MDC Infra Performance Manager

Job summary

GPA

The Government Property Agency is the largest property holder in government, with more than £2.1 billion in property assets and over 55% of the government’s office estate.

We are transforming the way the Civil Service works by creating great places to work, leading the largest commercial office programme in the UK, working towards halving carbon emissions from government offices, and achieving greater value for taxpayers. And we are looking for innovative, solutions-focused people to join our team.

Representing the best covenant in the UK – His Majesty’s Government – we are leading significant transformational programmes. We are also delivering cost-effective property services such as asset management, lifecycle replacement and workplace services.

Innovation and progress underpin our behaviours. We foster a culture of lifelong learning, where curiosity and self-improvement are encouraged. Our four core values are at the heart of everything we do. They shape our culture and guide how we work, lead and grow together:

• Striving for excellence - We always aim to deliver great results
• Empowering through respect - We insist on fair treatment for all, always
• Acting with integrity - We consistently do the right thing
• Succeeding together - We rely on each other to achieve success

The GPA is committed to representing the communities we serve by making Diversity, Equality and Inclusion part of everything we do.

To ensure that we are always recruiting and retaining a diverse mix of talent, we are particularly inviting applications from candidates who are disabled, ethnically or gender diverse, and people who identify as being part of the LGBTQ+ community.

Join our dynamic and diverse team that leads with purpose, improving sustainability, nurturing social value, driving inclusivity and flexibility, and kickstarting economic growth.

We are driven by purpose, and you can be part of it too: where you make a meaningful impact; where you influence; where your voice really matters; where you help to shape our future direction.

Our strong emphasis on EDI is not just about driving inclusion across our organisation, it is also about ensuring our services meet the needs of government departments and the civil servants who use our spaces.

Job description

Manchester Digital Campus (MDC) is part of the Government’s Major Projects Portfolio (GMPP), and is an exciting transformation across multiple Government departments, with significant ministerial, public, industrial and media interest.

A central Manchester brownfield development site will become the vibrant workplace for well over 8,000 people (including ministers) from the digitally focused departments. The new, bespoke buildings will be designed to support the transformation objectives, collaborative working across government and with industry, academia and the community. MDC will strengthen HMG’s skills, innovation and enable multi-department careers, whilst learning from and contributing to the exciting digital/AI sector in Manchester and the North West. It will directly support economic growth, skills, Civil Service reform (PAS) and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. It is an exciting vision!

MDC is overseen by its policy sponsors (including Places for Growth and Government Digital/Data – in Cabinet Office and DSIT), together with the Departmental Partners transforming to use the new site. Having completed our Outline Business Case approval, and approaching our RIBA3 milestone (design complete), we are expanding the dedicated MDC team to match the growing workload. The MDC team is multi-disciplinary, matrix-managed from the GPA Directorates, and wider Government, but all dedicated to and passionate about our amazing programme. We pride ourselves on our inclusivity, curiosity to explore and solve problems, our openness to challenge and our commitment to delivering what's needed for the Civil Service’s future. MDC is GPA’s biggest delivery programme yet.

Specific security requirements have been set for MDC, and will be discussed with you during the recruitment process. Some posts require Developed Vetting before a candidate can start.

The MDC team are all expected to have a significant presence in Manchester (averaging at least 2-days a week). Regular travel is expected to attend GPA offices, and partner locations, especially London and occasionally Birmingham. The role involves hybrid working with an expectation of office/meeting attendance on three days a week or more as the project demands.

All MDC roles are being offered on a choice of permanent or initial 2-year loan basis to allow you to retain an initial link with your home department if preferable. The programme completes in 2032.

If you are interested at all in this role, but have a question, do please reach out.

GPA is seeking a high calibre and experienced Performance Manager for Manchester Digital Campus (MDC) Infrastructure (Infra) team, which is a large and complex project with elements of high security. This is a high-profile role with considerable delegated authority and accountability, supported by the MDC Infra Programme Manager. The MDC Infra Performance Manager is a key member of the management team responsible for ensuring optimum performance, quality assurance, good governance, and managing and reporting performance against the project’s time, budget and scope/quality metrics. They will establish a framework of authority, accountability and effective performance, and through illustrative dashboards, show performance against the approved baseline. This should ensure compliance with GMPP and GPA’s regulatory standards throughout the project's life-cycle. They will support the MDC Infra workstreams: Development, Procurement, Design, Security, Construction and Management, ensuring they are performing as a unit to achieve the MDC business and operational benefits. They will undertake continuous evaluation of suppliers and contractors’ performance against their contracts. This will include:

Performance:

• Establish clear, measurable KPIs and payments milestones.
• Oversee contractor performance using data to illustrate performance dashboards.
• Work with the Employer’s Agent to ensure all supplier deliverables adhere to the contract, achieve project milestones and regulatory standards, and deliver the clients’ requirements.
• Track the overall health of the project using quantitative and qualitative data from cost reporting, project reports and risk registers.
• Champion continuous improvement through collaborative planning, proactive management, and tracking and measuring deliverables.
• Identify delivery and operational blockers through root-cause analysis, and facilitate problem-solving workshops with the MDC Infra workstreams and suppliers.
• Act as an interface between the MDC Infra team, the clients and suppliers to build delivery confidence and manage expectations.

Governance:

• Manage the MDC Infra Exec, Infra Steering Group, Infra working groups and other meetings to support delivery and ensure good governance.
• Ensure MDC Infra supports MDC Programme governance activities in a planned, controlled and proportionate manner.
• Ensure MDC Infra workstreams and suppliers meet the time, cost and scope/quality in the MDC OBC, or any subsequent approved re-baseline.
• Ensure the MDC OBC business and operational benefits are realised.
• Ensure MDC Infra remains coherent with the MDC Programme governance framework.
• Support MDC Infra workstreams to manage and mitigate project risks.
• Ensure MDC Infra follows GPA standards and delivery best practice.

Assurance:

• Support planning, scheduling and management of assurance activities across MDC Infra at the major design stages and delivery milestones.
• Ensure assurance actions and recommendations are understood and accepted by the MDC Infra workstreams, and completed on time.
• Report the outcomes of MDC Infra assurance reviews to stakeholders, clients and GPA governance.
• Assure and challenge the MDC Infra workstreams’ understanding and adherence to GPA’s policy and processes.
• Provide help and guidance to the MDC Infra team on their personal and professional development.
• Collect and share lessons learned from MDC and other GPA projects.

As part of the leadership team the successful candidate will help create the culture for everyone to thrive in a matrixed, multi-disciplinary team. The MDC ways of working have been set out as:

• SRO and programme deliver for the whole system, part of all the departments involved;
• Collective, transparent delivery;
• Maximise HMG and UK Benefit;
• Digital and innovative by default;
• Psychological safety in all we do; and
• Robust, proportionate foundations.

Person specification

We are looking for a self-starter with a passion for assuring performance in construction who combines operational execution with strategic, data-driven foresight, and a focus on continuous improvement. The successful candidate will be a champion for data analysis, risk mitigation, delivery efficiency and compliance with safety and security throughout the project’s life-cycle.

Please be advised that the successful candidate for this role may be required to undergo Developed Vetting (DV) security clearance. By applying for this position, you agree to undergo this check should it be necessary.

Experience & Technical Skills

Essential criteria:

• Qualification in construction management, civil engineering, quantity surveying, or a related field.
• PPM skills - either APM/PPM qualification or demonstrable experience in a project management role.
• Recent, extensive and verifiable experience in client-side representation, commercial management, or project management within the large-scale construction or infrastructure sector.
• Well-developed negotiation, analytical problem-solving, financial forecasting, and a good understanding of construction contracts (e.g., NEC4, JCT TCC24).
• Management of financial information and analysis of data.
• Highly IT literate with a methodical approach to process and an aptitude for accuracy and attention to detail.

Desirable criteria:

• Qualified project or property professional (or working towards).
• Experience of having established and managed boards, drafted terms of reference, designed reporting and dashboard processes.
• Experience of working in or with the public sector property or construction/engineering project.
• Demonstrable experience supporting delivery of property projects.
• Experience working in multidisciplinary teams.
• Experience of project delivery.

Qualifications and Accreditations

The successful candidate will hold:

• A professional qualification in project or property - FAPM, ChPP, MRICS or MCIOB.Hold or be working towards one.
• A bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, construction management, quantity surveying, or a related field.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Managing a Quality Service
• Changing and Improving
• Delivering at Pace

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Customer Perspective
• Commercial Acumen
• Property Market Knowledge
• Innovation

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £58,478, Government Property Agency contributes £16,941 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

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

We encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the communities and wider society that we serve. We pride ourselves on being an employer of choice. We champion diversity, inclusion and well-being and aim to create a sense of belonging in a workplace where everyone feels valued. The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service D&I Strategy.

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme (RIS) to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).

Please note - At this time GPA are unable to offer any Visa Sponsorship to candidates as we do not currently hold a visa sponsorship licence. Please do not apply for permanent roles with GPA if you will require your employer to take on the sponsorship of your current or any future visas.

Sift

The sift is due to take place week commencing 7th September 2026.

As part of the application process, you will be asked to include a CV and a 500-word personal statement.

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

The personal statement should align with the person specification.

Interview

GPA policy is for interviews to be held face to face, with virtual interviews only by absolute exception. The date and location will be confirmed if you are invited to interview. If you feel this will be a problem for you, please contact recruitment@gpa.gov.uk to discuss prior to submitting your application.

At interview, applicants will be scored against 3 behaviours - Managing a Quality Service, Changing and improving and Delivering at Pace.

Interview questions will be a blend of Behaviour, Experience, Strength and Technical (core skill) questions.

Further Information

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

Any move to GPA 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.

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.

Existing Civil Servants and applicants from accredited NDPBs are eligible to apply, but will only be considered on loan basis (Civil Servants) or secondment (accredited NDPBs). Prior agreement to be released on a loan basis must be obtained before commencing the application process. In the case of Civil Servants, the terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant. This includes grade on return.

This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.

Please note: in addition to the standard pre-employment checks for appointment into the Civil Service, all candidates must also obtain National Security Vetting at Security Check (SC) clearance level for this vacancy. You will normally need to meet the minimum UK residency period as determined by the level of vetting being undertaken, which for SC is 5 years UK residency prior to your vetting application. If you have any questions about this residency requirement, please speak to the vacancy holder for this post.

Please be advised that the successful candidate for this role may be required to undergo Developed Vetting (DV) security clearance. By applying for this position, you agree to undergo this check should it be necessary.

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the Demystifying Vetting website.

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

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 gparecruitment.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 an interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

Feedback

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

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)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Gordon Shipley
• Email : gordon.shipley@gpa.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : gparecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Further information

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact HR@gpa.gov.uk
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission:
Click here to visit Civil Service Commission

Attachments

GPA Skills and Specialisms (5) Opens in new window (pdf, 259kB)