Senior Project Manager at Absa

Job description

Finance PMO requires a seasoned Project Manager to lead complex large scale BAU as well as Change projects across Finance. Min 8-10 years end-to-end Project Management experience required with a proven track record managing & leading multiple large change the company/bank projects. Evidence managing business focused projects encompassing people, process & technology is essential as well as the ability to manage Senior Stakeholders.

Ability to work in an evolving and constantly changing environment is key to being successful in this position.
Successful incumbent will be responsible for management of moderate to highly complex programs consisting of multiple related projects. Oversee major projects, providing strategic context, direction and leadership to the teams involved. Monitor project execution plans, resource deployment and overall coordination efforts to ensure projects are completed on schedule and to budget. Role responsibilities include components of: resource management, finance management, quality management and control management.

Accountability: Change Implementation, planning & Management

• Defining and managing the process of deploying and integrating IT capabilities into the business in a way that is sensitive to, and fully compatible with, business operations.
• Ensures that there is a business perspective on how the new technical capabilities will be delivered to the business, including planning around key business cycles, selecting appropriate customers for migration, etc.
• Initiates the business implementation plan, including all the activities that the business needs to do to prepare for new technical components and technologies.
• Drives sites to deliver site implementation plans and align with the overall plan.
• Tracks and reports against these activities to ensure progress.
• Defines and manages the activities to ensure achievement of the business case after delivery.
• Outlines key business engagement messages that need to take place throughout the programme/project.

Accountability: Project Management

The management of projects, typically (but not exclusively) involving the development and implementation of business processes to meet identified business needs, acquiring and utilising the necessary resources and skills, within agreed parameters of cost, timescales and quality.

• Takes responsibility for the definition, documentation and satisfactory completion of small- to medium-scale projects.
• Identifies, assesses and manages risks to the success of the project.
• Ensures that realistic project and quality plans are prepared and maintained and provides regular and accurate reports to stakeholders as appropriate.
• Ensures that quality reviews occur on schedule and according to procedure.
• Manages the change control procedure and ensures that project deliverables are completed within planned cost, timescale and resource budgets and are signed off.

Provides effective leadership to the project team and takes appropriate action where performance deviates from agreed tolerances

Accountability: Benefits Management

• Monitoring for the emergence of anticipated policy benefits (typically specified as part of the business case for a change programme or project). Action (typically by the programme management team) to optimise the business impact of individual and combined benefits.
• Promotes the change programme vision to staff at all levels of the business operation, brings order to complex situations and keeps a focus on business objectives.
• Works with senior people responsible for the line business operation to ensure that maximum improvements are made in the business operations as groups of projects deliver their products into operational use.
• Maintains the business case for funding the programme and confirms the continuing business viability of the programme at regular intervals.

Accountability: Stakeholder relationship management

• The coordination of relationships with and between key stakeholders, during the design, management and implementation of business change.
• Develops and manages one or more defined communication channels and/or stakeholder groups.
• Initiates communications between stakeholders, acting as a single point of contact for defined groups.
• Facilitates open communication and discussion between stakeholders.
• Captures and disseminates technical and business information.
• Facilitates the business change decision-making processes and the planning and implementation of change.

Education and Experience Required

• B degree and/or relevant Project Related Qualification
• At least 8 - 10 years Project Management experience, working on complex business focused multifaceted projects across people, process and technology
• Finance experience is preferred
• Financial Services industry experience is preferred
• 5-6 years high level stakeholder management experience is essential

Knowledge & Skills:

• Program & Project Management Level
• Group Architecture & Group Governance Framework Level
• Stakeholder Management Level
• Process Design Level
• Analysis Level
• Ability to translate strategy into execution Level
• Developing operating models Level
• Modelling and Simulation Level: Do without Supervision
• Absa Product, Process & Procedures Level
• Knowledge and understanding of Unified Modelling Language (UML)
• High-level understanding of the Absa environment at management level

Competencies:

• Deciding and initiating action
• Learning and researching
• Entrepreneurial and commercial thinking
• Relating and networking
• Adapting and responding to change
• Persuading and influencing
• Creating and innovating