Job Description // Project Manager

Location: Hybrid / Client Site (UK Public Sector), Liverpool & London
Company: Empyrean Digital

Salary: £60,000 pa

About Empyrean Digital

Empyrean Digital partners with public and private sector organisations to design and deliver impactful, user-centred digital services. We combine strategy, service design, governance and delivery expertise to help clients solve complex problems and improve outcomes for citizens.

We work at the heart of major transformation programmes, supporting organisations to design services that are inclusive, sustainable and aligned to Government Digital Service (GDS) standards.

The Role

We are seeking an experienced Project Manager to lead delivery within one of the services undergoing transformation as part of a wider multi-million-pound public sector programme.

The successful candidate will be responsible for managing day-to-day delivery within a defined service or workstream, ensuring alignment to programme objectives, GDS standards and organisational governance requirements. You will work closely with service leads, product managers, business analysts, service designers and technical teams to deliver high-quality outcomes at pace.

This role requires strong delivery discipline, stakeholder engagement capability and experience operating in complex public sector environments.

Key Responsibilities

Project Delivery

• Lead delivery of a defined service or workstream within a wider transformation programme.
• Develop and maintain detailed project plans, milestones and delivery roadmaps.
• Manage scope, timelines, risks, issues and dependencies.
• Ensure delivery aligns to GDS lifecycle phases (Discovery, Alpha, Beta, Live).
• Drive progress and accountability across multidisciplinary teams.

Governance, Risk & Reporting

• Implement programme-level governance within the service workstream.
• Provide accurate, timely reporting to the Programme Manager and governance forums.
• Identify, manage and escalate risks and issues appropriately.
• Maintain clear documentation and audit trails in line with public sector standards.

Stakeholder & Operational Engagement

• Work closely with service owners, operational leads and frontline teams.
• Facilitate workshops, planning sessions and stakeholder meetings.
• Support business readiness, transition and operational embedding.
• Navigate organisational complexity and competing priorities.

Financial & Resource Management

• Manage project budgets and resource allocations within delegated authority.
• Track forecasts and ensure effective financial control.
• Support supplier management where applicable.

Essential Experience

• Proven experience delivering projects within complex public sector environments.
• Experience working on digital or service transformation programmes.
• Strong understanding of GDS service standards and agile delivery principles.
• Experience managing risks, dependencies and reporting within structured governance frameworks.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and communication skills.
• Ability to balance delivery pace with quality and assurance requirements.
• Background in consultancy or client-facing delivery roles.
• Knowledge of service transition and operational readiness planning.
• PRINCE2, MSP, Agile or equivalent project delivery certifications

What We Offer

• Opportunity to shape high-impact public services.
• Exposure to major government transformation programmes.
• Collaborative and values-driven culture.
• Professional development and leadership opportunities.

At Empyrean Digital, we are committed to designing services that genuinely improve citizens’ lives. If you are passionate about service design, systems thinking and public sector transformation, we would love to hear from you.

Appendix // 
 
About Us 
Coming together in 2017, the Empyrean Digital team combines years of experience in bringing value to mutual clients and responding to a clear market need for pragmatic, agile and experienced digital support. 

As our client’s digital partner, our blend of strategic, technical, commercial, and product expertise will transform their services in a ground-breaking way.  We are dedicated and demand quality, knowing we win or lose on the strength of our feedback. 

Team Culture 

At empyrean digital, our ambition is to attract, develop and retain a diverse and talented team by: 

• supporting a broad range of amazing clients 
• undertaking interesting and ambitious projects 

• building our own suite of products that add real value 
• creating a real sense of team  

Our team culture is at the heart of what we do and who we are at empyrean digital. We want to grow a team which embodies the following values and pulls together to deliver a world-class service for clients. 

• Curious // You are inquisitive and dig a little deeper to win. 
• Driven // You are dedicated and demand quality, with an infectious hunger for excellence that inspires others. 
• Collaborative // You are honest and transparent, admit mistakes and proactively seek different perspectives. 
• Brave // You trust your instincts, are open to possible failure and are prepared to make the right call for customers, every time. 

Job Description // Bid Writer

Location: Remote
Company: Empyrean Digital

Salary: £50-60k pa

About Empyrean Digital

Empyrean Digital partners with public and private sector organisations to design and deliver impactful, user-centred digital services. We combine strategy, service design, governance and delivery expertise to help clients solve complex problems and improve outcomes for citizens.

We work at the heart of major transformation programmes, supporting organisations to design services that are inclusive, sustainable and aligned to Government Digital Service (GDS) and the Digital Service Standards for Wales.

The Role

We are seeking a proactive and experienced Bid Writer to support the development of high-quality, compelling bid, framework and proposal submissions as we continue to grow.

Working closely with the Commercial Director, you will play a key role in creating clear, structured and high-scoring written submissions which represent Empyrean’s strengths, expertise and track record of delivering impactful outcomes for clients.

This is a hands-on role within a small, dynamic digital consultancy, focused on managing the bid process, coordinating inputs and producing high-quality content across multiple concurrent opportunities.

Key Responsibilities

Bid Development and Management

• Support the end-to-end bid process, from initial engagement through to submission, working under the direction of the Commercial Director.
• Manage bid plans, timelines and submission requirements to ensure high-quality, on-time delivery.
• Coordinate inputs from internal stakeholders, including SMEs, delivery teams and leadership.
• Ensure all submissions are compliant with client requirements and procurement processes.
• Take ownership of the production, structure and final quality of submissions.

Content Creation & Quality

• Write clear, compelling and tailored bid responses based on agreed win themes and strategy.
• Translate complex technical and delivery concepts into accessible, persuasive content.
• Structure responses to align with scoring criteria and maximise evaluation outcomes.
• Edit and refine contributions from others to ensure consistency, clarity and quality.
• Incorporate relevant case studies, evidence and supporting materials into submissions.

Collaboration & Support

• Work closely with the Commercial Director to translate bid strategy into written responses.
• Support the shaping of responses by identifying gaps, clarifying inputs and challenging content where needed.
• Engage with delivery teams to extract key information and ensure accuracy of responses.
• Contribute to a collaborative, efficient bid process across the organisation.
• Assist the Commercial Director in managing buyer communications.

Continuous Improvement

• Actively seek and review bid feedback and reflect learnings in future bids.
• Contribute to post-bid reviews, identifying areas for improvement in content and process.
• Maintain and continuously improve bid processes, templates and content libraries.
• Support the refinement of tools, templates and ways of working to improve efficiency and quality.

Essential Experience

• Proven experience in a hands-on bid writing or proposal support role.
• Strong writing, editing and structuring skills with excellent attention to detail.
• Experience working with input from multiple stakeholders to produce cohesive submissions.
• Ability to manage multiple deadlines and priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience working in a digital, consultancy or professional services environment.
• Strong organisational and communication skills.
• High level of ownership for the quality and accuracy of written outputs.

What We Offer

• Opportunity to shape a growing digital consultancy.
• Collaborative and values-driven culture.
• Professional development and leadership opportunities.

At Empyrean Digital, we are committed to building a team and culture that supports both our people and our clients to thrive. If you are passionate about combining financial discipline with people-focused leadership, we would love to hear from you.

Appendix // 
 
About Us 
Coming together in 2017, the Empyrean Digital team combines years of experience in bringing value to mutual clients and responding to a clear market need for pragmatic, agile and experienced digital support. 

As our client’s digital partner, our blend of strategic, technical, commercial, and product expertise will transform their services in a ground-breaking way.  We are dedicated and demand quality, knowing we win or lose on the strength of our feedback. 

Team Culture 

At empyrean digital, our ambition is to attract, develop and retain a diverse and talented team by: 

• supporting a broad range of amazing clients 
• undertaking interesting and ambitious projects 

• building our own suite of products that add real value 
• creating a real sense of team  

Our team culture is at the heart of what we do and who we are at empyrean digital. We want to grow a team which embodies the following values and pulls together to deliver a world-class service for clients. 

• Curious // You are inquisitive and dig a little deeper to win. 
• Driven // You are dedicated and demand quality, with an infectious hunger for excellence that inspires others. 
• Collaborative // You are honest and transparent, admit mistakes and proactively seek different perspectives. 
• Brave // You trust your instincts, are open to possible failure and are prepared to make the right call for customers, every time. 

Role title: Business Development Manager- South coast

Reporting to: Head of South & East Coast

Staff responsibilities: 0

This would be ideal for an experienced Business Development Manager from a Business or Commercial Banking or SME lending background (including SME lending brokers) who is looking for a new and exciting opportunity to work with high-growth SMEs.  The finance FSE offers is “market gap” lending/investment which would not be provided by a Bank - looking at business plans and spend required to help the business grow. Our aim is to also increase the probability of success of those businesses, with our “more than money” support with the focus on strong relationship management.

Job responsibilities:

• Responsibility for origination of lending and investment opportunities for East Coast Investment Fund, including creation, management and development of prospective debt deal pipeline.
• Marketing & promotion of the business throughout the south region and more widely in terms of potential partner organisations. Management of deal pipeline marketing & promotion.
• Initial response to inbound enquiries, including preliminary eligibility review and referral through to debt or equity Investment Managers as appropriate.
• Recording of deal enquiries/flow using CRM system
• Proactive research of potential businesses suitable for SWIF support.
• Support origination & appraisal of primarily debt funding proposals.
• Presentation & meetings with funders, accountant & other potential introducers across the region
• Attendance/speaking at relevant SWIF roadshows and partner events.
• Attendance at relevant local or sector cluster networking events.
• Relationship management of Growth Hub and other partners across the region.

• Signposting of SMEs to relevant support networks, where proposal is not investment ready or requires additional support prior to investment team engagement.

Required Skills & Experience:

• demonstrable experience in originating, marketing, promotion & relationship building activity within funding or business support environment and associated SME & partner engagement activity.
• evidence of strong professional network of introducers within the south coast area
• excellent presentation skills, especially with ability to market the funds to online prospects/introducers & ability to communicate and interact at all levels of management.
• a high level of IT proficiency, particularly Microsoft Office 365 products

What we offer:

• A competitive base salary commensurate with your experience.
• Pro rata annual leave based on FTE of 25 days plus Bank holidays in England & Wales. You will also get your birthday off.
• Ability for you to use 1 day for Corporate Social Responsibility purposes annually.
• 8% employer contribution to pension scheme.
• Death in Service benefit equivalent to 4x salary
• 50% funded private medical scheme, income protection and health cash plan scheme.

The role is primarily home based however you should have own transport to travel to customers/introducers. Access to a good quality/speed home internet is a must.

About The FSE Group:

For 20 years our primary goal has been to provide tailored funding solutions and support for ambitious and innovative small and medium enterprises (SMEs), to help them achieve their maximum potential. With over £300m of debt and equity funds under management, the Group is continuing to grow and prides itself on taking an integrated approach to the funding needs of our clients.

Our Purpose

With a passion for, and successful history in, managing and deploying market gap funds with an economic impact purpose, we focus on more than pure commercial return to support the growth of SMEs. We promote diversity. We support underrepresented geographies. We are insightful in determining how we can improve an evolving funding landscape and we stimulate sustainability by successfully recycling smaller funds. We are more than money.

The core values we live by as FSE employees are Collaboration, Innovation, Inclusivity, Sustainability and Delivery.

With one of our core values being inclusivity, we are committed to a diverse and inclusive team. We are an equal opportunity employer and treat all applications fairly and welcome job applicants from all communities and affinity groups.

Job purpose 

The investment executive is responsible for sourcing and appraising applications for investments into the Development Banks. Investments will be made under commercial terms and in accordance with the investment criteria set by the Development Bank. Loans of up to £100,000 can be made. 

Main duties and responsibilities: 

• Source and appraise investment proposals. Typically, investments will be unsecured so an ability to understand underlying cashflow assumptions and to properly assess these is paramount. 
• Deliver against investment and yield targets 
• Conduct thorough and robust management, financial and commercial due diligence when considering investment opportunities and assess the risks attendant to each investment 
• Negotiate terms and conditions relating to legal documentation for placing investments. 
• Prepare investment reports for credit sanction. 
• Ensure completion of legal documentation. 
• Contribute to the operation of the Development Bank as a professional fund management company and provider of risk capital to start-up and existing businesses, in accordance with the terms of approval from Public Sector bodies and European Regional Development Funds (ERDF) 
• Maintain and develop technical and industry specific knowledge to ensure best practice and compliance in investment activity 
• Liaise closely with the portfolio team post investment and support as required to maintain the relationship with the investee company and facilitate additional investments as appropriate. 
• Disseminate examples of best practice for applying to the fund to key business introducers and ensure that the application process is continually refined and improved to provide the best possible client service 
• Develop and maintain links and networks with key business introducers and intermediaries to source suitable investment opportunities 
• Participate and represent the Development Bank, where appropriate, at meetings, seminars, events and joint group activities 
• Operate under delegated authority limits and Investment Operational Guidelines. 
• Contribute to marketing/promoting the Development Bank. 
• Consideration and awareness of the FCA Consumer Duty at all times to ensure we deliver good outcomes to our customers by acting in good faith, avoiding foreseeable harm and to enable and support our customers to pursue their financial objectives.
• To ensure our vulnerable customers are treated fairly and that our products and services meet the needs of vulnerable customers in our target market.
• Any other task as may be defined by the fund manager to meet the operational needs of the department 

Knowledge, skills, abilities and experience  

Essential   

• Some experience in investing or lending to SMEs 
• Previous experience of credit report preparation 
• Understanding of risk assessment and investment processes and procedures 
• Strong communication, influencing and interpersonal skills 
• Able to work independently and as part of a team 
• Confident in own decision making skills 
• Ability to prioritise and organise work under pressure  
• Attention to detail 
• Experience of analysing financial information 
• Established network of introducers with Welsh SME space. 

Desirable   

• Knowledge and understanding of the role of the public sector in SME finance  
• Understanding of the regional business environment  
• Welsh speaker (for roles based in Wales) 
• Driving License 
• IT literate to include the use of Word, Excel, PowerPoint

Senior Investment Executive - New Investments

We are recruiting for a Senir Investment executive based in Cardiff

Job purpose

The Senior investment executive is responsible for sourcing and appraising applications for investments into the Development Banks Funds. Investments will be made under commercial terms and in accordance with the investment criteria set by the Development Bank. Investments can be structured as equity, loans or mezzanine or a combination of the above.

Main duties and responsibilities

• Source and appraise investment proposals. Typically, investments will be unsecured so an ability to understand underlying cashflow assumptions and to properly assess these is paramount.
• Deliver against investment and yield targets, and any other specific fund targets as set on an annual basis
• Conduct thorough and robust management, financial and commercial due diligence when considering investment opportunities and assess the risks attendant to each investment
• Negotiate terms and conditions relating to legal documentation for placing investments.
• Prepare investment reports for credit sanction.
• Ensure completion of legal documentation.
• Contribute to the operation of the Development Bank as a professional fund management company and provider of risk capital to start-up and existing businesses, in accordance with the terms of approval from Welsh Assembly Government and European Regional Development Funds (ERDF)
• Maintain and develop technical and industry specific knowledge to ensure best practice and compliance in investment activity
• Liaise closely with the portfolio team post investment and support as required to maintain the relationship with the investee company and facilitate additional investments as appropriate.
• Disseminate examples of best practice for applying to the fund to key business introducers and ensure that the application process is continually refined and improved to provide the best possible client service
• Develop and maintain links and networks with key business introducers and intermediaries to source suitable investment opportunities
• Participate and represent the Development Bank, where appropriate, at meetings, seminars, events and joint group activities
• Operate under delegated authority limits and Investment Operational Guidelines
• Contribute to marketing/promoting the Development Bank
• Any other task as may be defined by the fund manager to meet the operational needs of the department

Knowledge, skills, abilities and experience

Essential 

• Extensive experience in investing or lending to SMEs
• Previous experience of credit report preparation
• Understanding of risk assessment and investment processes and procedures
• Strong communication, influencing and interpersonal skills
• Able to work independently and as part of a team
• Confident in own decision making skills
• Ability to prioritise and organise work under pressure
• Attention to detail
• Experience of analysing financial information
• Established network of introducers with Welsh SME space.
• IT literate to include the use of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, CRM systems

Desirable 

• Venture Capital/Equity or leveraged funding experience
• Direct corporate finance or transactional services experience
• Knowledge and understanding of the role of the public sector in SME finance
• Understanding of the regional business environment
• Welsh speaker (for roles based in Wales)
• Driving Licence

Investment Executive - New Investments

We are recruiting for an Investment executive based in Cardiff

Job purpose

The investment executive is responsible for sourcing and appraising applications for investments into the Development Banks Funds. Investments will be made under commercial terms and in accordance with the investment criteria set by the Development Bank. Investments can be structured as equity, loans or mezzanine or a combination of the above.

Main duties and responsibilities

• Source and appraise investment proposals. Typically, investments will be unsecured so an ability to understand underlying cashflow assumptions and to properly assess these is paramount.
• Deliver against investment and yield targets, and any other specific fund targets as set on an annual basis
• Conduct thorough and robust management, financial and commercial due diligence when considering investment opportunities and assess the risks attendant to each investment
• Negotiate terms and conditions relating to legal documentation for placing investments.
• Prepare investment reports for credit sanction.
• Ensure completion of legal documentation.
• Contribute to the operation of the Development Bank as a professional fund management company and provider of risk capital to start-up and existing businesses, in accordance with the terms of approval from Welsh Assembly Government and European Regional Development Funds (ERDF)
• Maintain and develop technical and industry specific knowledge to ensure best practice and compliance in investment activity
• Liaise closely with the portfolio team post investment and support as required to maintain the relationship with the investee company and facilitate additional investments as appropriate.
• Disseminate examples of best practice for applying to the fund to key business introducers and ensure that the application process is continually refined and improved to provide the best possible client service
• Develop and maintain links and networks with key business introducers and intermediaries to source suitable investment opportunities
• Participate and represent the Development Bank, where appropriate, at meetings, seminars, events and joint group activities
• Operate under delegated authority limits and Investment Operational Guidelines
• Contribute to marketing/promoting the Development Bank
• Any other task as may be defined by the fund manager to meet the operational needs of the department

Knowledge, skills, abilities and experience

Essential 

• Extensive experience in investing or lending to SMEs
• Previous experience of credit report preparation
• Understanding of risk assessment and investment processes and procedures
• Strong communication, influencing and interpersonal skills
• Able to work independently and as part of a team
• Confident in own decision making skills
• Ability to prioritise and organise work under pressure
• Attention to detail
• Experience of analysing financial information
• Established network of introducers with Welsh SME space.
• IT literate to include the use of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, CRM systems

Desirable 

• Venture Capital/Equity or leveraged funding experience
• Direct corporate finance or transactional services experience
• Knowledge and understanding of the role of the public sector in SME finance
• Understanding of the regional business environment
• Welsh speaker (for roles based in Wales)
• Driving Licence