Project Manager

6 month FTC - Project Manager

£45,000 per annum plus £5,688 per annum car allowance, bonus and benefits.

Reporting to the Programme Office and OE Infrastructure Manager, the Central Change team is responsible for our project management/governance methodology and provides project management for the organisation’s large, complex and cross functional projects. Additionally, the Central Change team is responsible for maintaining the organisation’s portfolio of projects, and provides facilitation and support to the business on prioritisation.

This fixed term contract role (~6months) would benefit from a project manager with new product/service trial, implementation and release experience. Familiarity in B2B industries would also be advantageous.

About the role

• Work to the Smiths News PMO governance/methodology and serve as a subject matter expert in Project Management • Define, plan, monitor and own the project approach throughout the Project Lifecycle ensuring key metrics are achieved
• Create, maintain and review project plans and schedules and revise them as appropriate to meet changing needs and requirements
• Facilitate project meetings, develop meeting agenda, lead on project comm and ensure project documentation is complete, current, and stored appropriately. • Motivate key team members and engage stakeholders at every level
• Report at regular intervals on the progress of the project and the delivery of planned benefits, undertaking forecasting as appropriate to ensure financial controls
• Manage all project risks, issues and dependencies and proactively mitigate or resolve roadblocks
• Manage project scope, dependencies, resources, costs and budgets
• Manage change control, configuration management and subsequent impacts, as required
• Ensure lessons learned from the project are retained and shared as appropriate
• Complete post-implementation reviews as required

What we can offer you

Not only do we offer free onsite parking, 4x salary life assurance and 5% match pension but you’ll also have access to:

• £5,688 per annum car allowance
• Company bonus
• Company funded Health Cash Plan – providing cash back for everyday healthcare costs such as dental, optical and physiotherapy
• 25 days holiday plus holiday buy scheme
• 24/7 E-Learning modules, Training and Development opportunities
• Sharesave Scheme, Cycle to work schemes, Health cash plan
• Private medical insurance
• Colleague Assistance Programme & Colleague referral scheme

About you

• Project or programme management experience, with a track record of using the relevant tools and methodologies to deliver
• agreed objectives on time and within budget
• Ability to see the bigger picture and make decisions under pressure
• Skilled in managing colleagues through periods of change
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and management skills
• Excellent leadership and team management skills
• Ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional teams
• Strong communication, negotiation, and problem-solving skills
• Proven ability to anticipate and mitigate issues that may impact on your project
• Highly organised with strong time-management skills
• Project Management certifications preferred (APM, Prince2, PMI)

About us

Smiths News is the UK’s largest news wholesaler. Our colleagues serve 23,000 retailers every day of the year, operating from 33 distribution centres.

Inclusion and diversity are important to us. We are working together to build and shape a culture that embraces people from all backgrounds, experiences, and orientations. Smiths News is dedicated to creating an authentic workplace where everyone can thrive.