Specialist Project Manager - (PERMANENT)

PM Connection; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 1,200,000 - 1,500,000; Full time

Job summary

PM Connection is looking for a Specialist Senior Project Manager based in Cape Town to lead and deliver complex software development projects. This role requires overseeing project delivery, stakeholder engagement, and ensuring alignment with business objectives and strategic goals.

The ideal candidate will have over 10 years of project management experience along with the ability to manage multi-phase delivery cycles. Strong communication skills and relevant certifications are essential.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of overall project management experience.
• Demonstrated success managing multi-phase project delivery cycles.
• Certified in Project Management (PMP, PRINCE2, etc.) preferred.

Responsibilities

• Define project scope, objectives, and deliverables.
• Engage with stakeholders to manage expectations.
• Produce status reports and lead governance meetings.

Skills

Project Management

Stakeholder Engagement

Risk Management

Agile Methodologies

Budget Management

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in IT, Computer Science or related field

Postgraduate Project Management qualification

Tools

Microsoft Project

Azure DevOps

Job description

Job Purpose

To lead and deliver complex software development or enterprise application projects by applying expert-level project management, stakeholder engagement, governance, and technical oversight to ensure on‑time, within‑budget delivery aligned to strategic business goals. The Specialist Senior Project Manager assumes full accountability for project delivery, risk mitigation, stakeholder engagement, and strategic alignment with business objectives.

Key Responsibilities

• Project Planning & Initiation: Define project scope, objectives, deliverables, timelines, and resource plans based on business requirements.
• Execution & Delivery: Manage day‑to‑day project operations including task assignment, progress tracking, and issue resolution.
• Risk & Issue Management: Identify, assess, and mitigate project risks and issues.
• Maintain an up-to-date RAID log.
• Budget & Resource Management: Track project budgets and ensure optimal resource utilization. Escalate deviations proactively.
• Stakeholder Management: Engage with business and technical stakeholders to manage expectations, report progress, and secure approvals.
• Governance & Reporting: Produce weekly/monthly status reports and lead steering committee meetings. Ensure alignment with governance frameworks.
• Change & Quality Control: Enforce change control processes and ensure quality standards are met through testing and validation cycles.
• Project Closure: Ensure successful handover to operations/support, conduct lessons learned sessions, and close out project documentation.

Core Responsibilities

• Deliver complex, high‑value software projects in alignment with organisational strategy.
• Demonstrated experience managing multi‑workstream or cross‑functional ERP/CRM projects.
• Strong understanding of delivery methodologies (Agile, Waterfall, Hybrid) and governance models.
• Lead cross‑functional and vendor teams, managing dependencies and change across multiple workstreams.
• Maintain full project lifecycle accountability, including scope, schedule, risk, budget, and benefit realization.
• Provide governance oversight and executive reporting while ensuring adherence to PMO standards.
• Cultivate stakeholder trust through transparent communication and strategic engagement.

Qualifications, Experience & Skills

Educational Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Business Administration, Engineering, or a related field.
• Postgraduate Project Management qualification (advantageous).

Professional Certifications

• Project Management certifications (e.g., PMP, PRINCE2, AgilePM) preferred or industry equivalent qualification.
• Microsoft certifications related to Dynamics 365/ERP or Power Platform are advantageous.

Experience

• 10+ years of overall project management experience.
• Demonstrated success managing multi‑phase, multi‑stream delivery cycles (design, build, test, deploy).

Technical & Functional Skills

Skill Area Requirements

• Project Tools: Proficient in Microsoft Project, Azure DevOps, Project Operations.
• Methodologies: Strong knowledge of Waterfall, Agile, or Hybrid project delivery frameworks.
• Documentation & Reporting: Strong capability in creating project charters, RAID logs, governance reports, and dashboards.
• Budget & Forecasting: Comfortable managing financials, cost tracking, and vendor invoices.
• Stakeholder Management: Excellent skills in managing cross‑functional teams, vendors, and executive sponsors.
• Communication: Exceptional verbal, written, and presentation skills; able to lead meetings and workshops with diverse audiences.

Other Requirements (if applicable)

• Willingness to travel to a client or regional sites depending on project needs.
• Cape Town based and willing to be in the office two to three days a week.