Project Delivery Optimization Lead

Mace combines global delivery consultancy experience to unlock potential in every person or project and redefine the boundaries of ambition. Our values shape the way we consult and define the people we want to join us on our journey.

Role Purpose

The Delivery Optimisation Lead is responsible for identifying, developing and implementing strategies that improve programme delivery performance, productivity, schedule certainty and value outcomes across complex infrastructure and capital projects.

Acting as a senior adviser to programme leadership, the role leads structured delivery reviews, develops optimisation strategies and works collaboratively with clients, consultants, contractors and delivery teams to improve delivery effectiveness throughout the project lifecycle.

The role combines strategic thinking with practical implementation, ensuring that recommendations translate into measurable improvements in programme performance.

You'll be responsible for:

• Lead programme and portfolio-level delivery optimisation reviews.
• Identify opportunities to improve delivery performance, productivity and programme outcomes.
• Develop optimisation strategies, implementation plans and performance frameworks.
• Support decision-making through robust analysis and evidence-based recommendations.
• Monitor implementation of optimisation initiatives and measure realised benefits.
• Review procurement, packaging and contracting approaches.
• Evaluate collaborative delivery models and market engagement strategies.
• Identify opportunities to improve risk allocation, performance incentives and delivery efficiency.
• Advise leadership teams on best-practice delivery approaches.
• Develop strategies to enhance supply chain performance and resilience.
• Facilitate engagement with contractors, consultants and industry stakeholders.
• Identify market constraints and opportunities to improve delivery capacity.
• Promote collaborative behaviours and best-for-programme outcomes.
• Review programme schedules, interfaces, dependencies and critical activities.
• Identify opportunities for sequence optimisation and schedule improvement.
• Support implementation of performance monitoring and benchmarking frameworks.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives across programme teams.
• Assess programme logistics requirements and delivery constraints.
• Identify opportunities to optimise material flows, access arrangements and site coordination.
• Promote integrated planning approaches across multiple delivery teams.
• Facilitate executive workshops and stakeholder forums.
• Provide strategic advice to senior leadership teams.
• Prepare reports, recommendations and business cases.
• Lead multidisciplinary optimisation teams and specialist advisers.

You'll need to have:

• Minimum 15 years' experience delivering major infrastructure, construction or capital programmes.
• NEC or equivalent contract experience.
• Proven experience in a management and/or leadership role, managing a multi-disciplinary team in delivering improvements and efficiencies through performing supply chain, contractor and contract management on a major infrastructure project(s) of similar scale in the role.
• Leading on the establishment and management of overall success criteria for works contractor performance.
• Leading and managing the development and implementation of contracting and packaging strategies.
• Experience of contract formation, including the establishment and use of KPI regimes,
• Experience of works contractor and design consultancy performance management and improvements.
• Project risk management, including identifying and implementing steps to reduce Project risks.
• Delivery optimisation strategies and transforming works contractor performance on major projects/programmes.
• Building successful relationships with project supply chains at all project stages including but not limited to early contractor involvement, market sounding activities to unlock innovation and value, improving design and delivery performance, dispute avoidance and facilitating collaboration.
• Leading on planning and schedule optimisation activities including site operations and logistics planning for the movement of materials, plant, equipment and the like.
• Advising at a senior leadership and strategic level throughout the project lifecycle on the different approaches that can be adopted.

Our values

Safety first - Going home safe and well: We champion a safe, diverse and inclusive working environment, understanding the importance of wellbeing in every team.

Client focus - Deliver on our promise: We own the quality of deliverables, strategic outcomes and build long term relationships with our clients.

Integrity - Always do the right thing: We influence positive outcomes within our industry, while always aligning with our compliance obligations.

Create opportunity - For our people to excel: We champion a continuous improvement culture throughout all activities, inspiring our people and teams to develop.

We are also open to discussing part time, flexible, and hybrid working options if suitable within the role.