Project Manager

Project Manager
Location:Manchester (2 days a week)
Duration:6 months
Contract: Inside IR35
Experience:Must have experience in higher education// Delivery of projects in a complex governance environment.
Context of the Role
This role involves contributing to an ambitious transformative portfolio of programmes and projects aimed at achieving a strategic vision for excellence in people, research, learning, and innovation, and benefiting society and the environment.
The Strategic Change Office, part of the Directorate of Planning, provides change management expertise for the governance and delivery of this portfolio. The office enhances change capability by delivering projects and programmes, championing necessary skills and behaviours for effective change, and ensuring delivery health across the portfolio.
As a Project Manager, you will be responsible for delivering strategic projects on time and within budget. This includes project definition, resource management, risk and issue management, and consolidated reporting.
Main Responsibilities
Strategic:
- Provide recommendations for project definitions, including resource, schedule, and budget estimations to maximize benefits.
- Align projects with strategic vision and plan, recommending benefits and drivers for change to governance bodies.
- Support the implementation of a comprehensive delivery approach for Programme and Project Management.
- Deputize for Senior Project/Programme Managers and peers as needed.
Operational:
- Undertake project management tasks including planning, risk, issue, and change control management, progress and benefits reporting.
- Conduct business analysis to shape, size, and scope projects.
- Manage project and programme administration, applying required tools, templates, and methodologies.
- Oversee resource and capacity management across strategic projects.
- Implement governance structures and status reporting, create and manage project teams, and handle project scheduling and reviews.
- Manage risk, issue, change control, budget, and financial tracking.
- Ensure supplier management and consolidated reporting.
- Handle business change management responsibilities including change design, implementation, and workstream management.
Managerial:
- Manage performance and development of assigned Project Management resources.
- Lead succession planning, capacity planning, and recruitment for the team.
- Implement mandatory policies and processes for the team.
- Manage daily tasks and activities of the project team.
- Promote a culture of inclusivity, supportiveness, and wellbeing through positive role-modelling and transparent leadership.
Skills:
- Engaging with wider context and embracing change.
- Identifying and assessing strategic drivers for change initiatives.
- Defining and implementing change governance structures and processes.
- Business case development and benefits management.
- Achieving results and delivering excellent service.
- Project management including planning, risk and issue management, change control, resource management, and reporting.
- Managing relationships with internal customers for high service satisfaction.
- Effective engagement and communication with senior stakeholders and project teams.
- Facilitating change and problem-solving.
- Project resource management and budget handling.
- Leadership and team management.
- Stakeholder management.
- Continued professional development and managing sensitive information ethically.
Experience:
- Delivery of projects in a complex governance environment.
- Reporting to governance bodies and managing stakeholders.
- Setting up project structures, processes, tools, and methods.
- Professional development of project management resources.