Senior Project Manager at Boardroom Appointments

Job Overview

• An exciting opportunity exists for four experienced Senior Project Managers to lead and deliver complex, large-scale IT infrastructure projects within a demanding, enterprise-level environment.
• The ideal candidates will be seasoned project management professionals with a strong track record of delivering infrastructure projects, managing multiple workstreams and engaging confidently with executive-level stakeholders.
• This role requires individuals who demonstrate exceptional ownership, accountability, resilience and the ability to operate independently under pressure. The successful candidates must be capable of managing challenging stakeholders, handling critical escalations and driving projects to successful completion with minimal supervision.
• This is a senior-level position and is not suited to junior Project Managers, Project Coordinators or candidates who require extensive guidance or supervision.

Key Responsibilities
Project Planning and Delivery

• Develop, manage and maintain detailed project plans, schedules and delivery timelines.
• Oversee multiple project workstreams concurrently, ensuring milestones and deliverables are achieved.
• Manage project forecasting, resource allocation, dependencies and scheduling.
• Monitor project budgets, financial performance and cost control.
• Implement effective change control and project governance processes.
• Identify, assess and mitigate project risks.
• Take ownership of distressed projects and implement recovery strategies to ensure successful delivery.
• Drive project execution in fast-paced and high-pressure environments.

IT Infrastructure Project Management

• Lead enterprise network refresh projects.
• Manage campus LAN/WAN deployments and infrastructure upgrades.
• Oversee Wi-Fi implementations and upgrades.
• Manage network security projects and infrastructure transformation initiatives.
• Ensure projects are delivered within agreed scope, timelines, budgets and quality standards.

Stakeholder and Executive Management

• Manage relationships with executive-level stakeholders, senior leadership and demanding clients.
• Lead project governance forums and stakeholder engagements.
• Manage conflicts, escalations and challenging stakeholder expectations.
• Apply strong negotiation and influencing skills to drive project outcomes.
• Communicate project progress, challenges and risks effectively to senior management.
• Confidently challenge assumptions and push back professionally when required.

Reporting and Communication

• Prepare and present comprehensive project status reports and executive summaries.
• Communicate project risks, issues, dependencies and progress clearly.
• Manage critical escalations and deliver difficult messages professionally.
• Present confidently to senior leadership and C-level stakeholders.
• Ensure accurate and timely project reporting and documentation.

Risk Management and Problem Solving

• Identify potential risks and project issues before they impact delivery.
• Conduct root cause analysis and develop effective corrective actions.
• Assess complex situations and make informed decisions, even with incomplete information.
• Manage critical project incidents and drive issues through to resolution.
• Proactively identify delivery challenges and implement appropriate solutions.

Minimum Requirements

• Minimum of 8 years' Project Management experience within IT infrastructure environments.
• Proven experience delivering complex, large-scale IT infrastructure projects.
• Demonstrated experience in the following project areas:
• Enterprise Network Refreshes.
• Campus LAN/WAN Deployments.
• Wi-Fi Implementations and Upgrades.
• Network Security Projects.
• Large-Scale Infrastructure Transformations.
• Experience managing projects with values exceeding R5 million.
• Proven ability to manage multiple project workstreams simultaneously.
• Strong understanding of project planning, scheduling, forecasting, budgeting and financial management.
• Demonstrated experience in risk, dependency and change control management.
• Proven track record of managing executive stakeholders and challenging client engagements.
• Experience managing project escalations and recovering distressed projects.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong analytical, critical thinking and problem-solving capabilities.

Key Competencies and Personal Attributes

• Strong leadership, ownership and accountability.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
• Excellent planning, organisational and time management skills.
• High levels of resilience and the ability to remain composed under pressure.
• Strong conflict resolution, negotiation and influencing skills.
• Excellent attention to detail.
• Proactive approach to identifying and resolving challenges.
• Ability to manage demanding stakeholders and high-pressure situations.
• Strong work ethic and commitment to project delivery.
• Confidence in engaging with senior executives and C-level stakeholders.