The Role

Capital Projects team in Bristol is seeking a Project Manager to support the delivery of Unite Students` Capital Investment Plan, focused on developing, upgrading, and maintaining estate infrastructure to support long-term growth, sustainability, and operational needs.

The role is responsible for end-to-end project management across the capital programme, ensuring schemes are delivered on time, within budget, and in line with quality, compliance, and regulatory requirements. This includes leading early-stage risk assessment and due diligence, defining project scope, managing design development, securing planning approvals, and overseeing tendering and contractor appointment.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead delivery of complex capital projects across a diverse portfolio, including refurbishments, asset upgrades, faade works, safety-led improvements, and ESG initiatives
• Take ownership of projects through RIBA Stages 2-7, supporting early-stage development where required
• Manage projects in live operational environments, ensuring health & safety, quality, programme, and cost are never compromised
• Develop clear project scopes from brief through to delivery, ensuring full compliance with legislation, planning requirements, and the Building Safety Act
• Lead and coordinate external consultant teams, driving collaboration and high-performance delivery outcomes
• Provide strategic technical input into design development, ensuring efficient, buildable, and cost-effective solutions
• Identify, assess, and manage project risks across design, programme, and commercial elements
• Oversee planning and BSR Gateway submissions, ensuring approvals are secured and effectively tracked
• Deliver accurate, high-quality reporting and updates across all project stages for key stakeholders
• Work closely with Procurement and Commercial teams to support successful tendering, contract execution, and supplier engagement
• Maintain strong stakeholder relationships through clear communication, regular updates, and proactive engagement

Leadership & Professional Impact

• Lead by example with a proactive, solutions-focused mindset and strong ownership of delivery outcomes
• Motivate and coordinate both internal and external project teams to achieve successful project delivery
• Act as a role model for company values, contributing to a collaborative and high-performance culture
• Contribute to continuous improvement through development of standard processes, templates, and best practices for consultant and project delivery
• Engage actively in team planning, risk discussions, and business strategy development.

What You`ll Bring

• Proven experience delivering major construction or capital projects from inception to completion
• Strong background in managing external consultants, procurement processes, and contract documentation
• Confident stakeholder manager with strong communication, negotiation, and influencing skills
• Experience working in fast-paced, high-change environments with multiple concurrent priorities
• Strong understanding of planning processes, compliance frameworks, and Building Safety Act requirements
• Ability to operate with accuracy, pace, and strong attention to detail under pressure
• Self-motivated, adaptable, and comfortable taking ownership of complex delivery challenges
• Desirable: experience in refurbishment, faade/cladding projects, student accommodation, and large-scale live environment delivery

What You`ll Get in Return

• A discretionary annual bonus so you can share in the company`s success
• 25 days` paid holiday and an annual holiday buying scheme, with 5 additional days awarded for long service
• A generous pension scheme - employer contributions between 5% and 11% depending on how much you save
• Various benefits to support your health and wellbeing including a Healthcare Cash Plan, an Employee Assistance Programme, a Wellbeing platform and a Gym benefit that you can share with your family and friends
• Enhanced Family Leave including 18 weeks full pay for birthing parents and 4 weeks for non-birthing parents
• Lots of other great benefits including an annual ShareSave scheme, Employee Life Assurance, a discounts portal and more!

About Unite Students

Founded in 1991, Unite Students is a FTSE 100 business and the UK`s leading provider of purpose-built student accommodation. You can find us in 25 leading university towns and cities, with 74,000 students calling US home! We are driven by our values, culture, and a commitment to develop diverse and inclusive teams, filled with positive energy and new ideas.

Instinctive inclusion. We know that to create and maintain a happy healthy organisation, we have to work hard to ensure inclusion isn`t just what we do but who we are.

People make Unite Students. Employees, students and neighbours all contribute to building environments where we can all thrive.

Room for Everyone

We`re proud to be an employer that embraces individuality, and we`re passionate about building inclusive teams. We focus on creating a collaborative culture where you can be you, where your voice is heard, and where you can truly belong. We take great pride in being rated Gold Investors in People and are constantly striving to provide the highest standard of learning and development opportunities and professional pathways for our people. Building a home for success, for both our employees and students, requires exceptional people with a passion for creating room for everyone, doing what`s right, keeping US safe, and raising the bar. Join us as we build better experiences for students that live with us.

We are US.