Project Manager

About the Company

We are Lowe, a globally recognised brand for innovation, ambition and high quality. Lowe Rental is the world’s leading refrigeration and catering equipment supplier to major food exhibitions, sporting events and retailers across the globe; from the Singapore Formula 1 Grand Prix to Glastonbury, we provide high quality rental solutions to help our clients entertain and delight their customers.

About the Role

As a Project Manager, you will be responsible for planning and leading exhibitions and events primarily onsite, with some remote management for smaller exhibitions. You will work closely with cross-functional teams, including transport, warehouse and sales to ensure projects are delivered on time, within scope, and within budget. Your role will involve strategic planning, risk management, stakeholder management and performance monitoring to ensure project success and alignment with our business objectives. The role has a physical, hands-on element to it and will require the successful candidate to both lead and be hands-on, supporting the team where needed. This role will report to the Head of Project Management. Projects will be based in the UK and Europe with frequent travel to Europe and other worldwide locations. The role will involve being away from home for up to a month at a time and will require weekend work and extended days during time away at expos in order to deliver on time.

Responsibilities

• Take responsibility for the delivery of projects on time and within the agreed budget.
• Provide oversight for company and sub-contract teams in order to facilitate the successful completion of projects on time and in budget.
• Manage quality issues to ensure that the standards specified by the client are met.
• If on site, daily progress reporting.
• Work tightly within the client contract and ensure that all contractors have clear scopes of work.
• Find solutions in a dynamic work environment to ensure timely delivery to customers.
• Manage and take ownership start to finish for expos and events including planning, leading, delivering, liaising, organising, internal and external customers, key stakeholders, suppliers, internal and external team members and risk and issue management.

Qualifications

• Previous experience operating as a Project Manager, with end-to-end planning responsibilities.
• Telehandler and or forklift licences desirable but not essential providing the candidate is willing to undertake.
• Previous experience of construction sites preferred; site supervision essential.
• Previous experience of the events and or exhibition industries desirable but not essential.
• Proven ability to work as part of a team.
• Good computer skills required for communication with office, clients, contractors and suppliers including Word, Outlook, Teams, PowerPoint and Excel.
• Experience with back office systems e.g. Dynamics 365 desirable but not essential.
• Experience in commercial catering operations desirable but not essential.
• PRINCE2 qualification is desirable.

Required Skills

• Able to supervise and control a small team in a fast-moving operational environment.
• “Hands on”, can do attitude, resourceful.
• Willingness to work long and unsociable hours when needed essential.
• Good communicator at all levels – thinks up, down and across.
• Clear communicator with client.
• Focuses on financial as well as operational performance, uses resources carefully, thinks about how to get more for less.
• Takes decisions logically.
• Works in a tidy, organised way, never leaves things to the last minute, prioritises their work activities, tackles tasks systematically, is always prepared, plans how to meet deadlines.
• Able to act calmly under pressure, always recognising that there is a support team of managers to fall back on.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Proficiency in project management software and tools.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Must be eligible to gain CRB/DBS (Criminal Record Background/Disclosure Barring Service) clearance.

Preferred Skills

• This role will require a ‘hands on’ attitude to both project management and problem-solving.
• Candidates must be willing to travel across EU and UK when required.
• Weekend or evenings work required where project touch points exist.
• Exceptional candidates who do not meet these criteria may be considered for the role provided they have the necessary skills and experience.

Lowe is an equal opportunity employer and committed to a diverse workforce. We are incredibly selective in our hiring and shortlisting for this vacancy will be completed on the basis of merit. Candidates should tailor their CVs to reflect our essential criteria.