Location: Manchester St James's
Closing date: 29/08/2019
Salary: Competitive
Employment type: Permanent
Department: COO - BPP Online - Strategic PMO

JOB PURPOSE:

To support an effective project management service for all projects assigned. Provide PMO support to major business change projects.

PRINCIPAL JOB ELEMENTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Methodically investigate, analyse and document business functions and processes, and the information they use as part of the project analysis phase.
• Define requirements for improving processes and systems, and the identification of the financial or service benefits that will accrue once the change is implemented.
• Guide steering groups towards accepting viable solutions which involve changes to working conditions and practices, showing understanding, imagination and creativity.
• Develop and deliver training as appropriate to the success of operational project adoption.
• Manage projects according to the standards and expectations of the PMO.
• Manage assigned resources as appropriate to the implementation of project related activities.
• Assist and support stakeholders by providing and maintaining accurate and timely documentation (ie; project plans and reporting) to ensure successful communication and delivery of assigned projects.
• Ensure projects are planned and executed in-line with the PMO methodology:
• Project team roles and responsibilities
• Risk and Issue identification and management
• System and Operational Acceptance testing
• Deployment planning, management and transition to operational adoption
• Training: Business and IT (as needed)
• Operational support plans
• Ensure deliverables meet required quality standards.
• Ensure adequate levels of documentation are produced as part of the solution.
• Develop and maintain a Communications Plan and keep stakeholders appraised of project plans and related implications.
• Facilitate  successful hand-over and adoption to the operational business
• Accurately assess, communicate and manage project risks and issues, escalating appropriately where required
• Production of progress and management reports, keeping virtual project rooms up to date
• Coordination of internal BPP services and external service providers as necessary to meet project timescales and objectives.
• To provide PMO support as necessary to business change projects
• To carry out other tasks as agreed with operations

KEY JOB CONTACTS

• Internal:
  • Project team members
  • Business
  • All BPP staff
• External:
  • Various service providers
  • Clients requiring projects from BPP
  • Contractors

CORE COMPETENCIES

• Achieving Results – understand and deliver against project objectives, and ensure these are applied appropriately
• Building Relationships – Able to develop effective relationships with all BPP and client staff, and be recognised as providing a supporting role.
• Commercial and Business Awareness – Develop an ability to balance the financial, quality, people and customer expectation related risks.
• Customer Focus (internal & external) – Effective in anticipating and understanding customer expectations, and ensure customer requirements are met and expectations appropriately managed. Able to build partner relationships with internal and external customers, Effective at focusing on solving their problems and driving through solutions.
• Communication – An effective communicator with departmental staff and senior management. Demonstrate excellent communication, both orally and in writing, with colleagues, clients and customers. This includes producing reports, preparing, organising and delivering presentations using appropriate tools and techniques., and taking a leading role in facilitating effective meetings and discussions.
• Planning and Organising – Facilitate and determine (as appropriate) a course of action by breaking it down into smaller steps and by planning and resourcing each of these, making allowance for potential problems. Demonstrate responsibility within allocated budgets, and be able to plan and forecast future budgets based on business priorities
• Understanding BPP – Aware of BPP strategies, policies and procedures. Aware of how the organisation operates.
• Teamwork – Effective in delivering the objectives of a team, and be able to share knowledge, drive ideas, solutions and provide quality information. Awareness of the needs, objectives and constraints of those in other disciplines and functions. Ability to encourage and enable people to work together as a team to accomplish the project and adopt an appropriate style to foster trusting and respectful team working.
• Problem Solving and Decision Making – Able to solve problems in a measured and creative way. Capable of assessing a wide variety of tasks, and be proactive in relation to identifying and undertaking activities that bring business benefit. Able to understand the need to balance long and short term objectives, and understand business value. Be responsible for own decisions.
• Influencing and Impact – Act in a professional manner, and exhibit the required behaviour that should act as an example to other employees. Needs to delegate tasks, responsibilities and authorities effectively. Effective at identifying goals and objectives, and motivating and leading others towards their achievement. Able to network throughout the wider BPP community.
• Innovation, Flexibility and Adaptability – Undertake tasks with a positive attitude and respond well to requests. Working locations may include a variety of BPP and client sites. Must be prepared to meet business goals and embrace change.

Skills, knowledge, qualifications required for job

• Qualifications – Applications from candidates with appropriate and relevant education, work experience or other equivalent qualifications in relation to this role.
• Experience –project management experience is essential
• Skills – Organised, methodical, with a very good attention to detail. Familiarity with methodologies and project tools such as APM, Agile, Waterfall, PRINCE 2, PMI and Microsoft Project are of benefit.
• Analytical Thinking – Effective at acquiring an understanding of a problem or situation, and developing an approach to drive forward solutions. Demonstration of bringing business focussed recommendations and driving them forward to implementation.
• Applying standards – Being able to apply relevant industry and process standards to tasks undertaken.
• Industry Developments – Must take initiative to ensure technical skills and specialisations are acquired to ensure that all relevant skillsets are continually developed.

Project Manager