Project Manager - 12 Month FTC

Project Managers are responsible for the end-to-end delivery of programme workstreams, ensuring alignment to the structured delivery lifecycle. They coordinate across internal and external teams, manage risks and dependencies, and ensure successful implementation and transition to business-as-usual This ‘hands on’ role will be responsible for planning and managing multiple projects from inception through to delivery, whilst using the approved methodology and processes. In conjunction with our outsource partner, FNZ, we deliver a number of change projects each year including regulatory changes, operational enhancements and proposition developments. Projects will vary in scale and complexity with a range of budgets. You’ll work to ensure that you deliver to quality, cost and delivery targets through the building of cross-functional project teams to ensure success.

Key Accountabilities

• Formulating and updating project plans and maintaining schedules using Microsoft Project, Planner or similar tools
• Creation and maintenance of RAID logs
• Reviewing and monitoring progress against project plans to ensure outputs are delivered to time, budget and quality specifications
• Managing risks, issues and resources to ensure milestone dates are achieved
• Escalate critical risks and ensure alignment across workstreams and suppliers
• Track and manage cross-functional and cross-organisational dependencies
• Estimating project costs as required
• Managing projects within the agreed budget, applying the defined change management processes when required
• Manage projects aligned to the agreed Change Framework
• Maintain consistent reporting across workstreams using standard templates and cadence Provide updates to Portfolio Leads and change governance forums and escalate key risks/issues
• Ensure alignment with central PMO standards, controls, and delivery assurance
• Engage with internal stakeholders, business leads, operational teams, and external partners ensuring regular communication with key stakeholders and sponsors
• Ensure structured and controlled responses to escalations and change requests

• Establishing teams, in consultation with other parts of the organisation, to ensure the efficient delivery of projects (such teams to be either real or virtual)
• Responsibility for the efficient running of these teams by setting project objectives and working within a matrix management environment.
• Responsibility for the day-to-day task management of Business and Operational Analysts assigned to projects.
• Undertake any other duties to achieve the purpose of the role

Key Competencies

• Leadership skills to drive accurate, timely and positive project results.
• Ability to flex time management responsibilities and stay calm under pressure.
• Self-motivated and able to act on own initiative
• Collaboration with colleagues to share ideas and knowledge
• Strong interpersonal skills to build relationships with peers and stakeholders.
• Developed influencing & negotiation skills
• Project planning experience
• Resource, change and budget management experience
• Good IT skills including all elements of Microsoft Office
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• A flexible approach and the ability to influence and motivate others
• Experience of Change Delivery within the Financial Services industry
• Experience and understanding of Waterfall and Agile delivery methodologies
• Previous experience of working with outsourced service providers
• Understanding of Information Technology systems within a Financial Services platform environment would be an advantage
• Prince 2 or another recognised professional Change Delivery qualification would be an advantage
• A professional and positive attitude

A little about us  We’re the Nucleus Financial Platforms group and we help make retirement more rewarding. People come first - whether it’s our colleagues, or the advisers and customers we support, we know that working in partnership and collaboration leads to the best outcomes. Together, we’ve shaped the platform to how it is today. We work hard, and we celebrate hard too.  Our ambition is to create a platform with a difference, putting the customer centre stage meant tearing up the rule book and starting from scratch. We’ve come a long way since then, but our mission remains just as focused. That’s why our culture, values, and social responsibility are things we keep at the top of our agenda – because we know they matter and have a big impact.  Our culture is one of the many things that sets us apart from the pack. We want to have an environment where our people feel that they can make a real difference, know they’ll be rewarded for their efforts and more importantly, enjoy themselves at work. 

Inclusion and diversity at Nucleus  As with most things in life, who cares, wins. We really care about inclusion.  For us it’s not a tick box exercise; inclusion and diversity are embedded in our culture and everything we do. It’s a commercial imperative. It isn’t about being PC. It’s about being future-relevant and durable. We owe it to ourselves and the industry to ensure we are playing our part in creating a fair, balanced and transparent financial services sector.  More diversity means broader experience, a wider set of perspectives and a better collective ability to problem-solve. And it means being more representative of customer groups, which supports areas such as product development.  At Nucleus, we offer a generous blend of benefits for the things that really matter to our people, including a non-contributory pension, bonus, enhanced parental leave, paid time off for emergencies, health and wellbeing initiatives and flexible working options.