Cost recovery project manager jobs in manchester
Project Development Manager - Southern England
Reference: SEP20250002
Location: Home based in the South of England with frequent travel required to RSPB reserves and other sites for meetings
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full Time, 37.5 hours per week
Salary: £43,095.00 - £46,264.00 Per Annum
Benefits: Pension Scheme, Life Assurance Scheme, 26 days' Annual Leave
Do you have the passion, skills, and experience to help develop and deliver complex nature conservation and infrastructure projects in the South of England? We’re looking for someone who is well-organised, solutions-focused, and can adapt their skills to the development and delivery of a diverse range of projects.
We have an exciting opportunity for a dynamic, skilled and passionate Project Development Manager to join our England Project Management team, working primarily in the South of England.
The England Project Management Team manage all sorts of projects, from species recovery at a landscape scale to infrastructure repairs and commercial developments. Each day as a Project Development Manager is different. You might find yourself chairing a project team meeting one day, visiting a construction site the next, and negotiating with contractors the day after that.
As a Project Development Manager, you will directly manage some of the most ambitious and complex projects within the RSPB. At the same time, you will work closely with the Operations Director and Area Managers in the Southern region to develop a pipeline of projects across the South, and make sure they’re being well-managed.
Our project teams include colleagues from a range of disciplines as well as external consultants and suppliers. You’ll need to be able to build relationships across internal and external stakeholders and motivate others to get things done to keep projects progressing smoothly.
Key activities will include:
- Develop and manage one or more complex projects at any one time. To include budget management, stakeholder management, risk management, contractor procurement and other tasks as required.
- Lead and motivate project teams to achieve project success by focusing on a common goal.
- Develop and oversee a pipeline of projects that contribute to delivery against strategic priorities, working with regional/country management teams.
- Provide support & advice to the regional /country management team to enable them to use the PMF effectively to deliver strategic priorities and successful projects (including ensuring project assurance is in place).
- Line management of more junior project management team members.
- Provide advice and support to colleagues on project management best practice, helping to build overall project management capability across England.
- Be an advocate for Cora, the RSPB’s on-line project management system.
- Undertake project reviews as commissioned by the management team/other stakeholders including other regions & countries to ensure lessons are learned, best practice shared, and capability increased.
Essential skills, knowledge and experience:
- Proven project management skills relating to planning and managing complex projects, managing risks/costs/time and leading multidisciplinary project teams.
- Ability to influence others, communicate effectively, build collaborative relationships and represent the organisation.
- Knowledge of project management methodologies and approaches, with the ability to support more junior colleagues in this area.
- Ability to work under pressure and adapt to changing circumstances.
- Demonstrable experience of developing and working in partnership to achieve shared outcomes.
- Ability to solve issues quickly, efficiently and creatively.
- Cost and budget management.
- Impressive time management and organisational skills.
- A tangible passion for the planet.
Desirable skills, knowledge and experience:
- Project or Programme Management Qualification (APMPMQ, Prince 2, MSP).
- Experience of relevant projects such as habitat creation/restoration, building renovations (particularly visitor facilities), multi-partner projects, community engagement.
- Line management experience.
Closing date: 23:59, Sun, 5th Oct 2025
We are looking to conduct interviews for this position from October 2025.
Interested?
If you would like to find out more, please click the apply button. You will be directed to our recruitment partner's website to complete your application for this position.
We are committed to developing an inclusive and diverse RSPB, in which everyone feels supported, valued, and able to be their full selves. To achieve our vision of creating a world richer in nature, we need more people, and more diverse people, on nature’s side. People of colour and disabled people are currently underrepresented across the environment, climate, sustainability, and conservation sector. If you identify as a person of colour and/or disabled, we are particularly interested in receiving your application.
The RSPB is an equal opportunities employer. This role is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.
This role is not eligible for UK Visa Sponsorship - the successful applicant will need to have a pre-existing Right to Work in the UK in order to be offered an employment contract.
As part of this application process you will be asked to provide a copy of your CV and complete an application form including evidence on how you meet the skills, knowledge, and experience listed above. Contact us to discuss any additional support you may need to complete your application.
No agencies please.
The RSPB brings people together – people like you – to protect the things that matter to us all.



Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
We are seeking an experienced fundraiser who can work with us on a part time, freelance basis (Sept/Oct 2025 - January 2026) for a fee of £16Kto produce and undertake the following specialist services:
- Research and produce a bespoke 18-month Fundraising Plan for the Trust, with a particular focus on Museums, collections, community engagement, conservation and organisational resilience.
- To start the delivery of the plan by undertaking specialist fundraising activities to trusts and foundations and to apply for opportunities that will help generate new incomes for the Trust and boost our ability to delivery our Business plan and Museum Developments. This will include a refreshed donations plan for our sites to come into action before Christmas.
- To advise and produce a business case for a long-term fundraising resource for the Trust.
Physical activity is vital to good health. So we need you to get Salford moving.
Salford CVS (Community and Voluntary Services) is the city-wide infrastructure service for the VCSE (Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise) sector. We support almost 1,000 VCSE groups and organisations in Salford, with 7,000 paid staff and 62,000 volunteers between them. With a 40-strong team of our own, we’ve been making a difference for local residents since 1919, and we have some exciting plans for the future. We’d like you to be part of them.
Leading an exciting new community engagement project, you will understand and break down barriers to physical activity and maximise provision to help residents become healthier and happier. To make this happen, we will look to you to design and deliver a far-reaching investment programme for VCSE organisations, so you can expect an extremely high profile. In particular, you will:
- Secure buy-in from diverse groups and stakeholders to make things happen.
- Bring together public bodies, investors and colleagues to secure and deploy funding.
- Manage the relationship with our core partner Salford Community Leisure.
- Constantly monitor and report on project activity.
- Find innovative ways to connect with hard-to-reach groups and increase their participation in physical activity.
- Effectively manage your time and oversee your own administration.
As you would expect, we require a confident and ambitious self-starter with:
- Experience of overseeing commissioned or grant-funded work, including reporting to partners.
- A track record of providing information to individuals and groups.
- Proven ability to conduct research, analyse data and gain clear insights.
- Outstanding interpersonal and stakeholder management skills.
- Demonstrable flair for multi-tasking and prioritising conflicting demands.
Finally, an understanding of the importance of physical activity would be very useful, as would some exposure to the voluntary, community or social enterprise sector.
In return, you can expect a comprehensive package of benefits including:
- Development opportunities
- 28 days’ holiday (rising to 30 days after five years)
- Pension scheme with 7% employer contribution
- Subsidised membership of the Hospital Saturday Fund, and much more.
Hours: Part-time, 18.75 hours per week.
Contract: Fixed term contract until March 2028.
Help us release the potential of the people of Salford and we will do the same for you, giving you the training and development to take your career to the next level.
To learn more and apply, visit our website.
Closing date: Noon on Monday 22 September 2025.
Interview date: Monday 29 September 2025.