Executive: Projects & Operations at Astute

• Working with the business to understand overall project requirements and ensuring the business needs are being addressed
•  Managing communications with all stakeholders
• The Executive must exercise overall control and is the key member of the Project Steering Committee (PSC), taking advice and gaining commitment from the other members
• Hold the Project sponsor to account for realizing the benefits defined in the Business Case, ensuring that benefits reviews take place to monitor the extent to which the Business Case benefits are achieved
• Ensure that risks associated with the Business Case are identified, assessed and controlled
• Ensure overall business assurance of the project – that it remains on target to deliver products
• Ensure the modernised design principles are adhered to
• Provide strategic leadership for the Delivery Teams and Scrum Masters
• Coordinates all technical activity to meet current and future project delivery requirements and needs
• Act as the first point of contact for technology issues in the project
• Drive the development, implementation and management of a fit-for-purpose, efficient and effective Service Desk operation

Programme Management

• Manage the solution delivery using an agile approach
• Review the project regularly, authorising the next stage or changes to plan;
• Authority to resolve project issues that exceed the Scrum Master’s delegation.
• Escalate issues and risks to the PSC if project tolerance is forecast to be exceeded.
•  Organize and prepare all documentation for steering committee reviews.
• Preparing documentation for various governance meetings
• Ensure that the Delivery teams are capacitated to deliver
• Initiating extra activities and other management interventions wherever gaps in the programme are identified or issues arise;
• Proactively monitoring the programme progress, resolving issues and initiating appropriate corrective action;
• Managing both the dependencies and the interfaces between all sub-projects;
• Managing the programme's budget, monitoring expenditure and costs against delivered and realised benefits as the programme progresses;
• Ensuring there is an allocation of common resources and skills within the programme's individual projects;
• Ensuring the delivery of new products or services from projects is to the appropriate level of quality, on time and within budget, in accordance with the programme plan and programme governance arrangements;
•  Ensuring effective quality assurance and the overall integrity of the programme - focusing inwardly on the internal consistency of the programme, and outwardly on its coherence with infrastructure planning, interfaces with other programmes and corporate, technical and specialist standards;

Drive Best-practice people practices and build strategic capacity.

• Empower direct reports to achieve tactical excellence / best operating practice
• Optimise talent across departments (not just within)
• Embed formal performance development and informal coaching in the department
• Identify, attract, appoint, grow, engage, reward and retain top talent to drive strategic execution.
• Identify, define, communicate and obtain buy-in for performance expectations through the implementation of the Astute performance management system.
• Coach direct reports on how to conduct meaningful performance development discussions with their direct reports and ensure that they conduct the process effectively
• Establish and maintain a succession plan for the key roles in the area and review and approve succession plans for one level below
• In collaboration with the Exec: HR, develop, implement and manage a people plan that ensures that the department has the human resources and skills required to deliver on the strategy for the short-, medium- and long-term.
• Embed and demonstrate aligned values that drive and support the required behaviour to achieve the articulated vision and strategy. 
• Demonstrate leadership behaviour of personal involvement, commitment and dedication to the business area in support of the organisation’s culture.
• Communicate a meaningful strategic context to apply people best practice, fostering an environment of continuous learning and improvement.
• Provide mechanisms and support to implement major changes to the function by acting as a change agent.
• Manage poor performance constructively and decisively.
• Create a collaborative environment which allows for employees within inter-related functional areas to work together thereby leveraging constructive team dynamics and innovation.
• Actively participate in own professional development and career path.

Experience/Skills/Qualifications:

• Relevant Degree in Business Administration and or Project Management
• Minimum 7 Years’ experience in Project Management and Operations
• Minimum 5 Years People Management Experience
• Insurance Industry/Financial Sector Experience
• Extremely strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Outstanding verbal, written and visual presentation skills.
• Proven strong negotiating and consensus building skills.
• Proven skills to work effectively across internal functional area in ambiguous situations.
• Ability to work independently, establishing strategic objectives, project plans and milestone goals.
• Business Planning and budgeting

Your Soft Skills are:

• Judgement and Decision Making
• Strategic Leadership
• Anticipating, Creating and Managing Change
• Problem Solving
• Accountability
• Motivating People
• Building Strategic Partnership and Networking
• Business Writting Skills
• Visibility and Impact (includes Professional Presentation)
• Anticipating, Creating and Managing Change
• Influencing and Negotiation