Role Summary
We are looking for an exceptional Programme Director.
The Programme Director is responsible for setting strategic direction for the portfolio team, defining and implementing standards and processes, managing project management resources across a broad portfolio of accounts, and successfully implementing recovery for project crisis situations. You will have a proven ability to successfully deliver the largest digital media projects/programmes (30+ team members, £3m+ revenue). The Programme Director Delivery Manager will have strong consulting skills with the ability to build strong relationships with all parts of the business to define viable approaches/methodologies in line with relevant industry standards and best practices.
Responsibilities and main result areas
DELIVERY
Planning
- Day to day management of the portfolio project team
- Create and own plan, including estimation, tracking, updating
- Define responsibilities and set direction and allocate with the portfolio project team
- Identify project risks and countermeasures
- Manage project and account level resourcing
- Implement project recovery planning
Communications
- Weekly status reporting to client, including financial if T&M
- Escalate issues to Client Partner & Head of Delivery Management where appropriate
- Weekly reporting/recording for company (including resource forecast , revenue forecast, margin & write-off analysis)
Consulting
- Develop project proposals and statements of work leveraging experience key discipline leads (including Consulting, Concept & Design, Experience Architecture, Technology, Analytics, Media (SEO, PPC), CRM)
- Deliver client presentations
- Lead and facilitate requirements workshops and interviews
- Manage and develop process for scope changes / change requests
- Own client relationships across key accounts
- Ensure client satisfaction (including client acceptance)
Financials
- Manage project budget – deliver to target margin, manage write-off
- Seek to maximise revenue across multiple projects/accounts through project delivery (profit margin)
- Track actual time and expenses incurred
- Monitor DSO ( unbilled and WIP)
- Engage in Contract negotiation with clients
Leadership
- Manage deliverable and review process
- Day to day leadership of a project and/or delivery area, managing multiple workstreams and levels of colleagues
- Manages a portfolio project team, demonstrates leadership skills in addressing delivery and performance issues and undertakes tasks to build team morale
- Hold responsibility for the quality of the project deliverables and communications in portfolio
- Lead and support team to take on responsibility
- Provide timely feedback and mentoring to team members throughout the project
- Mentor project managers (up to leader level)
- Input into LBi’s best practice project management processes and tools
- Ensure the Portfolio team is a collaboration & positive environment
- Conducts timely, fair and accurate project reviews for direct reports, using the standard templates, where appropriate
Conducts self, and communicates, professionally with clients and colleagues
Works proactively with Client Partner / Client Director to ensure completion of project reviews for self
Provides 360° feedback for team members where appropriate
COMPANY
- Delivers projects to margin agreed at project start
- Contributes to business development efforts through project scoping, estimating and attending sales calls when required. Teams with Client Partner / Client Director during sales activities, proposal writing
- Communicates ideas and industry trends on particular subject matter to colleagues through informal communication and formal presentations and training sessions
- Presents directional ideas and strategies to the London senior management team
- Develops project management tools and processes. Assumes responsibility for an office approach/methodology area, develops the approach in line with industry standards and evangelises the use of approach/methodology to London office colleagues
- Line manages, mentors and develops project managers at all levels of seniority
- Participation in recruitment interviews
- Develops effective promotion cases for mentored colleagues and provides clear, unambiguous feedback to candidates
- Set up and runs team building activities and events
- Supports business operational processes (e.g. facilitates end of project reviews, etc)
- Assumes formal responsibility for career guidance, mentoring colleagues formally and informally, and completes colleague objective setting on a timely, fair and accurate basis
- Mentors all colleagues in department on an informal basis offering opinions and input in a supportive manner
- Endeavours to complete career objectives to timeline agreed with line manager
- Make use of appropriate research materials (Internet, publications etc) to ensure skills and knowledge remain current
- Maintains an up to date resume detailing client project experience
- Maximises billable hours through making oneself available for client work. Makes best use of non-billable hours by working on internal initiatives, business development and self-development
Desired Skills & Experience
- Ideally degree educated – subject non-specific. A degree demonstrating analytical capability is preferred
- PRINCE2 Registered Practitioner accreditation preferred
- Experienced in managing large-scale web based projects for blue-chip firms/clients
- Including Project Manager / Producer in a web/digital consulting environment
- Evidence of management of project teams of 30+ people or more to successful conclusion
- Managed projects with consulting revenue of £1m+
- Top class communication skills
- Strong presentation skills
- Managed relationships at a senior level within large corporations. Comfortable working with senior management
- Deep industry knowledge (e.g. Financial Services) as well as functional specialism in project role, such as Software Engineering, Business Analysis, Information Architecture
- Proven client management abilities to negotiate scope and finances
- Experience of crisis management situations with positive results
- Proven organisational skills
- Very strong meeting facilitation skills
- Ability to run client workshops of 10 or more people to multiple subject areas
- Can articulate Project Management methodology – processes, practices, controls, team management, project delivery phases
- Ability to turn requirements into a viable project plan and marshal resources required to deliver
- Strong follow-through orientation
- Business process orientation
- Ability to juggle multiple tasks and priorities
- Self-starter and self-learner
- Ability to work independently with little direction and tight deadlines
- Ability to put administrative structure and organisation in place on new or existing projects
- Ability to motivate others and provide a positive project environment
- Ability to manage third parties and external resources
- Please no Agencies -
