Project Manager

The University

At Durham University we are proud of our people. A globally outstanding centre of educational excellence, a collegiate community of extraordinary people, a unique and historic setting – Durham is a university like no other. We believe that inspiring our people to do outstanding things at Durham enables Durham people to do outstanding things professionally and personally.  Across the University we have a huge variety of roles and career opportunities, which together make us a large and successful community, which is a key hub of activity within our region and nationally. We would be thrilled if you would consider joining our thriving University. Further information about the University can be found here

The Role and Department

The Computing and Information Services department (CIS) has an annual operational budget in the order of £10m, multi-million pound programmes of change within year, and approximately 185 staff. The Senior Leadership Team report directly to the Chief Information Officer (CIO) with the following portfolios: Strategy and Change; Operations; Information Systems and Cyber Security. CIS provide academic, teaching and administrative services across the organisation that underpin the day-to-day activities of the whole organisation.

The CIS Project Management Office sits within the Strategy and Change Directorate, and is comprised of Project Managers, Business Analysts and Project Support staff. The CIS PMO play a key role in delivering the Universities Digital Strategy and provides oversight and leadership across a diverse portfolio of projects, collaborating with a wide range of colleagues to deliver initiatives in the Infrastructure, Software Implementation, Business led IT and Cyber Security space.

We are looking for a multi-skilled project manager with a track record of successful project delivery to join our productive PMO team.  

In this role you will play a key part in a number of initiatives or one large project with corresponding complexity. The exact project mix will vary based on demand, skills, experience, and individual development opportunities.

The key responsibility of the role is delivering the required project deliverables within the specified time frame, and to the agreed cost and quality. Additionally, the role will:

• Lead the planning and implementation of project initiatives.
• Identify and manage project dependencies, risks, issues and the critical path.
• Oversee and manage project scope, tasks, goals, deliverables and timelines in accordance with enterprise project management tools and philosophies.
• Monitor the progress of project(s), highlighting exceptions as required.
• Conduct matrix management of project teams to deliver project successes.
• In conjunction with others, support the delivery of project benefits as presented in the Business Case

Working at Durham 

A competitive salary is only one part of the many fantastic benefits you will receive if you join the University: you will also receive access to the following fantastic benefits: 

•    30 Days annual leave per year in addition to 8 public holidays and 4 customary days per year – a total of 42 days per year.  
•    The University closes between Christmas and New Year
•    We offer a generous pension scheme, As a new member of staff you will be automatically enrolled into the University Superannuation Scheme (USS).
•    No matter how you travel to work, we have you covered.  We have parking across campus, a cycle to work scheme which helps you to buy a bike and discount with local bus and train companies.
•    There is a genuine commitment to developing our colleagues professionally and personally.  There is a comprehensive range of development courses, apprenticeships and access to qualifications and routes to develop your career in the University.  All staff have dedicated annual time to concentrate on their personal development opportunities. 
•    Lots of support for health and wellbeing including discounted membership for our state of the art sport and gym facilities and access to a 24-7 Employee Assistance Programme.
•    On site nursery is available and access to holiday camps for children aged 5-16 throughout the year.
•    Family friendly policies, including maternity and adoption leave, which are among the most generous in the higher education sector (and likely above and beyond many employers).
•    The opportunity to take part in staff volunteering activities to make a difference in the local community
•    Discounts are available via our benefits portal including; money off at supermarkets, high street retailers, IT products such as Apple, the cinema and days out at various attractions. 
•    A salary sacrifice scheme is also available to help you take advantage of tax savings on benefits. 
•    If you are moving to Durham, we can help with removal costs and we have a dedicated team who can help you with the practicalities such as house hunting and schools. If you need a visa, we cover most visa costs and offer an interest free loan scheme to pay for dependant visas.

Durham University is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion

Our collective aim is to create an open and inclusive environment where everyone can reach their full potential and we believe our staff should reflect the diversity of the global community in which we work.  As a University equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) are a key part of the University’s Strategy and a central part of everything we do.  We also live by our values and our Staff Code of Conduct.  At Durham we actively work towards providing an environment where our staff and students can study, work and live in a community which is supportive and inclusive. It’s important to us that all of our colleagues are aligned to both our values and commitment to EDI.

We welcome and encourage applications from members of groups who are under-represented in our work force including people with disabilities, women and black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. If you have taken time out of your career, and you feel it relevant, let us know about it in your application.  If you are a candidate with a disability, we are committed to ensuring fair treatment throughout the recruitment process. We will make adjustments to support the interview process wherever it is reasonable to do so and, where successful, reasonable adjustments will be made to support people within their role.

What you need to demonstrate when you apply/Person Specification  
  
When you apply it is important that you let us know what skills/experience you have from a similar role and/or what skills/experience you have which would make you right for this role.  Further information about the role and responsibilities is at the end of this job description.  
  
Your application should cover the following criteria:  

Essential Criteria

Qualifications/Experience

1.     Educated to degree level (or equivalent experience).

2.     Experience of implementing policies and procedures and involvement with future changes for a service area.

3.     Experience of providing specialist advice and guidance to a range of customers and colleagues, including more senior colleagues.

4.     Experience of participating in internal or external networks to share and discuss good practice, develop strong and productive working relationships and positively influence the University’s reputation.

5.     Experience of the full project lifecycle with recognised formal project management qualification(s) or equivalent experience.

6.     Previous experience of successfully managing complex projects with multiple stakeholders.

7.     Proven track record of delivering projects on time, to budget and to agreed scope.

8.     Experience of being able to network effectively and develop strong and productive working relationships, to influence perceptions of the organisation.

  Skills/Abilities/Knowledge

9.     Excellent spoken and written communication skills including the ability to develop effective working relationships, both internally and externally.

10.     Strong digital competence across a range of digital devices and apps including digital project planning tools, Microsoft 365 applications.

11.  Committed to continuing professional development to maintain professional recognition.

12.  Knowledge and experience of ensuring compliance with regulatory and organisational policy and guidelines.

13.  Ability to solve problems and decide on and plan appropriate solutions.  

Desirable Criteria

14.  Experience of IT project delivery.

15.  Continuing professional development required to maintain professional recognition.

16.  Experience of budget management and resource allocation.

17.  Experience of line management and/or line management qualification. 

How to Apply   

To progress to the assessment stage, candidates must evidence each of the essential criteria required for the role in the person specification above. It will be at the discretion of the recruiting panel as to whether they will also consider any desirable criteria, but we would urge candidates to provide evidence for all criteria.  Please don’t forget to check if there is any weighted criteria (see above).

While some criteria will be considered at the shortlisting stage, other criteria may be considered later in the assessment process, such as questions at interview.   
  
Submitting your application 

We prefer to receive applications online. We will update you about your application at various points throughout the selection process, via automated emails from our e-recruitment system. Please check your spam/junk folder periodically to make sure you have not missed any of our updates.

What you need to submit   

• A CV: and 
• A Covering Letter/Supporting statement that evidences how you meet each of the essential criteria listed in the person specification

Contact details   
  
For further information please contact: Claire Henderson, CIS Senior Manager, PMO. Email: [email protected].

Typical Role Requirements  

Service Delivery/Development

• Show a commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and the University’s values.
• Implement changes to the design and development of service processes, techniques, and deliverables for one or more service strands or project streams.
• Manage the delivery of multiple projects across the University to a high standard.
• Contribute to development of operational service activities to ensure excellence in the stakeholder experience.
• Work with your team to look for ways to improve processes, techniques and outputs across all areas of your work.

Planning and Organisation

• Oversee and manage project scope, tasks, goals, deliverables and timelines in accordance with enterprise project management tools and philosophies.
• Identify and manage project dependencies and the critical path.
• Contribute to progressing the strategic and operational priorities of the CIS PMO.
• Review data on the level of service provided by your area to recommend areas for future improvement.
• Responsible for managing budgets through the course of delivering a project, keeping records and processing invoices. 

Team Development

·       Ensure that your project team can deliver the required activities by devolving and delegating responsibilities to appropriate team members.

·       Line management of one team member.

·       Carry out regular performance reviews for your team member to provide feedback on objectives and expectations and identify any development needs.

·       Support the welfare and wellbeing of your team member referring more complex issues to specialist services.

·       Delivery of ongoing coaching, mentoring and training to a team member. 

·       Manage and monitor performance and workload outcomes and/or staff, planning cover to ensure smooth service provision through peaks and troughs. 

Communication/Liaison

• Provide advice and share guidance with your stakeholders to ensure that the University’s policies, procedures and regulations are complied with.
• Use your project management expertise to participate in business meetings, working groups and sub-committees.
• Contribute to and lead project meetings, working groups and sub-committees at departmental and operational service levels.
• Update policies and procedures in response to any internal or external changes.
• Create positive working relationships, including internal and external networks, using your networks to increase your knowledge and skills and swap information with peers.
• Any other reasonable duties.