Job Description
The Role
We are seeking a Project Manager with exceptional organisational, communication and problem-solving skills to take end-to-end ownership of the scoping, planning and execution of a cross-functional initiative, from mobilisation through to delivery, transition and closure.
The successful candidate will be output-oriented, rigorous in attention to detail, and able to proactively drive delivery, anticipate risks and lead recovery actions when needed, while motivating teams to deliver on time, on budget and to quality standards. Key to success in the role will be the ability to work with internal stakeholders, including the SMEs across cross-functional teams (technical, commercial, operations, legal, finance etc.), as well as external stakeholders such as client business teams, IT teams and third-party vendors.
Key Responsibilities
Confirm project objectives, scope, outcomes, governance, roles, funding, resources, delivery approach and acceptance criteria before execution.
Own and maintain the integrated project plan, including roadmap, critical path, milestones, budget, dependencies and resource allocations, developing specific and detailed plans and timelines for implementation.
Work with workstream leads and other departments to identify and manage internal and external dependencies, challenge assumptions to ensure plans remain realistic and achievable, and incorporate input and feedback from all stakeholders.
Own resource planning and capacity management, ensuring appropriate business and IT skills are defined and engaged across projects.
Work with workstream leads to understand resource requirements, proactively flag gaps and constraints, and ensure relevant stakeholders are aware of demand for each of their teams.
Take end-to-end ownership of project management across the entire lifecycle of the project, in adherence to SDLC methodology.
Monitor individual workstream performance against the plan and agreed scope, challenge slippage and unachievable commitments, and lead recovery planning and reforecasting, including communicating impacts and recommendations when delivery is at risk, ensuring implementation meets customer expectations.
Prepare and maintain the project risk register and RAID/decision log.
Proactively identify, assess and mitigate risks and issues before they impact delivery, implementing mitigation strategies to reduce or eliminate risk.
Drive resolution of recurring issues by addressing root causes, and ensure early identification, escalation and resolution of issues to the Project Sponsor and/or Steering Committee, with clear impact assessments and recommended actions.
Own project governance, leading relevant governance forums and ensuring timely distribution and closure of actions and decisions.
Ensure Collinson change management processes are adhered to; implement and control processes to manage change requests, agree requirements, and accurately estimate additional project components, timescales and costs (time and materials, fixed price or shared risk), integrating approved changes into the overall project plan.
Prepare and manage project budgets throughout the project lifecycle, tracking costs and forecasts against approved funding and flagging variances.
Act as the client-facing point of contact and first touch point for the client.
Establish strong working relationships with different stakeholder groups (including Senior Leadership, Project Managers, Change Leads, BAU owners and external third parties).
Ensure all client/business requirements are captured, working closely with the client and internal touch points to ensure Statements of Work (SOWs) are clearly defined and signed.
Manage priorities to the satisfaction of management and customers, proactively managing expectations.
Oversee the work of the Workstream Leads, working with cross-geographical and culturally diverse IT and business teams to ensure risks, changes and project conflicts are communicated effectively to…