Senior Project Manager - (CONTRACT)

SUMMARY:
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POSITION INFO:

Senior Project Manager
A great career opportunity exists for an experienced Senior Project Manager (Information Technology) within the Technology Services division at our client in the Insurance Industry. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in software development, followed by a successful transition into project management. The role will ideally be Cape Town based.

Principle Accountabilities Include:
Project Planning and Execution:
• Develop project plans, including scope, goals, deliverables, timelines, resources, and budget.
• Lead project teams to execute plans effectively, ensuring milestones are met on time and within budget.
• Monitor and report on project progress, identifying risks and taking corrective actions as needed.

Stakeholder Management:
• Establish and maintain relationships with project stakeholders, including clients, team members, and third-party vendors.
• Communicate project updates, risks, and issues to stakeholders in a clear and timely manner.
• Manage stakeholder expectations and ensure alignment with project objectives.

Resource Management:
• Allocate resources effectively to ensure project tasks are completed efficiently.
• Coordinate with department managers to assign appropriate team members to project tasks.
• Manage resource conflicts and resolve any issues that may arise during project execution.

Risk Management:
• Identify project risks and develop mitigation strategies to minimize their impact.
• Proactively manage risks throughout the project lifecycle, monitoring for new risks and adjusting plans as necessary.

Quality Assurance:
• Ensure that project deliverables meet quality standards and customer expectations.
• Implement quality assurance processes and procedures to validate project outcomes.

Budget Management:
• Develop and manage project budgets, tracking expenses and ensuring that projects are delivered within budget.
• Identify opportunities for cost savings and efficiency improvements.

Team Leadership:
• Provide leadership and guidance to project team members, fostering a positive and collaborative work environment.
• Motivate team members to achieve project goals and overcome challenges.
• Conduct performance evaluations and provide feedback to team members as needed.

Continuous Improvement:
• Identify opportunities for process improvement and implement best practices to optimize project management processes.
• Conduct post-project reviews to capture lessons learned and apply them to future projects.

Qualifications and experience:
• IT Degree or Diploma
• Project Management Professional (PMP) certification or another recognized project management certification
• Minimum 10 years of experience in the IT industry, with at least 5 years focused on software development.
• Demonstrate experience and sound knowledge of the system development lifecycle processes and methods from business concept to deployment stages.
• Experience working in the Financial Services or Insurance industry is a significant advantage.
• Sound experience working with stakeholders at different levels across organisations/divisions; both on-shore and off-shore, face-to-face and remote.
• Demonstrate experience in applying industry-standard project management methodologies and processes. Working in an Agile environment, with knowledge of the Scrum method strongly preferred.
• Experience in using JIRA and Confluence.

Knowledge and Skills:
• Strong understanding of project management methodologies, such as Agile or Waterfall.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to effectively manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Proficiency in project management tools and software.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Well-honed MS Office skills.
• Agile and Scrum Method and Tool experience (JIRA, JIRA Portfolio and Confluence suggested).
• Facilitation skills
• Influencing
• Interpersonal skills
• Stakeholder management
• Financial and business acumen.
• Foster and support the Agile approach.
• Demonstrate a growth mindset in support of the Agile values and culture: Trust, Respect, Collaborative, Self-organisation, Adapt, Transparent, Courage, Focus, Openness, Servant Leadership.
• Understands architectural considerations in order to effectively factor them into planning, decisions and recommendations and effectively communicate.
• Ability to identify project implications based on an understanding of systems, processes and business.

Competencies:
• Drives results
• Client Focus
• Collaborates
• Flexible and adaptable
• Relating and networking.
• Applying expertise and technology
• Project Oversight, Planning, Project Management Tools, Project Tracking and Reporting, Project Portfolio Management
• Organisational Savvy
• Decision Quality
• Plan and Aligns
• Manages complexity

Kindly regard your application as unsuccessful if you have not heard from the agency within 2 weeks.