Senior Project Manager - Estates Relocation & Decant

Major Local Authority Transformation Programme
East London | £650-£700 per day Inside IR35
Hybrid Working - Minimum 2-3 Days Onsite
Initial 3 months but strong likelihood of extension

A London local authority is embarking on a significant programme to reshape its property estate, improve the way its workforce operates and ensure its buildings are being used effectively to support frontline services.

An important part of this transformation involves relocating teams and services from existing properties, consolidating accommodation and releasing buildings for alternative use. Delivering this successfully will require more than traditional estates project management. It will involve understanding how council services operate, managing the practical challenges of moving people and ensuring essential services continue throughout the transition.

We are looking for an experienced Senior Project Manager who has personally delivered complex relocation and decant programmes and can take ownership of the planning, stakeholder engagement and practical delivery needed to make this happen.

The Role

You will lead the planning and delivery of staff and service relocations across council properties, working closely with operational teams, Property, HR, IT and senior stakeholders.
This will involve:

• Developing and delivering complex decant and relocation plans, including identifying alternative accommodation and ensuring operational continuity.
• Understanding how existing services operate, their workforce requirements and the implications of moving teams between locations.
• Working with service leaders to develop practical solutions that balance accommodation constraints, workforce needs and service delivery.
• Producing detailed project plans, options appraisals and business cases to secure agreement and support implementation.
• Managing sensitive stakeholder relationships and securing buy-in to changes in working locations and arrangements.
• Coordinating property, facilities, technology and operational teams to ensure new locations are ready for occupation.
• Driving delivery against challenging timescales, identifying risks, resolving issues and maintaining momentum.

About You

Candidates must be able to demonstrate the following experience

• Significant experience personally delivering complex office relocations, decant programmes or estates-related operational transformation.
• Strong local government experience, ideally involving Children's Services or other frontline council services.
• Experience managing the practical implications of workforce relocation, including business continuity, stakeholder engagement and changes to working arrangements.
• The ability to develop robust business cases and translate strategic objectives into achievable delivery plans.
• A pragmatic, solution-focused approach and a willingness to take ownership of delivery rather than simply oversee it.
• Confidence working across multiple sites and engaging directly with the people and services affected by change.

This is an opportunity to play a hands-on role in a significant transformation programme, delivering tangible changes to how a major public sector organisation uses its estate and supports its workforce.

Candidates must be able to commit to a minimum of two-three days per week onsite in East London.