Project Manager (In Place) (Fixed term contract) - Internal only

The College of Health Education and Public Life is seeking an experienced and highly organised Project Manager to lead the implementation of InPlace, a new administrative system that will provide a single approach to managing student placement administration, compliance and related data.

InPlace is intended to replace a number of existing systems and manual processes, reducing administrative duplication, strengthening compliance and providing a more efficient and reliable approach to placement management.

This is an opportunity to take ownership of a significant operational change project and make a tangible difference to the way student placements are managed across the College. The role is fixed term for six months, with no line management responsibility.

Key Responsibilities:

- Take overall responsibility for the day-to-day project management of the InPlace implementation.
- Develop and maintain a clear project plan, milestones, dependencies, risks and actions.
- Lead and coordinate the migration and cleansing of data from multiple legacy systems.
- Work with stakeholders to establish effective processes, requirements and system configuration.
- Coordinate system testing, user acceptance testing and resolution of issues.
- Develop and maintain appropriate project governance and reporting arrangements.
- Identify, manage and escalate project risks and issues, taking timely action to keep delivery on track.
- Coordinate activity across academic and professional services teams and work effectively with internal and external stakeholders.
- Ensure that project documentation, processes and decisions are appropriately recorded.
- Support preparation for go-live and coordinate the transition into business as usual.
- Monitor delivery against agreed objectives, timescales and resources.
- Develop effective and efficient procedures and systems to support sustainable working practices.
- Work closely with relevant University teams to ensure that implementation activity complies with University policies, procedures and regulatory requirements.

Essential Requirements:

- Proven experience of leading a significant project through to successful and timely completion.
- Strong project management, organisational and problem-solving skills.
- Experience of managing complex data, systems or business processes.
- Ability to plan and prioritise competing activities while maintaining high standards of accuracy.
- Strong administrative skills and experience of developing and implementing effective processes and procedures.
- Ability to analyse information, identify problems and develop practical solutions.
- Strong IT skills, including Excel, Word, email and web-based technologies.
- Experience of working collaboratively across organisational boundaries and with multiple stakeholders.
- Ability to work independently, meet deadlines and maintain momentum with minimum supervision.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
- Degree-level education or equivalent experience demonstrating appropriate analytical and problem-solving ability.

The University's Grade 6 person specification also identifies budget management, partnership working, analytical and organisational skills, policy and regulatory awareness, initiative and collaborative working as key requirements for the role.

Experience of data migration, systems implementation or business process improvement would be particularly valuable.

This is a focused six-month role with a clear and important objective: to unlock the benefits of an existing University investment and establish a sustainable, efficient approach to managing student placements. You will have the opportunity to work across the College and University, influence how processes operate in the future, and deliver a project that will directly improve administrative efficiency, data quality and placement compliance.