Project Manager in Leeds

Our aim is to become a market leader in the provision of Electric Vehicle charging solutions to Local Authorities and Businesses as part of our strategy to lead the transition to zero carbon. The goal is to undertake an ambitious electric vehicle charging installation program, deploying high volume and quality EV installations across the nation. Our aim is to make the world a better place, one charge point at a time.

The Project Manager will collaborate with Zest's customers and internal delivery teams to ensure the effective delivery of our projects. They focus on scheduling, documenting, and communicating all customer requirements, provide project status reporting for our installations (internally and to customers/project teams), tracking budgets, and escalate any blockers that could impact the delivery schedule. This is a highly collaborative role, and the Project Manager will work closely with our customers, Technical Delivery Managers, Customer Account Managers and other internal departments. Reporting into the Senior Project Manager within the Business Development team, this is an opportunity to make a difference to the physical environments in which we live and materially contribute to the net-zero carbon future.

• Using project methodology, values, principles, and practices to plan, manage, and deliver customer solutions aligned with contractual commitments.
• Overseeing appropriate project governance and approvals.
• Providing a central point of contact for customers/stakeholders throughout the installation, triaging and following up queries with the appropriate teams.
• Scheduling and facilitating customer meetings and engagement of key project stakeholders.
• Documenting customer requirements, project deliverables, and key project dates.
• Monitoring project progress, deliverables status and performance.
• Removing impediments to the project delivery process and escalating any issues or blockers to effective delivery.
• Enabling key internal and external partners, including third-party contractors, to deliver quality, on time and at the agreed cost, and updating the procurement team on performance.
• Management of risk and issues registers and ensuring risk mitigations are actioned.
• Management of decisions and actions log for each project.
• Coordinating the delivery of cross-departmental tasks and action items.
• Producing timely and accurate project reporting, including customer status reports, stakeholder updates, project costs, and internal Board packs.
• Presentation of project status at customer Project Board meetings and External Project Board meetings.
• Facilitation of smooth project handover and documentation at the appropriate point between internal teams.
• Ensuring that project documentation is stored in line with quality processes and the information management system.
• Tracking of project costs, working in conjunction with the Finance and Operations teams.
• Project evaluation and lessons learned logs.
• Ensuring continuous improvement in Zest projects by recommending and participating in process improvements and business change projects.
• Working with the operations and data team to capture and continuously improve project tracking.

Plus, any other duties as required by the leadership team.

• Achievement of deployment and installation targets.
• Consistent and timely customer reporting and review meetings.
• Consistent and timely internal reporting and Board meetings.
• Projects delivered to time, cost and quality expectations (RAG statuses).
• Risk mitigation scores for projects.
• Achievement of resource allocation and budgetary targets.
• Customer satisfaction from project evaluation.
• Continuous improvements in project methodology arising from lessons learned.

• Internal: IT, Operations, Technical, Customer Experience.
• External: Customers, 3rd party contractors.

• 3+ years of experience as a Project Manager, Customer Relationship Manager or in a similar role.
• Working knowledge of project management methodology, techniques, and frameworks, to deliver solutions.
• Project monitoring and reporting.
• Risk, issue and action management.
• Management experience.
• Excellent people and project management skills.
• Strong communication and presentation skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

• Tenacious and resourceful.
• Practical problem solver.
• Excellent communicator.
• Ability to influence and engage others.
• Collaborative worker.
• Focus on quality & process improvement.
• Taking ownership and accountability for tasks.

• Experience working in a similar role or environment.
• Ideally educated to degree level (or equivalent).

Zest is an equal opportunity employer, committed to the values and ultimately societal benefits of diversity, equity, and inclusion.