Project Manager

Malcolm Reading Consultants is the leading independent organiser of international architectural competitions. We believe in the power of design to create new perceptions and act as an inspiration.

We are looking for a dedicated and enthusiastic Project Manager to oversee the administration of competition processes for landmark projects around the globe.

This varied role offers the opportunity to work on interesting and fast-moving cultural projects with high-profile global clients. Our competitions attract the world’s leading architects and designers, and our juries often include thought-leaders and famous figures from the worlds of design, media, politics, and business.

Highly successful within our sector, the MRC team is friendly, supportive, and energetic. We help clients commission new museums, contemporary art galleries, libraries, visitor attractions, residential buildings, hotels and resorts, universities and performing arts venues — as well as urban and landscape design projects.

Prospective candidates should have a strong educational background, excellent attention to detail and accuracy, good organisational, management and communication skills, and be confident absorbing information at speed, highly numerate and experienced at drafting documents.

We value a team-player approach, work ethic, initiative, and ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously; we expect you to have experience in the design industry/an aligned profession.

You can look forward to a highly supportive work environment and involvement in many diverse projects at one time along with opportunities to travel internationally.

The role:

• Organise, administer and manage named projects

• Line manage MRC’s support team as appropriate on project tasks

• Liaise with clients, juries and architect teams

• Advise MRC team on the procurement process; brief Directors

• Initiate, structure and draft key project documents

• Draft and structure project programmes

• Procurement oversight and coordination with MRC’s legal advisers

• Liaise with the Jury, Technical Panel and stakeholders

• Monitor compliance of contractual elements of named projects

• Oversee competition entries logging and email Q&As

• Attend jury meetings, support on reports and run site visits

• Manage and prepare bids for new work

• Represent MRC with clients

• Report to MRC Directors on project progress

See Job Description on website for full details

Who we're looking for:

You will need to have a strong educational background, educated to degree level or vocational equivalent. You need at least six years’ administrative or project manager experience, ideally in architecture or a related discipline. We expect a good working knowledge of Microsoft Office including Word, Excel, and Outlook, as well as video-conferencing platforms included Zoom and Microsoft Teams. Knowledge of project manager software would be an advantage.

The key attitudes of mind and skills we seek from you include:

• Hard-working with persistence and initiative

• Organisational and management skills

• Interpersonal and communication skills

• Attention to detail and accuracy

• Very strong literacy and numeracy skills; ability to absorb complex information at speed

• Ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously

• Commitment to high quality outputs

• Positive and team player attitude – no job too big or small

• Willingness to travel internationally

• Ability to work on own initiative, meet deadlines and multi-task

Work environment:

We offer hybrid or full office working: at least three days in our Blackfriars office/two days working from home per week.

The package:

We offer a competitive salary plus a private health care scheme, pension contribution, discretionary bonus, and generous holiday allowance. We are a friendly team with a straightforward approach and a passion for quality. The company is expanding and there are good prospects for progression.