Principal Project Manager

• Location: Woodhatch Place, 11 Cockshot Hill, Woodhatch, Reigate, RH2 8EF

We are committed to the development of our workforce. This position is only available to applicants who already work for Surrey County Council.We thank you for your interest in our roles and would encourage you to review our vacancies which are open to all.

The starting salary for this position is £53,713 per annum based on a 36 hour working week.

We have an exciting strategic and professional opportunity for two full-timePrincipal Project Managers to join our fantastic Capital Projects Team. You will be joining a team that values professional development and supports a commercial and agile approach to its diverse portfolio.

This role is open to hybrid working and as a team we split our time between working from home and collaborating together in the office. The team operates from our Woodhatch office in Reigate, but staff will be expected to work in a flexible way to meet the needs of our customers and work demands, using agile working methods that allow business to be conducted from multiple locations.

Our Offer to You

• 26 days' holiday, rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 31 days after 5 years' service
• Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
• A generous local government salary related pension
• Up to 5 days of carer's leave and 2 paid volunteering days per year
• Paternity, adoption and dependents leave
• An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
• Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources
• Wellbeing and lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, and shopping
• A chance to make a real difference to the lives of our residents

About The Role

Surrey County Council is on a mission to transform our operational estate to better serve our residents, ensuring that 'no one is left behind'. Our commitment to the health and wellbeing of our environment and communities is at the heart of everything we do.

Our Capital Projects Team is looking for enthusiastic and motivated individuals who have senior project management or project delivery experience to join our highly professional team and who wish to support the delivery of an established and rewarding programme of Capital Projects.

We are a dynamic and dedicated organisation, fully invested in transformation and improvement. Our teams thrive in a fast paced environment, collaborating to lead, advise, and deliver meaningful change.

This strategic delivery role involves working on local, regional, and national projects as part of a multi disciplinary, cross functional team.

As a Principal Project Manager within our Capital Projects team, you will:

• Manage and deliver a wide range of projects from inception to completion on behalf of our service department clients and stakeholders. Our project list is currently over one hundred projects which includes: Corporate, SBN and SEND school provisions, public service buildings and support for our most vulnerable residents.
• Report into our Contracts Manager and collaborate with external professional advisors and internal departments such as the Estates, Procurement and Legal teams, and alongside the Corporate Landlord and Investment teams.
• Deliver high standard, efficient, cost saving projects, which meet the organisation's strategic objectives, operational plans, improve the experience of the users and support the lives of our residents.
• Carry out regular site visits from both a technical and health and safety perspective.

This is a career enhancing role where you'll gain access to a diverse portfolio of projects, each offering unique challenges and opportunities, which will compliment your existing experience. If you have the leadership, confidence and expertise to help Surrey deliver these projects and realise our ambition, we would love to hear from you.

Your Application

In order to be considered for shortlisting, your application will clearly evidence the following skills and align with our behaviours:

• Degree level qualification (or equivalent substantial experience) in construction, project management or a built environment discipline, with professional accreditation (RICS, APM, CIOB) or working towards it.
• Proven experience delivering large, complex, multi phased construction projects (typically £10m+), including full project lifecycle responsibility and successful client handovers.
• Strong financial and programme management skills, including budget reporting and working within governance frameworks.
• Significant knowledge and practical experience of construction contracts, particularly JCT, and managing RIBA stages, reports, and decision gateways.
• Experience briefing, directing, and managing multidisciplinary and specialist consultants throughout project delivery.
• Health & Safety competence, supported by relevant training, alongside demonstrable experience contributing to or delivering lasting social value outcomes.

To apply, we request that you submit a CV and you will be asked the following 4 questions:

• Please describe a building project you have managed. What were the project's objectives, and how did you ensure its successful delivery? (200 words max)
• Please provide an example of a time when you supported a diverse, multidisciplinary team to achieve a challenging goal. What strategies did you use to ensure effective collaboration and successful outcomes? (200 words max)
• Please discuss a situation where you built strong relationships with stakeholders to enhance service delivery. How did these relationships contribute to the project's success? (200 words max)
• Please describe where you have employed your knowledge of Health and Safety Law, either on site or during the design phases, and what the associated outcomes were. (200 words max)

This advert will close at 23:59 on Friday 27th February, with interviews to follow shortly after.

Before submitting your application, we recommend you read the job description and Our Life at Surrey Handbook to get an insight into working at Surrey.

We look forward to receiving your application, please click on the apply online button below to submit.

Local Government Reorganisation (LGR)

Surrey County Council is undergoing Local Government Reorganisation, moving from a two tier system to two new unitary councils in April 2027. If you are employed by Surrey on 1st April 2027, your role will transfer with current terms and conditions to one of the new organisations, supporting local devolution and greater powers for our communities.

We are a disability confident employer which means if you have shared a disability on your application form and have evidenced you meet the minimum criteria, we guarantee you an interview.

Your skills and experience truly matter to us. From application to your first day, we're committed to supporting you with any adjustments you need, we value inclusion and warmly welcome you to join and help build a workplace where everyone belongs.