Project Manager

Role: Project Manager (Hybrid/Home Working)

Location: Exeter EX1 3PB

Client: Met office

Duration:6 months (Extendable)

Project Manager 3

Are you an innovative individual with experience as a Project Manager?

We are looking for four exceptional Project Manager 3 to join our Programmes Directorate and

work within the Product Migration and Legacy System Retirement(PMLSR) programme. This programme is focussed on reducing organisational risk and complexity by retiring legacy systems and migrating to alternative means of production and dissemination, as the new Met Office supercomputer comes online.

Job Purpose

As our Project Manager 3, the key responsibilities are:

Role Overview: We are seeking an experienced Project Manager to lead and deliver complex projects within time, cost, and quality constraints. You will manage a moderate to high complexity project from initiation to completion, using Agile and Lean practices while ensuring effective governance and stakeholder engagement. The role also involves overseeing third-party suppliers, driving cloud transformation initiatives, and ensuring the realisation of business benefits.

Key Responsibilities:

• Project Delivery:Lead and deliver projects in alignment with the overarching programme goals, ensuring timely, cost-effective, and high-quality outcomes.
• Project Management: Provide day-to-day management and leadership for the project team. Oversee project execution with strong leadership and management controls for complex projects classified within the Project Complexity Delivery Framework (PDCF).
• Agile & Lean Practices: Coach and lead software development teams in Agile and Lean methodologies, ensuring efficient, adaptive, and iterative project delivery.
• Life-Cycle Perspective: Apply expertise across multiple phases of the product life cycle, recognising the right timing for progress and key deliverables. Collaborate with other Agile delivery operations throughout the project life cycle, engaging relevant stakeholders at appropriate stages.
• Project Controls & Governance:Design and implement the project structure and organisation at each stage. Establish project controls, apply delivery methodologies, and manage transitions between phases, ensuring a smooth handoff into Business-as-Usual (BaU).
• Business Case Development: Draft and develop the Business Case in collaboration with specialists, ensuring a robust foundation for project approval and execution.
• Budget Management: Develop and track project budgets, ensuring that delivery stays within the agreed financial constraints.
• Resource Management: Identify and deploy necessary skills and resources in conjunction with the Programme Manager. Manage a medium-sized project team, ensuring effective resource utilisation.
• Benefits Realization: Ensure the delivery of the Business Case benefits and outcomes. Monitor long-term benefits and develop a Benefits Realisation Strategy.
• Stakeholder Management: Identify, manage, and maintain strong relationships with internal stakeholders and secure senior-level support. Occasionally manage external stakeholder relationships
• Risk & Issue Management: Proactively identify, assess, and monitor project risks and issues, developing mitigation strategies and escalating as needed. Manage project interdependencies effectively.
• Governance & Assurance:Support strong governance frameworks, reporting regularly to the PMO and Business Teams. Engage with assurance reviews and gateway processes, ensuring recommendations are implemented.
• Change Management:Implement effective change management processes to document and agree on changes in project deliverables with stakeholders.
• Team Support & Guidance: Provide coaching, support, and guidance to the project team. Promote personal and professional development, fostering an environment of high performance.
• Performance & Reporting:Develop and maintain detailed project plans, set clear objectives for the team, and ensure the translation of vision into actionable delivery objectives. Utilize tools like ServiceNow for artefact production and reporting.

Desirable Skills & Experience:

• Cloud Transformation Projects: Experience in managing cloud-based projects, particularly in AWS environments, with a focus on cloud infrastructure implementation and migration.
• Supplier Management: Proven ability to manage third-party suppliers throughout the project lifecycle, ensuring alignment with project goals.
• Technical Understanding: Familiarity with scientific code libraries and map layer production (e.g., Hail) is advantageous but not essential.
• Analytical Tools: Experience using advanced analytical and data visualisation tools to support decision-making and optimise project outcomes.

Essential Qualifications, Skills & Abilities:

1. Extensive project management - PRINCE2 Practitioner and/or APM (Association for Project Management) PMQ Certificate and/or equivalent project related experience in Waterfall or Agile methodologies, with proven ability to complete projects according to outlined scope, budget, and timeline.

2.Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills - ability to work collaboratively with multiple internal and external stakeholders at all levels, managing conflict, negotiation and working in a matrix organisation.

3. Managing priorities - proven experience of coordinating multiple activities and shifting demands, with the ability to prioritise and simplify complexity, to enable timely and effective decision making.

4. Strong leadership - delivery-focused mindset, with strong leadership and problem-solving skills to overcome obstacles and motivate the team to identify solutions and deliver great outcomes.

5. Knowledge and / or experience of applying Agile Project Management Principles, tools and techniques.