Project Manager

London (hybrid) |12 Month FTC |

Are you the type of project manager who embraces complexity instead of avoiding it? Do you enjoy transforming a messy, ambitious idea into a tangible solution that genuinely impacts how people work and affects the environment?

About CIWEM

CIWEM is the leading professional body dedicated to improving the management of water and the environment. We support over 10,000 members across the UK and internationally, championing sustainable solutions to some of society's most pressing environmental challenges, including climate resilience, water security, flooding, pollution and the transition to a more sustainable future.

As a Royal Chartered body, we work with government, industry, academia and communities to advance professional standards, influence policy and support environmental leadership.

The role is end-to-end project delivery on work that translates evidence and policy thinking into practical outputs: guidance, training, toolkits, reports and the kinds of products that get used in the real world. No two projects look quite the same, and the pace is set by the work, not by bureaucracy.

What you will actually be doing;

You will own projects from initiation through to close-out. That means setting clear scope, running the plan, holding the budget, managing the risks and keeping a varied cast of stakeholders moving in the same direction. The technical experts sit around you, not under you, so you do not need to be the deepest specialist in the room. You do need to ask the right questions, know when something is drifting, and have the credibility to pull it back.

Lead delivery on projects involving external consultants, advisory groups, funders and internal colleagues.
Set up proportionate controls: project plans, budget trackers, risk logs, engagement plans. Enough to assure delivery without strangling it.
Run governance: agendas, minutes, progress updates, sign-offs. Keep decisions documented and momentum visible.
Quality-assure outputs from technical specialists by asking sharp questions and bringing the right people in at the right time.
Manage funder relationships once projects are live, including reporting, claims and the audit trail.
Help shape new opportunities and contribute to proposals as you grow into the role. This is a delivery role first; the commercial side develops over time and with support.

Who we are looking for

We are interested in people from a range of backgrounds: consultancy, charity or not-for-profit delivery, policy or programme management, professional services. What matters more than the badge on your CV is how you work.

Solid project management foundations: scoping, planning, budgeting, risk and issue management, clear reporting.
A confident, clear communicator. Strong writing for stakeholder-facing outputs. Comfortable holding your own with senior people inside and outside the organisation.
Genuinely organised. Able to run several things at once and decide what matters this week without being told.
Comfortable with technical content and able to translate it into accessible material for different audiences.
Resilient. Projects wobble, funders change their minds, contractors miss deadlines. You handle it without losing the plot.