Senior Project Manager - Technology

Location: Belfast

Workplace: Hybrid

The opportunity:

The Senior Project Manager - Technology PMO will be responsible for identifying and implementing best practices and developing methods and mechanisms to improve overall project delivery in terms of timelines, quality, and ultimately the stakeholder's satisfaction.

Working at Baker McKenzie:

Baker McKenzie is the world’s leading law firm with offices all over the world. Our Belfast Centre is home to over 400 colleagues in both legal and professional services.

We offer one of the best workplace benefits packages in the business with comprehensive private health cover, income protection, life assurance and a full employee assistance plan. These and a host of other benefits make us one of the most desirable companies to work for in Belfast.

We are committed to promoting inclusion, diversity, and equity for all and are confident we can provide a career as individual and as exceptional as you.

About the role:

As part of this role, the successful candidate will:

Responsibilities:

• A Senior Project Manager is a leader of technology projects in all aspects: intake, scoping, estimations, timelines, communications, business relationships, presentations, technical planning and delivery, proof of concepts, issue and crisis management, pilot processes and implementation.
• Responsible for the management of all project management related activities.
• Ensure all project deliverables are accomplished to meet the defined business requirements.
• Elevate and motivate the performance of the project team, ensuring scope is met, adhere to the schedule, tasks are completed, and escalations are managed.
• Report on project metrics including success criteria, financials, milestones, resources, and overall project status.
• The candidate must possess the ability to professionally communicate all aspects of a project to Senior Management, the business, and across multiple technical departments.
• Ensure proper ITIL governance is followed to meet project objectives and mitigate risks and issues.
• This is a global role requiring regular work outside normal business hours to communicate with people in multiple time zones.
• Works closely with the Senior Manager of Project Management for all project management functions with emphasis on the following:
• Critical paths for project methodologies, activities, processes, tools, and templates related to all phases of project management.
• Identifying and facilitation the build out of project management communities of interest for related initiatives and project management networks.
• Escalate any high and critical issues and risks to ensure proper guidance is provided for mitigation and communication.
• Assists with projections of resource issues and forecasts for any PMO managed project.
• Contribute to process improvements within the PMO.
• Serving as a liaison to:
• Project Sponsors - within all areas of the business and technology capacities.
• Resource Managers - within all areas of technology to identify skills and resources to effectively complete projects.
• Portfolio Managers – within the Applications Team, for system lifecycle continuity.
• IT Service Delivery Team - with Regional Directors, and key roles for project implementations (i.e., Training) as needed.
• Procurement & Vendors- to manage the delivery of services through the project phase.
• Enterprise Architecture & Security - collaborates early on with Business Analysts during project conception to help gauge any needs around EA or internal security processes and procedures for consideration.

Essential Criteria:

To be successful in this role you will need:

Skills and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in information systems, business management, or a related field or equivalent work experience.
• Extensive experience in project management within the professional services, legal, or IT industry.
• Project Management Professional (PMP) or PRINCE2 certified.
• Experience in a legal environment is desirable.
• Experience working for a partnership is desirable.

Technical & Non-Technical Skills

• Leadership experience on projects regarding managing business sponsorship, budget, customer expectations, and technical project plans through execution.
• Excellent communication skills with both team members and internal business constituents. The ideal candidate is comfortable mediating between stakeholder needs, business objectives, and technical feasibility.
• Relationship building, gaining consensus, and adoption methods.
• Experience in managing a diverse portfolio is necessary.
• Experience with Project management tools such as Project Portfolio Management software, Project, Visio, MS Office applications, and SharePoint
• Global thinking and experience are preferred.
• M365 / Project for the Web knowledge is desired but not required.
• Power BI and Automate skills are desired but not required.
• Knowledge of the ServiceNow PPM system is desired but not required.
• Six Sigma experience is preferred but not required.
• Knowledge of Agile and Scrum Methodology.