Senior Project Manager

19841BR

Transformation Delivery

Managerial, Professional and Specialist Staff – MPSS

Advert

Senior Project Manager

Cardiff University exists to create and share knowledge and to educate for the benefit of all. Our vision is to be a world-leading, research excellent, educationally outstanding university, which fulfils its social, cultural and economic obligations to Cardiff, Wales, the UK and the world. The role that Finance Professional Services plays in supporting this vision is fundamental in ensuring that our external and internal customers are at the heart of what we do, by delivering efficient and effective customer service at all times.

The Finance function is now embarking on a significant programme of transformation to achieve the vision, service and support needed by the business. We are keen for a Senior project manager to join our team, to support the Finance function in delivery the programme.

This post is part-time (16 hours per week) and fixed term to 31 May 2026.

Salary: £51,039 - £55,755 per annum, pro-rata (Grade 7)

Date Advertised: Tuesday, 15 April 2025
Closing Date: Sunday, 27 April 2025

Cardiff University is committed to supporting and promoting equality and diversity and to creating an inclusive working environment. We believe this can be achieved through attracting, developing, and retaining a diverse range of staff from many different backgrounds who have the ambition to create a University which seeks to fulfil our social, cultural and economic obligation to Cardiff, Wales, and the world. In supporting our employees to achieve a balance between their work and their personal lives, we will also consider proposals for flexible working or job share arrangements.

Applications may be submitted in Welsh, and an application submitted in Welsh will not be treated less favourably than an application submitted in English.

Job Description

The role holder will be responsible for the successful planning, execution, monitoring, control and closure of a project or set of projects in support of specific business strategies and objectives.

This specific appointment has arisen to Support the Finance Transformation Programme.

The assignment may vary over time, and the role holder may be required to deliver other allocated projects should the need arise.

The Project Manager will be expected to take responsibility for the ongoing health of the project and ensure that progress towards the delivery of the expected outputs is managed and monitored and ultimately to ensure successful delivery.

In order to achieve this they will be expected to:

• Define the project scope, goals and deliverables
• Lead the project planning, implementation and transition to operational support
• Determine, monitor, and review project costs, staff resource requirements, inter-dependencies and project risks
• Monitor and report on project progress to all key stakeholders

The role may also involve the line-management and leadership of staff in the role-holder’s domain.

The Job Requires The Role Holder To

• Prepare the appropriate project approval and initiation documentation, ensuring project scope, objectives, benefits, resource requirements and project timescales are clearly defined and achievable.
• Devise detailed project plans in collaboration with the project delivery team, stakeholders, the project steering group and the programme manager (where appropriate).
• Ensure that project plans are kept up to date, accurately reflecting progress against the plans. Manage the addition of new tasks using appropriate change control processes, ensuring that plans anticipate future developments wherever possible.
• Lead on the achievement of project plans, ensuring objectives are met and deliverables are realised on time, to agreed standards and within budget.
• Determine, plan and regularly review the project resources, both financial and staff, and take action where these deviate from agreed tolerances.
• Monitor and produce reports on overall progress and initiate corrective action, as appropriate, to ensure that project deliverables are produced on time and within budget.
• Manage exceptions, slippage and issues of priority, and initiate extra activities wherever gaps in the project are identified.
• Manage the implementation of actions to mitigate and avoid project risks, and to manage the resolution of any issues that threaten delivery of the project.
• Take decisions within appropriate boundaries, and to clarify those boundaries as required; encourage members of the project team to take responsibility in a similar way.
• Alert senior management to technological, organisational or relationship issues that may threaten the achievement of agreed deadlines and outcomes that are not within the capabilities of the project team to solve within their own remit or resources.
• Plan appropriate testing within the project, ensuring all activities are completed in preparation for project stage gates.
• Provide effective project leadership and structure, managing and co-ordinating the work of the project team towards specific project outcomes.
• Ensure that resources are deployed effectively and ensure best performance by clarifying goals, setting objectives and monitoring progress.
• To ensure effective coordination with other teams, resolving conflicts and providing support, using a range of approaches as appropriate.
• Ensure administrative tasks for the project, including the organisation of project steering group meetings, are undertaken.
• Establish a communications strategy for the project, using appropriate communications tools and methods as appropriate.

Person Specification

Essential Criteria

• Proven ability in the management of projects from inception to successful implementation, including the development of project plans, the management of budgets, resources and timelines, and the dissemination and evaluation of project outcomes.
• Able to broker relationships with stakeholders at all levels, demonstrating the sensitivities required to balance and resolve the tensions in working with a wide range of contacts (both internally and externally at senior level).
• Proven ability to communicate at all levels, with all audiences, and to simplify complex issues and concepts, both through presentations and through clear written documents.
• Proven ability to shape developments through active participation and leadership of project teams.

Qualifications (IT/Academic/Vocational)

• A degree or equivalent experience / professional qualifications/ project management qualification (e.g. Prince2)

Experience

• Experience of creating and managing plans for complex projects, including budgets and resources, prioritisation and scheduling of conflicting tasks to deliver outputs under tight deadlines, risk and issue management and change management.
• Experience of bringing together technical specialists and business project teams to promote effective cooperative working relationships and a consistent common focus.

Desirable Criteria

• Strong competencies in the use of desktop computers and common IT software applications (especially Microsoft Office and Microsoft Project)
• Management qualification in ITIL, or similar.
• Welsh Speaker

Additional Information

• Personally manage communications between the project team and stakeholders to effectively manage deadlines, actions, project changes and progress and update senior management as necessary.
• Prepare project reports for review by the Programme Board, defining project progress, issues and solutions.
• Facilitate positive change by working in partnership with customers (directorates and schools) and technology delivery agents (e.g. system owners, enterprise architects, business analysts, other project managers and customer service professionals).
• Manage the transition from project to operational support.
• Ensure that projects are formally closed and subsequently reviewed, and that lessons learned are recorded.
• Develop and maintain appropriate project documentation as defined by the PMO and/or Senior Responsible Owner.
• Provide advice and guidance to less experienced or more junior project managers as appropriate.
• Any other duties required by the Director of Transformation Delivery, or other University senior management which are not included above, but which will be consistent with the role.
• To ensure compliance with legal and regulatory requirements in respect of equality and diversity, data protection, copyright and licensing, security, financial and other University policies, procedures and codes as appropriate.
• To take reasonable care for the health and safety of yourself and of other persons who may be affected by your acts or omissions at work in accordance with the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, EC directives and the University’s Safety, Health and Environment Policies and procedures and to cooperate with the University on any legal duties placed on it as the employer.
• You may also be asked to perform other duties occasionally which are not included above, but which will be consistent with the role.

Where the role requires staff management and leadership the following responsibilities will also apply:

• Be ultimately responsible for development and pastoral care and welfare of the staff under the line-management of the role holder including objective setting, appraisal, performance review and training. Be a point of escalation for welfare issues including dealing with matters where there are no set guidelines or procedures.
• Ensure that staff for whom the role holder is responsible operate within appropriate risk assessments and operating procedures and are compliant with all University procedures and policies.

Salary Range Min.

51,039

Salary Range Max.

55,755

Job Category

Admin / Clerical

Grade

Grade 7