Senior Project Manager (City of Westminster)

Gbs Uk; Leeds; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A higher education institution based in Leeds is looking for a Senior Project Manager to lead and deliver complex projects aligned with the organisational goals. Responsibilities include managing large-scale initiatives, resource allocation, stakeholder engagement, and ensuring compliance with project governance. The ideal candidate will have significant project management experience, strong leadership skills, and a bachelor's degree in a relevant field. The role offers benefits including flexible leave, pension scheme, and various perks.

Benefits

Extra leave per year of service

Workplace pension scheme

Tuition reimbursement

Flexible Benefits

Employee referral scheme

Performance bonus

Qualifications

• Minimum one year of experience in project management in the Higher Education sector.
• Hands-on experience in Scrum and knowledge of Agile methodology.
• Proven ability to manage multiple complex projects concurrently.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end project management for large-scale initiatives.
• Motivate and mentor junior members of the PMO team.
• Report project status and compliance to senior management.

Skills

Project management

Stakeholder engagement

Risk management

Team management

Resource management

Interpersonal skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Information Technology, or Education

Tools

MS Project

JIRA

Job description

What We Do: The Business Improvement Unit works across the organisation to provide technical and process improvements via projects and audits. The role: Reporting to the Project Management Office Manager, the Senior Project Manager will lead and deliver complex projects in alignment with the GBS (Global Banking School) project governance framework, aimed at enhancing our academic and administrative systems, ensuring alignment with organisational goals and industry standards.

Responsibilities

• Project Leadership: Lead end-to-end project management for large-scale initiatives, from initiation through delivery and post-implementation review, ensuring projects are completed on time, within scope, and within budget.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Work closely with academic leaders, administrative staff, IT teams, and external partners to define project goals, gather requirements, and ensure alignment with institutional priorities.
• Resource Management: Oversee the allocation and utilisation of resources, including personnel, technology, and finances, to optimise project outcomes.
• Team Management and Mentoring: Mentor, train/coach and support junior members of the PMO team to enhance their skills, enabling them to grow within the PMO structure and confidently deputise for the PMO Manager when needed.
• Risk Management: Identify potential risks and develop mitigation strategies to minimise impact on project timelines and objectives.
• Reporting: Provide regular updates to senior management and governance bodies on project status, including progress, risks, and budget performance.
• Governance and Reporting: Ensure full compliance with the GBS project delivery framework, producing timely updates, dashboards, and reports for senior leadership and governance forums.
• Quality Assurance: Ensure that all project deliverables meet the highest quality standards and comply with relevant regulations (e.g. B3, GDPR) and accreditation requirements.
• Change Management: Lead change management efforts, including training and communication strategies, to ensure successful adoption of new systems and processes.
• Finance Management: Manage project budgets effectively, undertaking cost-benefit analyses, tracking expenditure, and ensuring financial accountability throughout the project lifecycle.

Qualifications

• Significant experience working in project management positions, preferably with at least a year in the Higher Education sector.
• Experience in both traditional Waterfall and Agile methodologies, with practical knowledge and hands-on involvement in Scrum within past project delivery environments.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams and manage complex projects with multiple stakeholders.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to influence and negotiate at all levels of the organisation.
• Experience of managing multiple projects at different stages, concurrently.
• Experience with project management tools (e.g., MS Project, JIRA, or similar) and understanding of a range of Project Management approaches including Agile, Waterfall and Prince2 with formal training in one or more of these methodologies.
• Bachelors degree in a relevant field (e.g., Business Administration, Information Technology, Education).

Desirable Skills and Experience

• Certifications: PMP, PRINCE2 Practitioner, Agile or SCRUM certification.
• Experience in leading organisational change initiatives within a Higher Education setting.
• Familiarity with educational technology solutions and their implementation.

About GBS

GBS is a higher education provider offering a range of sector-relevant courses across ten campuses in London, Birmingham, Leeds and Manchester. Working in partnership with several of the UK’s leading higher education providers, we deliver vocational, undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in finance, accounting, business, construction, tourism, healthcare, and more.

Benefits

• 1‑day extra leave per year of service, up to a maximum of 5 days.
• Workplace pension scheme.
• Tuition reimbursement for career development courses.
• Flexible Benefits: Cycle to Work, Workplace Nursery, Techscheme and much more.
• Perks@Work discounts platform, wellbeing centre and much more.
• Reward and recognition programme.
• 500 award employee referral scheme.
• Discretionary annual performance bonus.

One of my proudest achievements at GBS is being part of the Admissions department's growth and improvement. Over the past three years, I've seen the team expand from 30 to 90 employees. Being involved in shaping processes and ensuring admissions are robust and high-quality has been incredibly rewarding. It's exciting to see how much we've accomplished as a team and how far we've come.