Project Manager (IS)

Howden Joinery Limited; Northampton; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary and annual company‑

Excellent pension scheme (companycon‑)

25 days holiday + bank holidays

Staff Discount

Employee Assistance Programme

Exceptional Reward and Recognition

Job summary

Howdens Joinery Limited in Northampton is seeking an experienced IT Project Manager to join our Portfolio & Programme Delivery team. You will own projects from planning to close, coordinating sponsors, stakeholders and delivery teams to achieve successful outcomes.

You’ll build realistic plans, monitor budgets and risks, and keep stakeholders informed with clear updates. The role requires PM qualifications and a track record of delivering complex initiatives, with MS Office and collaboration

Qualifications

• 2–5 years’ experience in a Project Management role.
• Up-to-date PM qualification such as APM PMQ/PPQ, PRINCE2 Practitioner or PMI PMP.
• Track record of delivering complex or cross-functional projects.
• Strong understanding of project planning, risk & issue management, stakeholder management, change management and budgets.
• Experience with Azure DevOps or Jira/Confluence.
• MS Office suite proficiency including Teams, Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Visio and MS Project.

Responsibilities

• Take ownership of projects from initial planning through to implementation and close.
• Work with sponsors, stakeholders and delivery teams to define success and create a clear plan.
• Create realistic project plans with timescales, resources, budgets, milestones and dependencies.
• Coordinate cross-functional teams across Technology and the wider business.
• Monitor progress, budgets, risks and issues, and intervene to keep delivery on track.
• Provide stakeholders with clear, useful project updates and reporting.
• Manage changing requirements and priorities while maintaining overall goals.
• Collaborate with technical teams, resource managers and suppliers to resolve blockers.
• Ensure governance and documentation are in place without delaying delivery.
• Capture learnings at project close for continuous improvement.

Skills

Project management

Stakeholder management

Risk management

Budget management

Change management

Communication

Leadership

Planning

Education

APM PMQ

PRINCE2 Practitioner

PMI PMP

Tools

Azure DevOps

Jira

Confluence

Microsoft Teams

Excel

PowerPoint

Word

Visio

MS Project

Job description

At Howdens, we're looking for an experienced IT Project Manager to join our Portfolio & Programme Delivery team in Northampton. You’ll play a key role in delivering technology and business projects that support our continued growth and success. We're looking for someone who enjoys understanding the detail, identifying dependencies and risks, and working through the complexities of delivery to achieve successful outcomes. You’ll take ownership of a variety of technology and business projects, bringing together people from across Howdens to turn ideas and requirements into successful delivery. From getting a project off the ground through to implementation and close, you’ll keep everyone moving in the same direction and make sure projects stay on track when priorities change or challenges crop up. It’s a great opportunity for someone who enjoys getting stuck into complex projects, working with different teams and stakeholders, and finding practical ways to overcome problems and keep things moving.

What you’ll be doing

• Take ownership of projects from initial planning right through to implementation and close.
• Work with project sponsors, stakeholders and delivery teams to agree what success looks like and create a clear plan for getting there.
• Build realistic project plans covering timescales, resources, budgets, milestones and dependencies.
• Bring together teams from across Technology and the wider business, making sure everyone understands priorities and what needs to happen next.
• Keep a close eye on progress, budgets, risks and issues, stepping in early when something could knock delivery off track.
• Keep stakeholders informed with clear, useful project updates and reporting.
• Manage changing requirements and priorities without losing sight of the overall project goals.
• Work closely with technical teams, resource managers and suppliers to resolve challenges and remove blockers.
• Make sure projects have the right level of governance and documentation in place without losing focus on getting things delivered.
• Capture key learnings when projects close and look for ways we can continually improve how we deliver projects.

We’re looking for someone who can bring people together, build strong relationships and confidently take ownership of delivery. You’ll also need:

• 2–5 years’ experience working in a Project Management role.
• An up-to-date Project Management qualification such as APM PMQ, APM PPQ, PRINCE2 Practitioner or PMI PMP.
• A track record of successfully delivering complex or cross-functional projects.
• A strong understanding of project planning, risk and issue management, stakeholder management, change management and project budgets.
• Experience working with different project delivery methodologies.
• Experience using Azure DevOps or similar tools such as Jira or Confluence.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft applications including Teams, Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Visio and MS Project.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, with the confidence to work with people at different levels.
• A practical, organised approach and the ability to stay calm when priorities change or problems need solving.

What we can offer you

• Competitive salary and annual company bonus
• Excellent pension scheme (company contribution of up to 12%)
• 25 days holiday + bank holidays with the option to buy additional days
• Staff Discount
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Exceptional Reward and Recognition events

About Howdens

Howdens Joinery is a highly successful FTSE 100 business, with more than 900 depots nationwide and more than 11,000 staff. Last year our sales reached circa 2.3bn, and we continue to experience significant growth and success. Despite our scale, Howdens remains a local business with traditional values. There is a strong entrepreneurial ethos and the opportunity to develop within a fast‑paced and commercial environment. That, along with a competitive salary, development opportunities, and exciting rewards, are among the reasons why our people enjoy working for Howdens – and why we have been named one of the 10 Best Big Companies to Work For.

Howdens is founded on the principle of being Worthwhile for ALL concerned. We’re working hard to ensure we provide an inclusive environment where everyone feels welcome.

Please note that candidates applying for this role must have a valid right to work in the UK, we do not offer sponsorship of employment for any depot positions at this time.

Whether you’re working in our depots, building strong relationships with our trade customers, or applying your expertise to create, manufacture and distribute our market‑leading products, there are many roles that make Howdens a success. At Howdens, our people are at the heart of everything we do. Whether in our depots, manufacturing sites, or support teams, everyone plays a vital role in helping us grow, innovate, and make a difference. We work exclusively with trade professionals, giving them the products, service, and support they need to deliver kitchens fitted to the highest standard. By building strong partnerships with local tradespeople, we help them exceed their customers’ expectations, and in turn, we all succeed together. Our success is built on a simple but powerful model: locally empowered depot teams backed by a world‑class supply chain. This means we can keep products in stock, provide exceptional service, and deliver real value to our customers every day.