Confidential Board-Level Appointment

Location: Manchester / Liverpool, with leadership responsibility across both offices

Package: Circa £90,000–£120,000 + £10,000 car allowance + bonus + benefits, with the opportunity to participate in the company growth equity plan

The Opportunity

Vertical Recruitment is working exclusively on a confidential basis with an established construction consultancy to appoint a Director of Project Management to lead its real estate PM function across Manchester and Liverpool.

This is a board-level role combining business leadership, client development and oversight of project delivery. You will shape the direction of the function, support and develop the teams across both offices, and take responsibility for its commercial performance and continued growth.

The business works across public and private sectors, with particular strengths in regeneration, residential development, commercial property and healthcare. Its work brings together developers, investors, public sector bodies and multidisciplinary teams to deliver projects and programmes with lasting economic and social value.

The Role

As Director of Project Management, you will lead an established service offering while identifying opportunities to strengthen its market position, deepen client relationships and secure new work.

You will provide visible leadership across both offices, bringing teams together around shared standards and objectives. Alongside your strategic responsibilities, you will remain closely involved with key clients and provide senior oversight of complex projects and programmes.

As a member of the board, you will contribute to wider business strategy, investment decisions and growth planning, ensuring the real estate PM function plays a central role in the consultancy’s future.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership and strategy

• Set and deliver the strategy for the real estate project management function across Manchester and Liverpool.
• Contribute to board discussions and decisions on business performance, growth and future direction.
• Lead, mentor and develop the teams, supporting career progression, succession planning and recruitment.
• Build strong collaboration across offices and complementary consultancy services.

Client relationships and business development

• Take senior ownership of key client relationships, maintaining trust and identifying opportunities for further work.
• Develop new relationships across public and private sectors, drawing on your market knowledge and professional network.
• Lead major bids, fee proposals and presentations, securing work that supports sustainable, profitable growth.
• Represent the business within the North West property and development market.

Commercial and operational performance

• Take responsibility for the function’s financial performance, including revenue, profitability, forecasting and resource planning.
• Oversee appointments, fee agreements and project resourcing, ensuring commercial risks are understood and managed.
• Monitor workload and pipeline across both offices, aligning team capacity with client commitments and growth plans.
• Maintain consistent standards of service, governance and reporting.

Project and programme oversight

• Provide senior leadership across a portfolio of real estate projects and development programmes.
• Support teams and clients through project inception, briefing, procurement, delivery and completion.
• Oversee programme, budget, quality and risk, intervening where senior support or decisions are required.
• Guide complex stakeholder relationships and help resolve commercial and delivery challenges.

About You

You will be an established Director, or an experienced Associate Director ready to step into a broader leadership position, with a strong background in consultancy-led real estate project management.

You will bring:

• A track record of leading teams and delivering complex property projects or programmes.
• Experience across public and private sector environments, with relevant exposure to regeneration, residential, commercial and/or healthcare projects.
• Evidence of winning work, developing client relationships and contributing to business growth.
• Strong commercial judgement and experience managing fees, resources and financial performance.
• The credibility to advise senior clients and contribute confidently at board level.
• An approachable, decisive leadership style, with a commitment to developing others.
• An established professional network, ideally within the North West property and development market.
• A relevant professional qualification or chartered membership, such as MRICS, MAPM or MCIOB, would be advantageous.

The Package

• Basic salary of circa £90,000–£120,000, depending on experience.
• £10,000 car allowance.
• Bonus and benefits package.
• Opportunity to participate in the company growth equity plan, subject to agreed terms.
• Board-level influence and the scope to shape an established regional project management business.

Confidential Enquiries

For a confidential discussion, please contact James Adamson at Vertical Recruitment.

The client’s identity and further details will be shared through the confidential recruitment process.