This job has expired, please see additional jobs below
Project Manager
Pearson
Harlow, , United Kingdom
Job Details - this job has expired, please see similar jobs below
Description
At Pearson, we’re committed to a world that’s always learning and to our talented team who makes it all possible. From bringing lectures vividly to life to turning textbooks into laptop lessons, we are always re-examining the way people learn best, whether it’s one child in our own backyard or an education community across the globe. We are bold thinkers and standout innovators who motivate each other to explore new frontiers in an environment that supports and inspires us to always be better. By pushing the boundaries of technology — and each other to surpass these boundaries — we create seeds of learning that become the catalyst for the world’s innovations, personal and global, large and small.
The Service Delivery team is a newly formed dynamic, fast moving team supporting all parts of our UK Higher Education business to identify, win and deliver with excellence services and products that support teaching and learning in a blended or online environment, against an agreed set of strategic priorities and growth opportunities. In 2017, the team will be supporting revenue targets in excess of £17m.
The Project Manager will need to work collaboratively with all functions In Higher Education Service Delivery and beyond to deliver on projects on time, to specification and within budget.
The job description reflects the current priorities of the company. It may need to be configured differently over time if these priorities change.
Context/Role Purpose
Reporting to the Programme Manager, the Project Manager will be primarily dedicated to managing online programmes with deliverables throughout 2017/2018. The Project Manager will lead and manage a project team to ensure successful delivery/implementation on time and to budget. The candidate will be an existing effective and confident Project Manager with leadership qualities.
Key Accountabilities:
Overall responsibility and accountability for projects assigned: Responsible for using best practice PMO methodology to plan project activities to fit the stakeholders/customers’ needs in order to deliver on time, to specification and within budget.
Define project roles and responsibilities: Working closely with the internal project team, the PM is ultimately responsible for defining the project scope and objectives to ensure project team members understand their individual roles and responsibilities and are in agreement with the plan from the outset.
Leading the Project Team: Set up and lead regular project team meetings (set agendas and circulate minutes post meetings). Communicate and liaise with appropriate internal departments as and when required.
Resource planning: Ensure adequate resources are assigned to each project based on recommendations/requirements from individual project team members. Liaise with the relevant Team Leader to ensure contingent worker requests are managed and routed via the systems to make sure resourcing is available when requested.
Create and manage schedule: Understand scope and develop a schedule for each project assigned. Determine task relationships, track milestones and set realistic completion dates. Keep plan accurate at all times and communicate to the project team.
Change management: manage changes to the project scope, schedule and budget as required, following relevant approval process for any additional spend.
Project Tracking: Prepare and circulates clear and concise activity/progress reports applying a proactive approach in tracking project members’ progress against schedule dates/project commitments.
Stakeholder management and communication (both internal and external): Effectively communicate project status to all stakeholders/project team members/client teams.
Risk Mitigation: Identify and manage problems/issues as they arise and before they impact the project, coordinating corrective actions quickly and efficiently. Escalate critical issues quickly to appropriate stakeholders. Be open minded and flexible in navigating road blocks and create innovative solutions to mitigate risks. Document and manage risk/issues log.
Maintain detailed records: Create and maintain detailed project documentation throughout the life of a project and share information as necessary. Maintain a learning tracker throughout the projects and review/report when needed to implement changes - on project closure, full report is reviewed with the team for consideration on future projects.
Manage budget/costs against initial P&L: monitor budget and communication regularly on budget performance against agreed P&L to stakeholders. Maintain key product information in Oracle and EPM and ensure key financial stages are checked and approved in good time.
General: Follow agreed departmental workflow, process and procedures. Contribute to process and procedural updates, proactively suggesting new and improved ways of working. Set best practice in PM tools and techniques.
Key competencies:
• Excellent client-facing skills. When required, role requires client visits
• A demonstrated ability to work collaboratively whilst leading a project team.
• Excellent communication skills (written and verbal) with good listening skills.
• Excellent organisational, time management, prioritisation and planning skills. Expert in managing tight schedules. A demonstrated ability to work independently, managing own time, prioritising effectively and making decisions confidently, quickly and thoughtfully.
• Can confidently create, update and manage budgets, project schedules and plans.
• Ability to set agendas and lead successful meetings in person and on the phone.
• Able to quickly identify and solve problems pragmatically.
• Takes initiative to invoke change and solve problems with a ‘can do’ approach.
• Exhibit learning agility and working knowledge of best practice in project management including change and risk management.
Qualifications
Education, qualification and training
• Graduate calibre
• Ideally a formal project management qualification
• Proficient in MS Office applications including MS Project
Previous experience
• Minimum of 3-5 years’ project management experience
• Experience of project managing multiple large/complex projects
• Experience working to tight deadlines and with changes throughout the project life cycle
• Experience of creating and/or managing budgets
Personal style and behaviour
• Professional approach at all times
• Excellent organisational, time management skills and communication skills
• Team player
• Good analytical thinking skills and proactive problem-solver
• Behaves ethically and with integrity, supports Pearson’s core values, beliefs and codes of conduct.
• Disciplined, yet flexible enough to adapt to changing priorities.