Job Title: Programme / Project Manager
2 year Fixed Term Contract
Manchester based (2 to 3 days per week in the office – non negotiable)
 
Job Summary:
My client is looking for an experienced Programme / Project Manager with Change Management experience to oversee the end-to-end management of business-focused change initiatives. The successful candidate will be responsible for leading projects from inception to completion, ensuring they are delivered on time, within scope, and on budget, while achieving defined business benefits.
 
This role requires a skilled communicator with a proven track record in project management, who can collaborate effectively across functions, geographies, and cultures, and is comfortable with regular travel primarily to Belgium and Luxembourg.
 
Key Responsibilities:

Project Management: Lead the full project lifecycle, including planning, delivery, monitoring, control, and closure, to meet agreed-upon scope, time, cost, quality, and benefit parameters.
Project Planning & Budget Management: Translate approved project definitions into actionable plans with budgets, and manage these budgets throughout the project lifecycle to ensure financial control.
Resource Planning: Develop resource plans and collaborate with Resource Managers to ensure appropriate allocation and utilization of project resources.
Change Management: Create and execute change plans to implement changes in a sustainable and manageable manner.
Data Management: Maintain accurate and timely data entry in project management software, ensuring project data integrity and availability.
Decision Facilitation: Facilitate trade-off decisions between project scope, time, cost, and quality, ensuring that significant changes undergo a structured change control process.
Portfolio Engagement: Actively contribute to portfolio success, achieving commercial objectives, providing regular updates, and escalating issues as needed.
Risk & Dependency Management: Identify, monitor, and manage inter-project dependencies, risks, and issues, escalating and resolving as required in collaboration with relevant stakeholders.
Stakeholder Management: Build and maintain strong relationships with project sponsors and business owners, managing expectations through clear communication and regular status updates. 
Key Result Areas:

Successful, timely, and budget-compliant delivery of projects.
Clear visibility of project and program risks, issues, and interdependencies at the portfolio level.
Compliance with established Transformation Office practices and project management standards.
Demonstrated accountability for the successful delivery of project deliverables.
Consistent use of company PPM tools to support all phases of project lifecycle delivery. 
Behavioural Competencies:

Resilience Under Pressure: Demonstrates calm and composure during periods of pressure or while addressing issues.
Relationship Building: Exhibits strong interpersonal skills, capable of building collaborative relationships across various functions, regions, and cultures.
Effective Communication: Clear and concise communicator, adept at distilling complex information and providing straightforward updates.
Willingness to Travel: Comfortable with regular travel, primarily to Belgium and Luxembourg. 
Technical Competencies & Qualifications:

Certifications: Certified in Project Management (e.g., APM, Prince 2, MSP, Agile).
Industry Experience: Experience managing projects in FMCG, Manufacturing, or Retail sectors.
Project Management Experience: Proven experience managing multiple projects and stakeholders, with a track record of driving business change across diverse functions.
M&A Activity: Experience with M&A project management is advantageous.
Business Environment Knowledge: Familiar with logistics, supply chain, finance, and manufacturing operations.
Project Delivery Experience: Over five years of hands-on experience with Agile, Waterfall, and hybrid project delivery methods, with a deep understanding of when and how to leverage each approach. 
Please note: This role is for a Business PM/Change Practitioner, and it is not an IT/Technical position