Senior Project Manager

About us:

The Senior Project Manager role sits within the Transformation Office Directorate. The Transformation Office supports the senior leadership of the university in effective strategy execution, delivering a complex set of transformation initiatives and driving sustainable improvements to our core business.

The Senior Project Manager role is key in leading successful project delivery within the Transformation Portfolio to deliver the aims and objectives of Vision 2029. The Senior Project Manager is responsible for the day-to-day running of a number of large and complex projects to deliver to the needs of the organisation, within set budgets, timescales, and quality. You will build relationships across a wide stakeholder community, engaging with colleagues across Professional Services and faculties and with external partners.

The portfolio includes a wide range of projects, and you will be required to deliver across all stages of the project lifecycle, as well as supporting broader strategic developments, benefits realisation and change management approaches.

About the role:

The role involves leading the delivery of large and complex projects within the Transformation portfolio, ensuring they support strategic objectives and benefits, prioritising activities across the portfolio, and working within the overall allocation of resources. The postholder will work with business leads to scope new projects within the portfolio, conduct data analysis, agree on acceptance criteria, identify change requirements and business benefits, evaluate delivery options, and ensure equality, diversity, and inclusion requirements are incorporated into project planning and delivery. They will develop business cases, project briefs, project plans, and work packages, including change management requirements, while monitoring and controlling scope, quality, and resources, and managing risks and issues within agreed frameworks. Building strong relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, including academic staff, professional services staff, and external partners, is essential.

The role also includes managing project governance structures such as project boards, working with the Transformation Management Office (TMO) to provide detailed project reporting, including financial reporting, and developing and monitoring benefits realization plans to track delivery against overall portfolio targets.

The postholder will be responsible for planning and delivering communications related to projects as per the programme communications plan, ensuring successful change management outcomes, and leading, motivating, and directing staff assigned to projects. Additionally, they will act as a line manager or mentor for team members and manage the transition of projects into “business as usual,” ensuring new ways of working are embedded into operational teams.

This is a full time post (35 Hours per week), and you will be offered an indefinite contract.

About you:

Essential criteria

• Educated to Degree Level standard or equivalent relevant experience
• Significant, demonstrable skills and experience of project management tools and techniques including scoping, business case development, planning, controls & reporting, risk management and benefit management.
• A recognized project management or change management qualification e.g., Prince2, PROSCI.
• Strong strategic and analytical skills, with the ability to synthesise and interpret information and communicate effectively to a variety of audiences.
• Significant experience of managing, engaging and motivating teams, with an ability to liaise effectively with colleagues from different professional backgrounds.

Desirable criteria

• Experience of process review and improvement methods e,g., Lean Six Sigma
• Experience of using Microsoft Project.
• Knowledge and understanding of the UK Higher Education sector.

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