Project Manager

Smiths News; Swindon; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 50,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company bonus

Health cash plan

25 days holiday

Life assurance 4x salary

Pension 5% matched

Training and development

Sharesave Scheme

Cycle to work

Colleague Assistance Programme

Colleague referral scheme

Job summary

Smiths News in Swindon, UK is recruiting a non-technical project manager to lead a wide range of projects during a fixed-term maternity leave. You will report to the Programme Office Manager within the Central Change team, managing governance, portfolio, prioritisation, and cross-functional delivery with internal and external partners.

The role requires proven project or programme management experience, strong stakeholder engagement, leadership, and excellent communication.

Qualifications

• Project or programme management experience delivering objectives on time, in budget and to quality.
• Ability to prioritise tasks and manage a portfolio of projects.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and leadership capabilities.
• Excellent communication and problem solving across cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Provide project management/governance for large, complex cross-functional projects.
• Maintain the organisation's project portfolio and support prioritisation.
• Facilitate delivery with internal teams and external partners.

Skills

Project management

Stakeholder management

Leadership

Communication

Time management

Risk management

Education

APM certification

Prince2 certification

PMI certification

Job description

£45,000 to £50,000 per annum plus bonus and benefits.

Fixed term contract - maternity leave

This role is being recruited for a non-technical project manager who has experience in managing a wide range of project types - candidates with experience that only specialises in software development or systems project management will not be considered

Our reputation as the UK’s largest newspaper and magazine wholesaler speaks for itself. Every day, we serve more than 22,000 customers from 34 distribution centres across the country. Behind every nightly miracle is a team of dedicated people carrying out more roles than you realise – we’re the unseen force that delivers. So when we say we’re excited for what the future holds for our customers and colleagues, you can trust we’re as good as our word.

Reporting to the Programme Office Manager, the Central Change team is responsible for our project management/governance methodology and provides project management for the organisation’s large, complex and cross functional projects. Additionally, the Central Change team is responsible for maintaining the organisation’s portfolio of projects, and provides facilitation and support to the business on prioritisation.

What we can offer you

Not only do we offer free onsite parking, 4x salary life assurance and 5% match pension but you’ll also have access to:

• Company bonus
• Company funded Health Cash Plan – providing cash back for everyday healthcare costs such as dental, optical and physiotherapy
• 25 days holiday plus holiday buy scheme
• 24/7 E-Learning modules, Training and Development opportunities
• Sharesave Scheme, Cycle to work schemes, Health cash plan
• Colleague Assistance Programme & Colleague referral scheme

About you

• Project or programme management experience, with a track record of using the relevant tools and methodologies to deliver agreed objectives on time, in budget and to quality
• Ability to see the bigger picture and make decisions under pressure
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and management skills
• Excellent leadership and team management skills whilst balancing constructive challenge with psychological safety
• Ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional teams and external vendors/partners
• Strong communication, negotiation, and problem-solving skills through relevant written, verbal or visual channels
• Proven ability to anticipate and mitigate issues that may impact on your project
• Highly organised with strong time-management skills
• Project Management certifications preferred but not essential (APM, Prince2, PMI or equivalent)

Please note: you must have the right to work in the UK to be considered for this position.

A career with us is a career filled with people, pride, and passion. We rely on each other to get the job done, and we deliver what we say we will. Let’s see if we can rely on you, too.