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Senior Project Manager – Privileged Access Management Remediation

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Department
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Location
Bristol, York, Newcastle, Reading, Warrington
Openings
1 post
Grade
Grade 7
Salary
£56,375 to £62,830
Closing
25 days left
Profession
DDaT, Project & Programme Delivery
Contract
Permanent
Security clearance
BPSS
Working pattern
Flexible working, Full-time, Job share, Part-time
Apply on Civil Service Jobs

Job summary

Defra is the UK government department responsible for safeguarding our natural environment, supporting our world-leading food and farming industry, and sustaining a thriving rural economy. Our broad remit means we play a major role in people's day-to-day life, from the food we eat, and the air we breathe, to the water we drink.

Digital, Data, Technology and Security (DDTS) is the trusted team for digital across the entire Defra Group.

We have around 1000 colleagues across DDTS and our ambition is to make it easier and faster than ever for people to interact with Defra. If you are ready to drive innovation and push boundaries, we want to hear from you. Join us and together we will create a great place for living, and a green and healthy future for all.

Find out more about DDTS:

Defra digital, data and technology blog

LinkedIn

Defra Jobs

We are Government Digital and Data Candidate Information Pack V3 - 1

What they’re looking for

  • Responsibilities:
  • The proposed resource will operate in a Project Manager capacity, providing end to end accountability for delivery, managing interdependencies, proactively addressing risks and maintaining alignment across stakeholders and delivery teams. All of this forms part of continuous service lifecycle management within a complex, multi supplier environment.
  • To deliver success in this role the project manager will need to identify the dependencies across the existing supplier services and work across this complex environment, often with complicated relationships, challenging ownership externally as well as internally to define workable solutions whilst ensuring best value for Defra.
  • This role will deliver measurable outcomes including reduction of excessive and dormant privileged accounts, implementation of controlled and auditable privileged access processes, removal of unmanaged or insecure access pathways, and establishment of consistent governance over privileged identities across the estate
  • Delivery & Control:
  • Lead delivery of complex IT infrastructure projects across multi-supplier environments
  • Manage delivery to agreed tolerances, including formal exception and change control
  • Ensure robust planning, scheduling, and critical path management.
  • Governance & Reporting:
  • Establish and lead project governance in line with Defra and Project Delivery Profession standards
  • Produce high-quality highlight reports, RAID logs, and financial forecasts
  • Chair or support Project Boards and governance forums, ensuring clear decision making and escalation.
  • Risk, Issues & Dependencies:
  • Proactively manage risks and issues using structured approaches (cause → risk → impact → mitigation)
  • Identify and actively manage cross-project dependencies within the wider portfolio
  • Escalate risks early with clear mitigation strategies.
  • Commercial & Supplier Management:
  • Act as an intelligent client, managing multiple suppliers and delivery partners
  • Ensure alignment with contracts, Statements of Work, and change control processes
  • Manage commercial risks, including cost pressures and scope changes.
  • Service Transition & Operational Readiness:
  • Ensure effective transition of solutions into live service
  • Support operational readiness, service acceptance, and business continuity requirements
  • Deliver change into live, business-critical environments with minimal disruption
  • Stakeholder Engagement:
  • Build strong relationships with Domain Leads, Service Owners, Commercial teams, and suppliers
  • Maintain clear, consistent communication with stakeholders at all levels.
  • Leadership and Deputising:
  • Act as a deputy to the Portfolio Lead (G6) when required, ensuring continuity of delivery and decision-making
  • Provide oversight across multiple projects, supporting prioritisation, risk
  • Skills and experience:
  • CISSP Associate, NCSC Cyber Advisor, NCSC Cyber Essentials Assessor
  • 5+ years of experience delivering complex identity, AD, IAM and cybersecurity programmes
  • Experience delivering legacy AD remediation across multiple domains
  • Identity and Active Directory remediation expertise
  • Experience implementing IAM upgrades, JML lifecycle controls and secure identity architectures
  • Global senior delivery roles in Active Directory transformation, MFA, Microsoft 365 security and Zero Trust uplift
  • Proven leadership in multi-supplier delivery environments (Atos, Capgemini, Eviden, Microsoft)
  • Multi-supplier orchestration and contract variation
  • Strong technical grounding in AD, Kerberos, MFA, PIM, PAM, domain migrations and cloud security
  • Advanced knowledge of privileged access governance
  • Secure administrative access pathway design
  • Tier 0 / Tier 1 / Tier 2 operating model design
  • Kerberos lifecycle and trust management
  • Integration of identity controls with SOC, ITSM and monitoring tooling
  • Service transition, operational governance and BAU ownership
  • Extensive service transition, governance, risk management and stakeholder engagement experience
  • Prince2, APM, PMP or relevant project management qualification, or equivalent experience
  • Ability to obtain SC clearance and sensitive systems delivery history.
  • Dependant on the project you are assigned to you must already hold or be willing and eligible to apply for SC security clearance. SC security clearance requires 5 years UK residency immediately prior to application. For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the Demystifying Vetting website.
  • Selection process
  • The Civil Service marks each element of the selection process on a merit basis. You can visit the gov.uk website for further information on the Civil Service rating scale.
  • Ensure you have tailored your CV and Personal Statement to the 'skills and experience' section of the job advert by providing examples on how you are suitable for the role using the STAR method.
  • Please ensure you demonstrate clearly, within your personal statement, how you meet these requirements, as the information you provide will form a key part when the panel is scoring your application.
  • For further information on STAR, you can check out our Hints and Tips document.
  • Application process
  • As part of the application process, you will be assessed on your experience. This will be evaluated by looking at your CV and personal statement, so please provide the following and ensure your experience is clearly demonstrated:
  • A CV
  • A 750-word Personal Statement: Referring to the 'skills and experience' sections of the job advert, please demonstrate how you are suitable for the role by providing relevant examples.
  • Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
  • Sift
  • Sift will begin shortly after the advert closes.
  • Should there be a large number of applications, an initial sift will be conducted using your personal statement. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment or interview.
  • Interview
  • If successful at sift, you will be invited to an interview where you will be assessed on the Behaviours and Technical Skills listed below, as well as Experience.
  • As part of the recruitment process you will be required to do a presentation. Full details will be provided later within the process.
  • Sift and Interview dates are to be confirmed. Please note that these may be subject to change.
  • Interviews will be held virtually on Microsoft Teams.
  • For further information on Success Profiles, you can visit the links below and watch our videos on DefraJobs.
  • Behaviours
  • Experience
  • Technical Skills

Behaviours you’ll be assessed on

This advert says the panel will score you against these behaviours at Grade 7 level. Each one links to worked examples.

Job description

Join us as a Senior Project Manager – Shape the Future of Defra’s underpinning Technology!

We’re looking for someone who thrives on variety, enjoys solving complex problems, and wants to make a real difference in how people work across the Defra Group.

Our Digital, Data, Technology and Security (DDTS) function is at the heart of delivering smarter, more connected workplaces across the Defra Group.

We’re looking for a Senior Project Manager to join our dynamic GIO Delivery Portfolio Team and drive innovation in a fast-paced, high-profile portfolio.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

  • UK nationals
  • nationals of the Republic of Ireland
  • nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
  • nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
  • nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
  • individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
  • Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Selection process

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

For further information on the selection process for this role, please refer to the person specification section of the job advert.

Location

As part of the pre-employment process for this post, successful candidate(s) will be able to agree a contractual workplace from those locations listed in this advert. The agreed contractual workplace is then the substantive and permanent place of work for the successful candidate(s).

Where the location is ‘National’ the successful appointee should discuss and agree an appropriate contractual location in line with both Defra’s location policy and site capacity, prior to proceeding with pre-employment processes.

The agreed amount of time spent at a workplace for this post will reflect the requirement for Civil Servants to spend at least 60% of their working time in an organisation workplace with the option to work the remaining time flexibly from home. Working time spent at a workplace may include time spent at other organisational locations including field-based operational locations, together with supplier, customer or partner locations. This is a non-contractual agreement which is consistent with common Civil Service expectations.

Travel costs to non-contractual workplaces will be subject to departmental travel and subsistence policies. Travel costs to contractual workplaces are the responsibility of the employee.

The successful candidate is required to carry out all their duties from a UK location, and cannot do so from an overseas location at any time.

Defra includes the core department, APHA, RPA, Cefas and VMD.

Reserve list

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Near miss

Candidates who are judged to be a near miss at interview may be considered for other positions in Defra which may be at a lower grade, but have a potential skills match.

Merit Lists

Where more than one location is advertised, candidates will be posted in merit order by location. You will be asked to state your location preference on your application.

Salary

New entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band. The internal roles rules apply to existing Civil Servants, i.e. level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest.

Childcare Vouchers

Any move to Defra from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website.

Reasonable adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

Contact Government Recruitment Service via defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

Accessibility

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'contact point for applicants' section.

Visa Sponsorship Statement

Please take note that Defra does not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker License sponsor and are unable to sponsor any individuals for Skilled Worker Sponsorship.

Criminal Record Check

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

Internal Fraud Database Check

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

Feedback

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Practise before you apply

Civil Service panels score every answer against the Success Profiles behaviours at Grade 7 level. Practise STAR answers and get them marked against the same framework.

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