Senior Project Manager

The Role and the Department

Durham University has an ambitious strategy that builds on our world-leading research, education and wider student experience.

We are seeking an experienced Senior Project Manager to support the delivery of major strategic initiatives across our academic portfolio. The initial project will be within the Faculty of Science, coordinating a project designed to transform the Faculty's interdisciplinary and translational research capability, capacity and impact.

The Senior Project Manager will play a pivotal role in leading the delivery of this complex and high-profile project. Working with senior academic and professional services colleagues, the role will be responsible for ensuring effective planning, governance, delivery and benefits realisation across a diverse portfolio of workstreams.

Key responsibilities include:

• Engaging stakeholders to understand requirements, gather feedback and translate needs into effective solutions and deliverables.
• Leading the planning, mobilisation and delivery of project workstreams, ensuring the successful achievement of objectives, milestones and outcomes.
• Managing project scope, schedules, resources, risks, dependencies and deliverables to ensure successful delivery.
• Identifying and actively managing interdependencies and critical path activities across complex projects.
• Providing leadership and coordination across matrix-managed teams, fostering collaboration and maintaining momentum towards shared goals.
• Establishing and maintaining effective governance, reporting and decision-making processes.
• Supporting the identification, tracking and realisation of benefits to ensure strategic outcomes are achieved.

The role sits within the Change and Project Delivery Team, which leads and supports complex change initiatives and projects across the University. The team forms part of the Strategy Delivery Unit, alongside Portfolio Management and Continuous Improvement, working together to enable the successful delivery of the University's strategic ambitions.

This is a permanent role with a minimum expectation of two office-based days per week. Candidates should be willing and able to increase their office attendance, up to five days per week, where required to meet business needs.

Further information about the role and its responsibilities can be found later in this job description.

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