Project Manager

We believe that helping people unlock a better retirement starts with helping everyone in our organisation unlock their true potential, and thrive.

To do that, we’re mindful of staying true to the values that make us who we are, and proud of what we do.

Key Group is one of the most exciting, forward-thinking brands in financial services, focused on helping people unlock a better retirement since 1998. Our mission is simple: To be the UK’s leading later life lending company.

We are looking for a Project Manager to join our team and to be responsible for the overall direction, coordination, implementation and execution of projects across the groups project portfolios. The Project Manager will take accountability for the definition of project objectives and oversee quality/budget controls during the full project life cycle.

The successful candidate will be a Project Manager with demonstrable experience of delivering tactical change, IT initiatives and software development projects to our business/clients utilising both AGILE and Waterfall delivery methodologies

Main roles and responsibilities:

• The Project Manager is responsible for planning, leading, organizing, and motivating project teams across the group either through Agile or Waterfall Delivery dependent on the circumstances..

• Achieve a high level of performance and quality within the Project Manager role, and deliver projects that provide exceptional business value to our customers.

• Support the Product Owner or Accountable Lead in managing customer expectations for project deliverables, managing stakeholder communications, and helping to implement an effective system of project governance.

• Champion ongoing process improvement initiatives to implement best practices in Project Management.

• Identify resources and assign responsibilities and track against Jira or similar sprint planning boards.

• Ensures project documents (PID/RAID logs) are complete, current, and appropriately reviewed with project stakeholders as part of the project lifecycle.

• Works closely with relevant project stake holders to ensure effective and efficient implementation of the project(s).

• Manage the project team (BA/SME/Internal/3rd party internal/external technical resource pools) to define and document project scope/deliverables. 

• Submits project status reports to stakeholders; defect tracking; release management; anticipates and reacts to change in line with business demand.

• Responsible for producing sprint retrospective outputs or Post Implementation Reviews to identify what was liked, learned or lacked during project delivery as to safeguarding continuous improvement is achieved.

Skills and behaviours we look for:

• A proven track record of successfully implementing projects using Agile methodologies such as (backlog refinement, sprint planning, daily scrums, sprint reviews & sprint retrospectives) and corresponding mechanisms within Waterfall

• A Project Manager with experience in managing medium/large, complex projects in a high-tech development environment with multi-function teams (both on/off shore)

• Prior experience with SCRUM/Agile methodologies with enterprise-level application development projects.

• Solid understanding of and demonstrated experience in using appropriate Project Management Tools such as (Jira/Confluence etc) along with all Microsoft Office Suite Tools.

• Distinct track record in a similar role within an SME, experience of working within the FS sector would be advantageous but not essential.

• Proven experience in people management, strategic planning, risk management and change management principles.

• Proven ability to deliver projects on time and to budget.

• Proven ability to help customers and operations team prioritise projects.

• Proven ability to work effectively with key stakeholders & project accountable leads.

Personal Qualities:

• Excellent oral and written communications skills and experience interacting with both business and IT individuals at all levels including executive level.

• Creative approach to problem-solving with the ability to focus on details while maintaining the “big picture” view.

• An individual whom is highly driven/motivated with the ambition to succeed within an extremely fast paced change environment.

• A person with excellent planning/organisation skills, with the capacity to work within a team, able to delegate, influence and or lead others during project delivery.

• A strong decision-maker with strong negotiation and conflict management skills is a key requirement

Most of all we look for people who display and work around the core values of our business:

Ambitious – to break ground to help our customers enjoy a better retirement.
Supportive – relationships are key to everything we do.
Personal – going above and beyond to offer exceptional service.
Integrity – honest, true and transparent in all of our relationships.
Responsive – whatever the challenge we’ll deliver the right result.
Expert – experts in our field, our thirst for knowledge never stops
 

Benefits:

• 23 days holiday, plus bank holidays. Rising to 28 days based on length of service

• Additional holiday purchase scheme

• 1 charity day and 1 well being day

• Tier 1 pension (5% Employee, 8% Employer)

• Simply Health cashback plan

• Life Assurance