Project Manager

WANTED: PROJECT MANAGER
Sector: Local Authority/Public Sector
Department: Digital Services
Reports to: Project Delivery Manager
Day rate: £275 - £330 (Inside IR35, Umbrella)


Overview
As Project Manager, Managing Digital Services Projects you will play a key role in ensuring the successful delivery of projects within the Council’s Digital Services using the Project Delivery Framework. Your focus will be on delivering clear outcomes, tangible benefits, and measurable results, all within agreed timescales and budgets. You’ll lead and motivate your project team, taking prompt action to address any performance issues.

You’ll be responsible for managing the full end-to-end delivery process, using established project methodologies. This will involve defining and documenting projects, ensuring they are completed on time, and achieving the expected business impact. You’ll also be tasked with identifying and managing risks, maintaining realistic project plans, and keeping stakeholders regularly informed with accurate updates.

Responsibilities:

• Project Delivery: Oversee and deliver digital services projects across various council departments, ensuring they meet agreed timelines, budgets, and quality standards, with a focus on RAID management, financial control, and reporting.
• End-to-End Management: Take ownership of all project phases, from initial definition and documentation through to successful completion. Ensure project, quality, and risk plans are in place and maintained. Offer direction to the team and provide advice to users where necessary.
• Business Integration: Lead the integration of new capabilities into the business, ensuring they align smoothly with existing operations and account for key business cycles to minimise disruption.
• Documentation & Lessons Learned: Keep project documentation up to date and share key lessons learned to improve future projects across the organisation.
• Benefit/Risk Evaluation: Collaborate with users to assess the benefits and risks of new processes. Confirm and document acceptance criteria, ensuring these are included in the business case.
• Sustainability Focus: Ensure that all actions and decisions support the Council’s commitment to tackling the climate and ecological emergency.

Your Knowledge & Skills:

• Project Planning & Execution: Develop detailed project plans, manage resources effectively, and make adjustments as necessary to ensure successful delivery.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Build strong relationships with stakeholders, understand their expectations, and keep them informed of progress, risks, and issues in a clear and timely manner.
• Risk Management: Proactively identify and mitigate risks, ensuring compliance with the Council’s policies and industry standards.
• Quality Assurance: Ensure that all project deliverables meet the highest quality standards. Implement best practices and conduct post-project reviews to identify improvements.
• Project Management Expertise: Strong experience with project management methodologies (e.g. Agile, Scrum, Waterfall), excellent organisational skills, and the ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously.
• Technical Skills: Familiarity with relevant digital tools and technologies, with an understanding of digital trends and how they influence project delivery. Ability to use data and analytics to drive project success.

Your skills

• Leadership & Communication: Inspire and guide project teams, offering support and mentorship while fostering a collaborative, positive environment. Strong verbal and written communication skills are essential.
• Stakeholder Relationships: Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders, ensuring their support and collaboration throughout the project lifecycle.
• Problem-Solving & Decision-Making: Demonstrate analytical thinking, sound decision-making skills, and the ability to solve complex problems. Adapt quickly and stay resilient in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.

Essentials:

• Bachelor’s degree in : - Project Management, Business Administration, IT, or a related field.
• Proven experience delivering complex digital projects.
• PMP, PRINCE2, or similar project management certification.
• Demonstrable, significant experience in project management, ideally within digital services.

If you're an experienced Project Manager with a passion for delivering impactful digital projects within a public sector setting, we want to hear from you!