Project Manager in Paisley

Venesky-Brown’s client, a public sector organisation in Glasgow / Edinburgh, is currently looking to recruit a Project Manager for a 12 week contract on a rate of £343/day (inside IR35). This role will be hybrid.

Responsibilities:

• Appraise initial Project proposals and provide ongoing review and guidance, support the delivery of an effective management and control mechanism for the creation, approval, delivery and post-implementation review of change projects that will balance the need for effective governance whilst facilitating and speeding up the process of Project approval.
• Produce comprehensive and fully costed Business Cases and present these to the funding authority to secure funding for the Project(s).
• Develop and manage the plans, risks, Project Team and resources to deliver outcomes to the appropriate level of quality, on time and within budget, in accordance with the individual Project Plans.
• Ensure that the organisation and staff are managed carefully through the process of change from any former operational environment to any new model or way of working, that the results are reviewed, and that adjustments are made, if necessary, to achieve the results as planned. This will require a full organisational development plan to be constructed including effective training and the postholder selling the vision of the Project’s goals at all stages.
• Ensure that there are active and effective links to other Projects and initiatives where relevant by identifying the key linkages, representing the Project on other Project Steering Groups/Boards and developing joint working where required.
• Ensure the Project is subjected to effective post-implementation review to learn lessons and ensure that these are recycled into Project methodology and corporate policies.
• Ensure all projects meet the requirements of the Standing Financial Instructions, as well as all other internal policies and procedures.
• Advise all parts on effective change management processes to maximise the success and benefits of all investments in change including the use of business systems and new technology to facilitate better ways of working.
• Promote and support continuous improvement programmes by being expert in quality improvement method and being able to embed these into operational processes in a pragmatic and effective way through excellent design and skills transfer.
• Advise and assist all parts and the Project Teams for national initiatives in the use of quality improvement techniques in support of the Corporate strategy and business plans e.g. the EFQM Excellence Model and Business Process Redesign to improve the operations, enhance customer services and improve efficiency.
• Responsibility for line management of staff for a range of different project staff from Project Support to Project Co-ordination staff. There is a responsibility to recruit, develop, train and undertake appraisal of staff to continuously ensure that capabilities are commensurate with duties and Project requirement. There are instances whereby formal disciplinary or performance management issues have to be implemented and staff be taken through this process.

Essential Skills:

• Degree educated or equivalent, with significant professional experience.
• Evidence of continuing professional development.
• Proven experience of project management.
• Good knowledge and evidenced application of methodologies and techniques for planning, monitoring and controlling projects.
• Experience of change management and the use of skills to facilitate change.
• Experience of co-ordinating all Project Phases including Initiation, Design, Implementation, Transition and Support.
• Experience of chairing meetings.
• Evidence of excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Excellent report writing and presentation skills.
• Ability to recognise and adapt to the environment in which the project operates.
• The ability to find ways of solving or pre-empting problems.

Desirable Skills:

• Formal project management training e.g PRINCE2™, AGILE™.
• Experience of using information for management purposes and in setting and monitoring targets and performance indicators.
• Experience and knowledge of delivering effective customer-orientated services.
• Good knowledge of budgeting and resource allocation procedures and effective financial management skills.
• Experience of technical/digital delivery.
• Experience of people management.
• Knowledge and experience of delivering quality improvement initiatives e.g. the ability to analyse and redesign business processes to make best use of the people involved and enabling this with new technology as appropriate.
• Evidence of excellent communication and negotiation/influencing skills.
• Effective leadership skills. Ability to lead and create a clear common purpose amongst the members of the sub-project teams.
• Constructing pragmatic proposals for developing new initiatives that balance innovation and excellent modern methods within the resources available, and that have a clear change management plan.

If you would like to hear more about this opportunity please get in touch.