Project Manager FTC (6 Months)
Preston, Lancashire with hybrid home/office working

About Us (-%About Us)

Local Pensions Partnership Administration (LPPA) is an award-winning pension services business based in Preston, Lancashire. We support over 640,000 pension scheme members and their employers to understand their pension obligations, benefits, and retirement options.

Purpose (-%Purpose)

The Project Manager will be responsible for the delivery of a diverse set of key business, finance and IT related LPPA Change projects, managing appropriate resources to ensure timely delivery whilst maintaining a commercial mindset. The role holder will work closely with the LPPA Change & IT Team and particularly the Programme Manager to scope, plan, manage and deliver all aspects of the project life cycle for key programmes of work that are critical to LPPA achieving its change objectives. Ideally, candidates will have a mixture of business, finance, and IT change experience.

Key Accountabilities (-%Key Accountabilities)

• Full project life cycle ownership: successful project delivery will include full implementation from initiation to deployment for key strategic programmes/projects simultaneously on time and to quality and budget ensuring appropriate governance, management of project resources, comprehensive project plans, status reports, and pro-active management of key dependencies and risks
• Conduct feasibility studies for the implementation of new software, software upgrades & systems replacements
• Some business analysis experience including facilitating workshops, process mapping & documentation
• Production of business case and benefits realisation for projects, and the end to end management of the delivery of approved change/projects in line with LPP’s project management methodology
• Provide on-site leadership for project teams by building and motivating the LPPA change team and project team members to meet project goals, adhering to their responsibilities and project milestones
• Manage all aspects of multiple projects ensuring they remain aligned to and directly support the achievement of strategic objectives
• Participate in establishing new processes, practices, templates, policies, tools and partnerships to expand and mature these capabilities for the organisation
• Prepare estimates and detailed project plan for all phases of the project
• Procure adequate resources to achieve project objectives in planned timeframes
• Share knowledge and best practices by coaching and mentoring the project team
• Manage the day-to-day project activities and resources and chair the project management team meetings as appropriate
• Building relationships and partnerships with key stakeholders; identifying business needs; monitoring progress and results; recognising and capitalising on improvement opportunities; and adapting to competing demands, organisational changes and new responsibilities
• Manage project scope and changes
• Manage project RAID logs (Risk, Assumption, Issue & Dependencies) to mitigate impact to baseline
• Manage all projects in line with agreed budgetary requirements
• Develop and manage all aspects of project engagement from planning, external vendor relationships, communications, resources, budget, change, risks and issues
• Provide status reporting regarding project milestones, deliverable, dependencies, risks and issues, communicating across stakeholders
• Understand interdependencies between technology, operations and business needs

Person Specification (-%Person Specification)

• Proven ability to successfully deliver multiple projects in a fast-paced environment, on-time, on-schedule and within budget
• Works creatively and analytically in a problem-solving environment demonstrating teamwork, innovation and excellence
• Build and maintain relationships by engaging business stakeholders to establish credibility, solve problems, build consensus and achieve objectives
• Excellent leadership, communication (written, verbal and presentation) and interpersonal skills
• Self-motivated, decisive, with the ability to adapt to change and competing demands
• Experience drafting and submitting budget proposals and recommending subsequent budget changes where necessary (preferred)
• Experience leading, motivating and managing various project teams, including internal and external resources, while holding the team accountable for performance
• Experience presenting to stakeholders; both written and oral with technical and non-technical staff
• Flexible with proven ability to conform to shifting priorities, demands and timelines through analytical and problem-solving capabilities
• Technically competent with various project management methodologies
• Project Management Qualification (Essential)

In return (-%In return)

• The salary for this role is up to £45,000 pro rata depending on experience
• We offer 25 days’ holiday (plus bank holidays and additional concessionary days). We operate on a 37-hour working week, with flexibility in working pattern for the right candidate
• Access to an excellent pension scheme with generous employer contributions
• We have a friendly and sociable work culture whilst providing an environment of continuous personal and professional development to support employees in reaching their full potential
• Our offices in central Preston are easily accessible by road, rail and public transport. LPPA is keen to promote a diverse workforce to maximise our ability to provide quality services to all our customers, we welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds

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