Project Manager

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Job role: Project Manager

Contract Length: 1-3 months (view to extend)

Start Date: ASAP

Location: West London

The Project Manager will be responsible for the successful initiation, control and closure of projects in line with the organisation's project management methodology and procedures.

The overall purpose of the job is to ensure the successful delivery of Technology solutions to business problems. This will be achieved by managing the end to end lifecycle of multiple Technology projects. The outcome will be new products/services or changes to existing products/services through the co-ordination with relevant business contacts and management of Technology resources.

Key responsibilities

Project Management

To manage the NAC (Network Access Control) developer network project through all relevant stages of its lifecycle from project initiation through to project closure and post implementation review by applying appropriate formal project management methods including stakeholder management, risk and issue management, scope control and project monitoring. This will include some or all of the following depending upon the nature, size and composition of the project:

For each designated project (as defined and agreed between Technology and the Business):

* To initiate and manage the production of initiation documents for the proposed project, and to facilitate expert IT input to the process, co-ordinating relevant input from Technology and the Business to do so.

* To prepare a detailed forecast of all the project related costs, liaising with all required parties to gather the most accurate estimates possible and commitment on agreed spend.

* To work with the relevant functions to specify the resource requirements for each stage of the project and ensure these can be provided from Development, Infrastructure and Operations, Testing and the Business as required.

* To ensure a detailed project plan is developed and maintained, identifying key milestones, tasks, priorities, dependencies and responsibilities.

* To work with the Business and programme managers, and others in Technology to define and quantify the Business Case for the proposed project.

* To closely manage and monitor the projects finances throughout the lifecycle of the project, working closely with the Technology finance group in order to report regularly on the actual expenditure against forecast.

* To ensure that business deliverables are appropriate to business requirements in terms of quality cost and time-scale.

* To manage the selection of 3rd party services that may be required to deliver a project, working with the Strategy, Architecture and procurement teams.

* To identify, manage and review risks, including those associated with interdependencies between projects, and take actions to ensure that risks are managed down.

* To develop and sustain relationships with the Programme Management Office, relevant Business Managers and other stakeholders to provide regular reviews of progress against milestones to the business and Technology management as appropriate.

* To work closely with the programme manager, and the Business directly, to review the level of benefits realisation of the project, undertake post closure project reviews, capturing and sharing lessons learned.

Service Improvement

* To identify, specify and implement enhancements to existing services and processes on an ongoing basis in order to continually improve service levels.

Management of Project Staff

* To ensure Technology projects are resourced appropriately and that teams proposed by the relevant Technology functions have the appropriate skills and experience.

* To ensure project objectives, milestones and service levels are understood, met and maintained by team members.

* To manage project communications ensuring regular and effective communication with the project team.

Competency Profile

1. Project Management

- Ability to managing delivery through all stages of the project lifecycle (Initiation, Analysis, Design, Build and Implementation)

2. Managing time and Cost: Ability to manage project on time and to budget

- Ability to Forecast, monitor and report cost accurately the project cost and timescales

- Ability to deliver the project using the allocated funding and within the forecasted timescales

3. Managing risks and issues:

- Rigour and discipline required to manage risk and issues

- Ability to overcome obstacles by thinking creatively and finding innovative ways to solve the issues blocking the progress of a project

4. Managing people:

- Ability to manage internal and 3rd party resources in a matrix environment (i.e. without the authority one can have by default when project teams are also direct reports)

- Ability to manage conflicts effectively

5. Managing Communication: Quality and effectiveness of communications and documentation

- Ability to plan and manage communication effectively

- Ability to articulate complex situations in a simple way so that people outside of the project group can understand.

6. Managing change:

- Ability to drive business changes and manage cross functional and cross-divisional projects end-to-end

- Ability to understand the bigger picture and take a holistic view of the change a project is introducing into the business.

7. Managing stakeholders:

- Ability to build strong relationships with the technology and business stakeholders.

- Ability to deliver clear, well-organised presentations to Senior Management and up to Executive Board level.

Specialist Knowledge

Essential

· Understanding of Cisco Security architecture platforms and technologies / products

· Experience of Client site deployments of Cisco Security products, project design, requirements gathering for developer networks and implementation

· Experience of implementing enterprise level networking platforms

· Basic understanding of the 3-tier network architecture (Core, Distribution, Access).

· Experience of working on network related projects, where Cisco products have been utilised in solutions

· Project Management and associated methods and tools

· Knowledge of full project lifecycle

· Significant experience of delivering Technology projects through others and without direct control

· Proven previous experience in senior Stakeholder management and leading teams in a matrix environment

Desirable

· Experience of implementing Cisco Security technologies (Cisco IOS, Cisco ASA, ISE)

· Aware of networking fundamentals, including layer 3 routing, layer 2 switching, firewalling and load balancing concepts

· Defining requirements and capturing from stakeholders, ability to document / engage / challenge technical SMEs.

· Aware of different client and headless type endpoints, including Mac, Windows, Linux and other peripherals, including but not limited to, printers, games consoles, door entry systems, CCTV and set top boxes.