An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced Business Support Manager to join a leading UK higher education institution during a significant period of transformation and organisational change.

This interim appointment will play a pivotal role in delivering Phase Two of a major Business Services Review and Restructure within the Estates & Facilities function. Working closely with the Office Manager and senior stakeholders, the successful candidate will help embed new ways of working, strengthen operational frameworks, and support the successful transition to a newly designed operating model.

This role would suit a proactive and highly organised professional with experience supporting business transformation programmes, implementing process improvements, and driving cultural change within complex organisations.

Key Responsibilities

• Support the implementation of the Business Services Review and Restructure, ensuring a smooth transition to new organisational structures, processes and ways of working.
• Develop and embed resource planning frameworks that enable effective allocation of business support services and improve operational efficiency.
• Establish networking and collaborative working arrangements that encourage consistency, knowledge sharing and cross-functional engagement.
• Undertake a review of current skills, capabilities and development requirements across the team, identifying gaps and future needs.
• Design and implement training and development plans to support capability building and successful adoption of new processes.
• Identify, recommend and implement opportunities for process improvement, with particular emphasis on digital solutions.
• Coordinate reporting activities ensuring accurate, timely and meaningful management information is available to key stakeholders.
• Develop and strengthen governance processes, decision-making frameworks and performance monitoring arrangements.
• Lead the provision of effective secretariat support, including meeting management, action tracking, reporting and governance administration.
• Create and deliver communication and engagement plans that support change initiatives and ensure stakeholders remain informed throughout the transformation process.
• Build positive relationships across the organisation, influencing and engaging stakeholders at all levels.
• Champion a collaborative “One Team” culture, promoting continuous improvement, innovation and a customer-focused approach to service delivery.

Candidate Profile

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• Proven experience supporting business transformation, organisational change or restructuring programmes.
• Strong operational management and business support expertise within a complex organisational environment.
• Experience developing governance frameworks, business processes and performance reporting mechanisms.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build credibility and influence across a diverse range of teams.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with a focus on delivering practical and sustainable improvements.
• Experience reviewing team structures, workforce planning or capability development initiatives.
• A track record of driving continuous improvement and embedding new ways of working.
• Strong knowledge of Microsoft 365 applications, with experience leveraging technology to enhance efficiency and collaboration.
• Excellent communication, organisational and project coordination skills.
• The ability to work independently, manage multiple priorities and deliver results within a fast-paced transformation environment.

Why Apply?

This is a unique opportunity to make a tangible impact within a large and complex organisation undergoing significant change. The role offers the chance to influence strategic transformation initiatives, enhance business support services, and help shape a more efficient, collaborative and future-focused operating model.

The University of Southampton is seeking to appoint a Senior Project Manager within its Estates Development team.

The University of Southampton is a leading UK institution and a founding member of the Russell Group, recognised globally for the quality of its education, research and wider societal impact. With a large and diverse international community spanning multiple campuses, the University combines academic excellence with a vibrant, well‑established environment. Consistently ranked among the world’s leading universities, Southampton delivers education at scale while maintaining a strong focus on student experience, engagement and outcomes.

The University has a diverse estate, property and land portfolio spanning several campuses, including the main Highfield Campus, the City Centre Campus, Avenue Campus, the Boldrewood Innovation Campus, and the Winchester School of Art. The Estates & Facilities team ensures that the University’s built environment supports the activities of a world‑class institution, across a portfolio of academic, state‑of‑the‑art research, clinical, enterprise, workspace, residential, social, sporting and community facilities. Ambitious plans are underway, with a long‑term estates masterplan set to deliver c.£1bn of investment in a more sustainable and inclusive estate over the next decade.

Following the successful expansion of the Estate Development team in 2024 and 2025, the University is now entering the next phase of its growth, with the recruitment of additional Senior Project Managers and Project Managers.

Reporting to the Associate Directors of Estate Development, the Senior Project Manager role offers an excellent client‑side opportunity to lead and manage a diverse portfolio of refurbishment and new build projects, typically ranging from £1m to £30m, with the opportunity to support the delivery of major schemes up to £100m+. You will be responsible for overseeing projects from inception through design, construction and mobilisation, ensuring that programme, cost, quality and sustainability objectives are met.

The successful candidate will demonstrate a proven track record in the development and delivery of capital projects within complex physical and stakeholder environments. You will bring excellent communication skills, a collaborative and inclusive approach to stakeholder engagement, and a genuine commitment to delivering a high‑quality, future‑ready estate.

For further information about the role and application process, you can view the candidate brochure here: Senior Project Manager

To arrange a confidential discussion please contact the University’s retained advisors Charley McCarthy (charley.mccarthy@mrgglobal.com) or Nick Coppard (nicholas.coppard@mrgglobal.com) at MRG. 

The University of Southampton is committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion. We believe that we can only truly meet our objectives if we are reflective of society, so we are passionate about creating a diverse environment. Therefore, we particularly encourage applications that will continue to strengthen the diversity of our governing body. We are a Stonewall Diversity Champion and are immensely proud to have been awarded an institutional Athena SWAN silver award, which underpins our pledge to improve equality for women. We are also delighted to have received the Race Equality Charter bronze award from Advance HE, which recognises that we have a solid foundation for eliminating racial inequalities and developing an inclusive culture that values all staff and students. We work with our people to ensure their ideas are always heard, and we invite you to share your background and life experiences with us to help us create a truly unique working environment.

Join us and make your mark on the world at the University of Southampton: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_RC-ukjqhA 

The University of Southampton is seeking to appoint a Project Manager within its Estates Development team.

The University of Southampton is a leading UK institution and a founding member of the Russell Group, recognised globally for the quality of its education, research and wider societal impact. With a large and diverse international community spanning multiple campuses, the University combines academic excellence with a vibrant, well‑established environment. Consistently ranked among the world’s leading universities, Southampton delivers education at scale while maintaining a strong focus on student experience, engagement and outcomes.

The University has a diverse estate, property and land portfolio spanning several campuses, including the main Highfield Campus, the City Centre Campus, Avenue Campus, the Boldrewood Innovation Campus, and the Winchester School of Art. The Estates & Facilities team ensures that the University’s built environment supports the activities of a world‑class institution, across a portfolio of academic, state‑of‑the‑art research, clinical, enterprise, workspace, residential, social, sporting and community facilities. Ambitious plans are underway, with a long‑term estates masterplan set to deliver c.£1bn of investment in a more sustainable and inclusive estate over the next decade.

Following the successful campaign to build the Estate Development team in 2024 and 2025, we are now entering the next phase of the team build with the recruitment of Senior Project Managers and Project Managers. 

The Project Manager role offers an excellent career development opportunity in a client‑side environment, working on a diverse range of estates projects typically valued between £250k and £10m. You will oversee projects from inception through to design, construction and mobilisation, ensuring that programme, cost, quality and sustainability objectives are successfully delivered. There will also be opportunities to support Senior Project Managers and Associate Directors in the delivery of major projects valued between £10m and £100m+.

Candidates will bring relevant industry experience in project management, construction, architecture, building surveying or engineering, with a track record in the delivery of capital projects. You will have demonstrable knowledge of construction contract forms and experience of managing projects through the RIBA stages. Strong communication skills, a collaborative and inclusive approach to stakeholder engagement, and a genuine commitment to delivering an outstanding estate environment will be essential.

For further information about the role and application process, you can view the candidate brochure here: Project Manager

To arrange a confidential discussion please contact the University’s retained advisors Charley McCarthy (charley.mccarthy@mrgglobal.com) or Nick Coppard (nicholas.coppard@mrgglobal.com) at MRG. 

The University of Southampton is committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion. We believe that we can only truly meet our objectives if we are reflective of society, so we are passionate about creating a diverse environment. Therefore, we particularly encourage applications that will continue to strengthen the diversity of our governing body. We are a Stonewall Diversity Champion and are immensely proud to have been awarded an institutional Athena SWAN silver award, which underpins our pledge to improve equality for women. We are also delighted to have received the Race Equality Charter bronze award from Advance HE, which recognises that we have a solid foundation for eliminating racial inequalities and developing an inclusive culture that values all staff and students. We work with our people to ensure their ideas are always heard, and we invite you to share your background and life experiences with us to help us create a truly unique working environment.

Join us and make your mark on the world at the University of Southampton: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_RC-ukjqhA