Project Manager at QES

My client is looking for a Project Manager to join them on an independent contract basis.

Location: Cape Town / Hybrid / Insurance

Join the team as a Project Manager, where you'll oversee and drive the set-up and implementation of an educational initiative in the short-term insurance industry. This will focus on the design and delivery of insurance-related learning and we're looking for a highly organized and motivated Project Manager to ensure that this key initiative is delivered timeously and within budget.

Key Responsibilities:

• Plan, execute, and oversee all phases of projects, from conception through to completion, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and timelines.
• Coordinate resources and stakeholders across departments, ensuring clear communication, goal alignment, and effective collaboration.
• Develop and manage project schedules to track milestones and key deliverables, adjusting as needed to accommodate project needs and unforeseen changes.
• Monitor budgets and ensure financial objectives are met, seeking approval for any necessary adjustments.
• Identify, assess, and manage project risks to mitigate potential issues before they arise.
• Report project status and outcomes to senior leadership and stakeholders, providing transparency and insight into project progress.
• Project Planning: Handle scoping, sprint planning, project sizing, work stream definition, and managing sprints, releases, and milestones.
• Financial Management: Manage budgets, track actuals, forecast projections, control expenses, and oversee invoicing and payments.
• Time and Cost Management: Define and monitor budgets, manage time recording, control costs, and ensure timely invoicing and payments.
• Scope Management: Maintain project scope, monitor project backlogs, and ensure alignment with objectives.
• Risk and Issue Management: Manage dependencies, escalate issues, and handle decision-making processes.
• Reporting: Provide status updates on financials, schedule, risks, blockers, and quality, along with metrics like burn up/down charts and team velocity.
• Governance Framework: Implement delivery governance, including review processes, decision-making, change control, and project closure with lessons learned.
• Quality Management: Ensure deliverables meet quality standards through retrospectives, Scrum-of-Scrum sessions, and management of dependencies, blockers, and resources.
• Stakeholder Management: Engage internal and external stakeholders across all divisions, demonstrating strong interpersonal skills.
• Success Management: Regularly review success metrics to ensure deliverables meet requirements and quality standards.
• Team Leadership: Leverage Agile expertise to create high-performing team dynamics, balancing planning, execution, and reflection.
• Facilitation Skills: Promote collaboration, lead discussions, and ensure inclusive decision-making.
• Team Culture: Foster a culture of collaboration and belonging within teams.

Qualifications and Professional Certifications:

• 8+ year Bachelor degree: Information Systems, Computer Science, Data Science, Business Administration, Engineering or related discipline.
• Agile Methodologies Certification: Certified ScrumMaster (CSM), or SAFe Agilist (SA), or Kanban Management Professional.
• Project Management: Project Management Professional (PMP), or PRINCE2, or certification(s) in Agile Project Management.

Experience and Knowledge:

8+ years of experience managing complex projects or change initiatives, including cross-functional, onshore, and offshore teams. Proven success in delivering projects on time and within budget using industry-standard methodologies such as Agile and Scrum.

At least 5 years' experience working in the Insurance and/or Financial Services.

Preferred:

• Extensive experience leading Agile teams, facilitating Scrum ceremonies, sprint planning, and retrospectives.
• Sound experience working with stakeholders across various levels and locations (onshore and offshore).
• Strong understanding and hands-on experience in system development lifecycle processes and methods from business concept to deployment stages.
• Proven ability to proactively identify, mitigate, and resolve risks and blockers to ensure uninterrupted project delivery and maintain momentum.
• Experience in managing budgets, controlling project costs, optimizing resources to maximize efficiency and minimize waste throughout the project lifecycle.
• Familiarity with tools: JIRA, Confluence, Portfolio for JIRA, PPO, and SharePoint, according to organizational standards for project management and collaboration.

Desired Skills:

• Agile
• Scrum
• Project Management

Desired Work Experience:

• 5 to 10 years

Desired Qualification Level:

• Grade 12 / Matric