Project Manager - Product Engineering

We’re First Central Insurance & Technology Group (First Central for short), an innovative, market-leading insurance company. We protect the things customers love so they can get on with what matters to them in life. 

Data drives us. It fuels our outstanding distribution, finance, technology and legal services. Our underwriting skills are built on data expertise; it creates the insights we need to give the right cover to the right customers at the right price. But, it’s the people inside and outside our business that power us. They make us stand out, help us succeed. We’re ambitious. We’re growing. We’ve won awards.  

Do you have strong Project Management skills? enjoy managing resources? Are you good with budgets and enthusiastic about meeting project deadlines?

We’re looking for a Project Manager who’ll join our Product Engineering teams within our Technology and Data Pillar who’ll be responsible for leading and setting project goals and objectives and ensuring successful project delivery. As an experienced Project Manager, you’re love being responsible for managing resources, controlling budgets and timelines, and will enjoy providing project quality. In this key role you’ll be an active member of the Project Management Practice and will work alongside the Project Manager Practice Lead to develop and implement best practice, as well at looking at ways to continually improve ways of working.

We value flexible working arrangements, so you can choose to work remotely or maybe you live within a commutable distance from one of our offices in Salford Quays, Manchester, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, or Guernsey, and want to work in the office occasionally.

You'll be a great fit for the role if you have these skills: 

• Business and IT Change Project Delivery: Strong experience in delivering Business and IT change projects
• Stakeholder Management: Excellent stakeholder management skills with the ability to adapt your approaches to a wide range of stakeholders
• Agile Mindset and Regulatory Compliance: The ability to balance an Agile mindset when it comes to delivering project outcomes at pace with the needs of a heavily regulated financial industry
• Customer Value and Continuous Improvement: A keen focus on delivering value for the customer, continuous improvement in delivery, and bringing a positive energy to the team

Ready for anything?

What’s Involved:

• You’ll deliver multiple, concurrent Projects and Business Outcomes with responsibility for all Business and IT change elements.
• You’ll manage Projects of varying ‘scale’ as well as Business Outcomes from idea through to delivery and closure, adopting proportionate governance and using the established Change Delivery Framework.
• You’ll maintain momentum and direction, delivering to the agreed scope, timeframe and budget with resource planning and accurate estimation treated as fundamental principles. 
• You’ll practice a progressive Stakeholder Management approach, building invested relationships where appropriate employing an agreed engagement & communication plan.
• You’ll actively manage project risks, issues and dependencies.
• You’ll actively monitor any QA change delivery activities and deliverables including technical Sprint composition and the progress of specific PBI’s.
• You’ll create control, track and report on project plans and budgets.
• You’ll plan and coordinate work with other internal departments to ensure internal resource requirements are understood and the right resources are available when required.
• You’ll direct the activities of third-party providers ensuring delivery to time, quality and budget.
• You’ll participate in PI planning activities, where appropriate
• You’ll report progress to Senior Board Members through Steering Groups and established Monthly reporting.
• You’ll actively contribute to the Project Management Community of Practice
• You’ll fully understand and plan for the business impact of change.
• You’ll ensure that all Business and IT operational areas are ready to accept the change.
• You’ll ensure project processes and controls are adopted and adhered to.
• You’ll adhere to the Company values always and encourage others to do the same.
• You’ll ensure compliance with company and other relevant standards/regulations always (including TCF).

Experience & knowledge

• Demonstrable experience of managing the delivery of complex Business and IT change.
• Demonstrable experience of managing a diverse change portfolio with concurrent initiatives underpinned by proven dexterity, creativity, and the efficient use of resources.
• Proven understanding of Project Management techniques in an agile environment.
• Solid experience of all stages of the project delivery and software development lifecycle.
• Experience of engaging and managing third parties.
• Experience of working within an FCA regulated industry, ideally within Financial Services or Insurance.
• Knowledge of Project Management techniques covering both Business and IT Change.
• Knowledge of Agile approaches, ideally Scrum.
• Knowledge of FCA requirements (including TCF).

Skills & Qualifications

• Strong planning and control expertise.
• Strong leadership and people management skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Excellent time management and organisation skills.
• Excellent workshop and meeting facilitation skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to communicate risks and issues at all levels of the organisation.
• Excellent Supplier and Stakeholder Management skills.
• Formal Project Management qualification such as APMP, PRINCE2, Agile Project Management or equivalent.

Behaviours

• Commercially focussed and results driven.
• Self-motivated and enthusiastic.
• Acts as a role model and motivates others.
• Embraces, embeds and incorporates the Company values.
• An organised and pro-active approach.
• Ability to lead and influence.
• A flexible approach and positive attitude.
• Able to balance an emphasis on attention to detail whilst retaining focus on broader needs.
• Takes initiative to make decisions.
• Strives to deliver business improvement.

Tools

• MS Office / MS Project / SharePoint / TFS / Gemini/ADO.

Ready to make a positive impact? Apply now and be part of something big!

What can we do for you?

People first. Always. We’re passionate about our colleagues and know the best people deserve an extraordinary working environment. We owe it to them so that’s what we offer. Our workplaces are energetic, inspirational, supportive. To get a taste of the advantages you’ll enjoy, take a look at all our perks in full here. 

Intrigued? Our Talent team can tell you everything you need to know about what we want and what we’re offering, so feel free to get in touch.