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- Tasks: Manage exciting projects from start to finish, ensuring client satisfaction and quality delivery.
- Company: Join a respected Microsoft Gold Partner with a diverse portfolio of high-profile clients.
- Benefits: Enjoy a 9-day fortnight, health plans, generous holiday, and professional development opportunities.
- Other info: Be part of an award-winning culture with great team-building events and recognition.
- Why this job: Kickstart your career in project management with real impact and growth potential.
- Qualifications: A passion for project management and strong communication skills are essential.
The predicted salary is between 25000 - 32000 £ per year.
We are a long established and highly respected Microsoft Gold Partner with an extensive portfolio of high-profile clients that is continuing to grow. Due to our continued growth, we are looking for a Graduate Project Manager to join the professional services team.
At CPS, a Project Manager's primary focus is the complete project lifecycle of the client engagement i.e.: pre-sale, through to contract finalisation, start up, design, implementation, commercial management, and handover. The Graduate Project Manager role is a development role which will be supporting all areas of the engagement, working towards being a competent and versatile Project Manager. It is our mission to continue growing our Microsoft services portfolio, providing support and guidance to ensure clients are delighted with our service – not only with specific enterprise solutions, but also with a keen eye to their future strategic needs. Further to this, CPS and Microsoft are driving sustainment within businesses we work with, therefore business change management is another key aspect of our delivery.
Our client base includes many blue-chip organisations from a very diverse variety of sectors including utilities, government agencies, engineering and high-tech industries, charity, financial services and education, they all have high expectations for accuracy, customer service and delivery focus.
Requirements
CPS Project Management team are looking for a self-starter, keen to further develop both their personal and the company’s knowledge and skillset, with a ‘make it happen’ attitude. The Graduate Project Manager will be working within the growing Project Management team, reporting into the Graduate Team Lead. The role will involve managing a number of small projects, as well as supporting Project Management tasks on the larger engagements where required. The Project Manager is responsible for applying the required Project Management control:
- Communication (Stakeholder & Team)
- Scope & Expectation Management
- Change Control
- Planning & Resource Management
- RAID (Risk, Assumption, Issue and Dependency) management
- Deliverable acceptance and Financial control (Billing)
- Internal and Client facing performance reporting (highlight reporting, cost status reporting)
Time management, expectation management and clear communication is important within the commercial aspects of engagements. The Project Manager must ensure that all activities are delivered to high quality, on time and within budget and ensure that clients are delighted by their experience when engaging with CPS. CPS have clients across the UK and travel is required at times, with occasional overseas assignments. This is balanced by an ability to work from home for some of the time.
Personal Attributes
- Calm, personable, approachable, and quick builder of relationships
- Strong written and oral communication skills
- Patient, persistent & dependable
- Organised, motivated, and appropriately persistent to achieve goals
- Enjoys working in a multi-functional team
- Displays willingness to make decisions and thrives under pressure
- Ability to multi-task on multiple tasks/projects, prioritising where necessary
- Fast assimilator of information
- Quality / customer relationship focus
- Keen to develop, building knowledge and skills
- Happy to travel to client sites throughout the UK if required
Experience
- Demonstratable delivery of a successful project, either work based, educational or personal
- Understanding of managing project financials and budgets
- Understanding of end-to-end project lifecycle delivery, and the different type of project execution (Agile/Waterfall)
- Experience in a Project Co-ordination role is desirable but not essential
Benefits
Current at the time of writing. Subject to change.
- 9 Day Fortnight (compression of 10 working days into 9 to be able to not work every other Friday)
- PMI with Vitality Health
- Medical Cash Plan with Medicash
- Life Assurance (Death in Service) with YuLife
- Employee Assistance Programme
- 25 days holiday (plus all Public Holidays) – increasing to 26 days after 1 year, to 27 days after 2 years and to 28 days after 5 years
- Your birthday day off
- Access to Costco Membership
- Salary Sacrifice Scheme, applicable to: Workplace Pension
- Employer contribution is currently 5.5% of qualifying salary (above legislated minimum and will increase if we achieve certain business targets)
- Employee contribution is 4% of qualifying salary (legislated minimum but you can elect to increase)
- EV Car Schemes
- Discounted Gym Membership
- Cycle Schemes
- Home & Tech discounts for IKEA and Curry PC World
- Holiday Exchange Scheme: buy up to 10 additional days per year and sell up to 5
In addition, these are just some of our cultural benefits:
- Quarterly and annual star performer awards – voted for by your peers and colleagues
- Spot Awards of £25 and up, to instantly recognise excellence in you and your colleagues
- Annual professional and personal training budget to support your PDP
- Career Development Frameworks
- Reward schemes that are designed to thank you for your hard work and make life a little more affordable
- Monthly employee experience/engagement survey
- Quarterly company meetings
- At least one, usually the kick-off in March/April, will typically be in-person. The others are conducted as Town Halls. Duration of in-person company meetings is generally 2 or 3 days and location changes every year
- Social/team building events, organised by our incredible Employee Forum
- Regular, meaningful 1 to 1s
- Long service recognition at 5, 10, 15, 20 years and onwards
- Award winning culture
- Great Place to Workâ„¢ Nov 24 to Nov 25; Best Workplaces for Developmentâ„¢ 2025, Best Workplaces for Wellbeingâ„¢ 2025, Best Workplaces for Womenâ„¢ 2025, Best Workplaces in Consulting and Professional Serviceâ„¢ 2024
Graduate Project Manager in Reading employer: CPS
Contact Detail:
CPS Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Graduate Project Manager in Reading
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections on LinkedIn or at events. We all know that sometimes it’s not just what you know, but who you know that can help you land that Graduate Project Manager role.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for those interviews! Research the company and its projects, and think about how your skills fit into their needs. We want you to shine and show them you’re the perfect fit for their team.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice makes perfect! Do mock interviews with friends or family. We can’t stress enough how important it is to be comfortable talking about your experiences and how they relate to project management.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, we love seeing enthusiastic candidates who are keen to join our growing team!
We think you need these skills to ace Graduate Project Manager in Reading
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV is tailored to the Graduate Project Manager role. Highlight relevant experiences, skills, and projects that showcase your ability to manage tasks and communicate effectively. We want to see how you fit into our team!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to express your enthusiasm for the role and the company. Share specific examples of your project management experience and how you can contribute to our mission at CPS.
Showcase Your Communication Skills: As a Project Manager, strong communication is key. In your application, demonstrate your written communication skills clearly and concisely. We love seeing candidates who can articulate their thoughts well!
Apply Through Our Website: Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it shows you’re serious about joining our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at CPS
✨Know Your Project Management Basics
Brush up on the fundamentals of project management, especially the end-to-end lifecycle. Be ready to discuss methodologies like Agile and Waterfall, as well as how you would manage scope, expectations, and change control in real scenarios.
✨Showcase Your Communication Skills
Since communication is key in this role, prepare examples that highlight your ability to communicate effectively with stakeholders and team members. Think about times when you successfully managed expectations or resolved conflicts through clear dialogue.
✨Demonstrate Your Organisational Skills
Be prepared to talk about how you prioritise tasks and manage multiple projects simultaneously. Share specific examples from your past experiences where your organisational skills led to successful project outcomes.
✨Exhibit a 'Make It Happen' Attitude
This role requires a proactive mindset. During the interview, convey your enthusiasm for problem-solving and your willingness to take initiative. Share stories that illustrate your persistence and ability to thrive under pressure.