness in checking and preparing data, documentation, project records, reports, and client-facing outputs.
Ability to perform routine project management tasks while also engaging in research and development activity to drive projects forward.
Demonstrated ability to provide effective guidance and mentorship to junior team members, supporting their development, confidence, and performance.

General Capabilities

Be a hard-working and highly motivated individual who is flexible with working hours to effectively meet the needs of the business.
Excellent relationship-building and stakeholder management skills.
Strong communication and presentation skills.
Strong leadership capability.
Highly organised, proactive, and results-driven.
Strong problem-solving and decision-making capability.
Ability to influence and negotiate at all levels within client, supplier, and internal organisations.
Collaborative approach across technical and non-technical teams.
Resilient and adaptable in a regulated, technical, and performance-driven environment.
Strong attention to detail and commitment to accurate project documentation.
Commercially aware, with the ability to balance delivery, cost, risk, client value, and business outcomes.
Commitment to quality, professionalism, innovation, and continuous improvement.
Display high standards of professional behaviour, consistent with company policies and values.
The role will involve national and international travel as required to meet the needs of the business, including travel to client sites, project locations, supplier facilities, innovation partners, and R&D project locations