Senior Project Manager

Senior Project Manager

Location:  

Cambridge, GB

Category:  Education, Educational Projects and Contract Management

Job Title: Senior Project Manager

Contract: Full time, 15 month Fixed Term

Salary:    £40,500-£49,500

Location: Cambridge

What it's about 

The post holder is responsible for the delivery of one or more international education projects. This includes managing all project deliverables so that they are developed to scope, as per agreed schedule, within budget. You will be expected to manage the project team and will regularly maintain communication with all project stakeholders for the effective delivery of the project.  

This is a senior role and requires a proactive dynamic approach, hands on approach. The post holder will be representing the project and the organisation at senior level, inside and outside the organisation. Depending on the size and complexity of the project they will be responsible for one or more project managers. They will operate in a matrix management environment and will work in close cooperation with the functional heads of the technical teams.

What you'll be doing

Strategic direction and line management

• Relationship building and client management at senior level. Manage client facing interactions, e.g. progress meetings, annual or quarterly reviews, etc.
• Inputs into the strategic planning of the projects in cooperation with the Project Sponsor, Steering Group and Technical team.
• Line manage one or more project managers at different level of seniority. Performance appraisal, coaching and mentoring

Contract management

• Engage with the Business Development Team for the handover of new projects.  
• Facilitate the drafting and signing of contracts in coordination with the Clients, the Legal team, the Financial and Technical teams.
• Ongoing contract management, including change and contract variations.

Project initiation, planning, ongoing management and communications:

• Oversee the initiation of new projects, project kick-offs and establish the appropriate project governance and SharePoint infrastructure. Maintain forward planning of resources as needed.
• Facilitate the development of a Description of Services in collaboration with Technical team.
• Create or oversee the creation of effective Microsoft project plans for monitoring and tracking project progress. If appropriate, manage dependencies between multiple projects in a programme.
• Chair Working Group meetings and prepare documentation for Steering Group meetings.
• Define project communication strategy and provide regular verbal or written communication to all project stakeholders (internal team, client, etc)-
• Oversee project plans at a programme level, if appropriate, and ensure a co-ordinated approach across projects
• Overall responsibility for ensuring all project management documentation is in place and maintained.

Financial management:

• Responsible for setting budgets, authorising expenditure to an agreed limit.  Income recognition, reviewing and forecasting. Income analysis to inform decisions.
• Prepare or supervise preparation of table of charges and client invoices.

Evaluation, reporting, escalation of issues

• Resolve the escalation of issues from the project team with involvement of the Project Sponsor and Steering Group as appropriate.
• Ensure communication plans are in place and that reports are produced on time (monthly, quarterly, etc).  Ensure that risks are identified and managed with mitigation plans in place as appropriate, share lessons learned across teams and embed good practice.

What we're looking for

The post holder is expected to be fully accountable for the delivery of the project and for the team assigned to them.  Risks and issues monitored through the project life cycle need to be managed and escalated as appropriate.

The post holder will use their experience and knowledge to respond to clients’ needs in a way that meets their requirements and is cost effective to Cambridge International. They will articulate solutions or project/contract variations as appropriate gathering input from the Technical team. They are expected to make decisions in autonomy relating to the day-to-day project activities.

Who we are

Cambridge Assessment International Education prepares school students for life, helping them develop an informed curiosity and a lasting passion for learning. We are part of Cambridge Assessment, a department of the University of Cambridge. Our international qualifications are recognised by the world’s best universities and employers, giving students a wide range of options in their education and career. As a not-for-profit organisation, we devote our resources to delivering high-quality educational programmes that can unlock learners’ potential. 

Benefits

In addition to a competitive salary, we offer a comprehensive package of benefits to help with your life both inside and outside of work:

• Generous contributory pension
• 28 days annual leave, plus bank holidays 
• Annual performance related bonus and increases (discretionary) 
• Enhanced maternity/paternity pay and childcare voucher scheme 
• Employee discount and cash back scheme at 2,500 retailers 
• Cycle scheme 
• Season Ticket Loan
• Subsidised staff restaurants
• Support for professional qualifications
• Discounted access to the University of Cambridge Sport Centre, along with various other local gyms.

We know that diversity of thinking, backgrounds and approaches leads to innovation and creates an atmosphere where everyone’s contribution is valued. As well as wanting to create diverse teams, we also value diversity in the way our people approach their work. Work/life balance is important to us at Cambridge Assessment and we offer our colleagues a range of flexible working options according to the needs of the business and the individual, so please let us know of any flexible working requirements when applying and we can see how we can support you.

The closing date for receipt of applications is 24/02/2019 and interviews will be held on 14/3/2019.

If you’re successful at interview stage we will ask you to undergo background screening (carried out by Credence Background Screening Ltd), to ensure that all information provided to us is accurate. We wish you all the very best with your application.

CAMBRIDGE ASSESSMENT IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES EMPLOYER