Assistant Vice President - Project Manager - Banking Functional Projects (8-15 yrs)

We are currently seeking an experienced professional to join our team in the role of Project Manager.

Principal Responsibilities:

Value Creation:

- Plans effectively around delivery constraints and optimise the plan to maximize benefits and minimize risk. Develops the plan within constraints, considering the delivery approach, key milestones and dependencies within the plan, requirements and scope, effort and resources, budgets and quality

- Ensures the base lined scope, requirements, benefits, schedule and budget are managed as outlined in Change Frameworks. Identifies and intervenes where there is slippage and variance from plan

- Proactively monitors project execution to effectively identify risks/issues/dependencies as they arise throughout the project lifecycle. Takes ownership of critical issues and ensures resolution within agreed timescales and implements mitigating plans against identified risks and issues. Escalates when needed to the Programme Manager (remaining calm, knowing when to escalate, and escalates with possible solutions).

- Collaborates and builds positive stakeholder relationships providing regular updates to resolve high priority issues affecting the project

- Obtains buy-in from the project sponsor, Steering Committee and other stakeholders for all key project plans, commitments, and changes including requirements, quality assurance plans, budget, schedule, and scope changes

- Analyses management reports, and derives insights from it to drive the right business decisions

- Sets the pace and operating rhythm, driving a culture of achievement and ensures pace by identifying and removing barriers to project success

- Promotes pace and energy within the team and leads by example

- Keeps focus on the medium and long term goals and the Group's values particularly when under short term pressure

- Manages change and implementation to ensure the change lands well and sticks, contributing to benefits realization

- Manages project closure and handover to the business and / or function

Operational Performance:

- Adheres to the Groups standard tools and methodologies, Company Change Framework and Clarity. There must be consistent use of agreed tools and methodologies to track progress, issues, risks, dependencies, planning value, funding and resources

- Produces a well-defined project plan in Clarity, identifying the key milestones and assigning responsibilities / resources

- Develops the plan in line with the Bank's Change Management Framework

- Communicates the plan to stakeholders

- Develops and / or reviews estimates and estimating assumptions for the project's schedule, effort, and cost

- Mobilises the project team and allocates tasks and roles

- Provides timely reports on project status, risks and issues, evaluating project performance based on management information

- Manages and reports on the project budget, acting on any variance

- Understands the non-financial risks and conduct impacts of change from the outset to enable execution of the change safely so that it delivers the sustainable outcomes we are targeting for our customers.

- Manages and reports project risks, issues and dependencies

- Drives a culture of achievement and ensure pace by identifying and removing barriers to project success

- Maintains project change control, ensuring any changes to baseline are managed through change request and all impacts are considered

- Promotes and takes accountability for project quality; identifies opportunities to improve delivery and oversees the governance process to reduce risk and ensure effective and timely decisions are taken

- Ensures the project team follow quality assurance processes and the Bank's Change Framework

- Ensure the project team follows governance processes and decisions are applied consistently

- Engage the project sponsor and stakeholders effectively

- Creation and running of effective Steering Committee, who make focused decisions, based upon accurate and timely status, performance reports. Using the committee as the first point of escalation

- Use standardised project metrics and reporting driven out of Clarity. Management by exception of budget and schedule variance. Ensuing accurate and responsible status reporting. Escalating, coordinating any mitigants or remedial action.

- Plans and executes regular tollgates in line with Banks Change Framework

Capability and People Development:

- Identifies and shares the resource requirements of the project, to the Programme Manager requesting the appropriate skill set and/or experience

- Ensuring good project induction and orientation - i.e. the team understand the project context and content, the importance of stakeholder management and wider programme goals

- Defines high level responsibilities and objectives for members of their project team and ensure the individuals are being used in accordance with their skills and resource request

- Provides regular constructive feedback to colleagues to support their development

- Acts as a role model to create and maintain a collaborative team environment which supports and encourages the professionalism and development of our teams

- Maintains a strong focus on people development and ensures project resources receive any necessary training and support, particularly on the Change Framework

- Rolling resources off the project team in a planned and responsible manner

- Promotes the Group's Values and strategy by creating a Positive work environment and promoting teamwork to drive engagement

Major Challenges:

- Management and control of projects to meet exacting timescales necessary in a competitive marketplace

- Defining the approach and dealing with complex requirements and unique projects - often one-off initiatives

- Management of stakeholders and sponsors

- Achieving benefits (cost reduction, revenue increase, strategic goals) set out in the business case

- Working with multiple delivery and delivery partner teams

Qualifications:

- Proven understanding of delivery methodologies and best practice techniques

- Understanding of how change drives benefits for customers and other stakeholders

- Knowledge of the external environment - regulatory, political, competitors etc.

Experience:

- Project management skills and experience

- Examples of the delivery of on time and on budget projects that achieve business case stated outcomes

- A driver with bias towards delivery at pace and controlling project outcomes

- In depth experience of working in a banking environment and change projects

- Stakeholder management experience, especially impactful communication, influencing and running project governance

- Implementation, change management and benefits realisation