Xpertise Recruitment
Project Manager
How your CV stacks up
Upload your CV to see how well it fits this job role
?%
IT Project Manager (Operational Excellence Programme - Contract)
Location: Birmingham or Cardiff
Working Pattern: Hybrid - 2 days in either location
Day Rate: £550-£650 per day DOE
An excellent opportunity has arisen for an experienced Project Manager to join a major professional services organisation on an initial 12 month contract (Inside IR35). This role will play a critical part in delivering a high-profile Operational Excellence Programme, supporting strategic transformation initiatives and driving measurable business improvements across the organisation.
Working within an established project delivery function, you will lead multiple application-focused projects that support business services teams, ensuring successful delivery through the full project lifecycle while managing complex stakeholder relationships, risks, dependencies, and programme outcomes.
About the Organisation
Our client is a leading international professional services business with a strong reputation for innovation, operational excellence, and delivering high-quality services to clients across multiple sectors. The organisation is investing significantly in transformation initiatives designed to improve processes, enhance business performance, and support future growth.
Why Join
- Play a key role in a strategic Operational Excellence Programme
- Lead high-impact transformation and application delivery projects
- Work with senior stakeholders across business and technology functions
- Gain exposure to large-scale change initiatives within a complex professional services environment
Reasons to use Rodeo
Start with a chat, not a search bar
Grad scheme, placement, apprenticeship? Not sure what you want yet — that's fine. Your agent talks it through with you and turns "I have no idea" into a shortlist.
It searches the market for you
Every day your agent scans the market matching roles against what actually matters to you, not just keywords on a CV.
Only hits
No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.
Responsibilities
- Deliver multiple concurrent application and business change projects through the full project lifecycle, from planning and design through to deployment and handover
- Lead project governance, including project plans, RAID logs, reporting, budgeting, and stakeholder communications
- Coordinate cross-functional teams, third-party suppliers, and business stakeholders to ensure successful delivery outcomes
- Manage project risks, dependencies, and interrelated workstreams across the Operational Excellence portfolio
- Drive stakeholder engagement across business services functions, maintaining momentum and alignment to strategic objectives
- Support service transition activities and ensure effective handover into operational support teams
- Monitor and report progress against milestones, budgets, and agreed business outcomes
- Contribute to benefits realisation and continuous improvement initiatives across the programme
Requirements
- Strong understanding of software development lifecycles, application delivery, and systems implementation
- Experience delivering projects within professional services, legal services, or similar regulated environments
- Proven experience delivering IT projects involving business applications, software implementations, and organisational change
- Minimum five years' project management experience within complex enterprise environments
- PRINCE2 Practitioner, APM Practitioner, or equivalent project management certification
- Experience working across both Agile and Waterfall delivery methodologies
- Excellent stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence senior business leaders
- Demonstrated experience managing third-party suppliers and delivery partners
Get help with your application
Your very own career expert that helps elevate your application to the next level.
Desirable Experience
- Exposure to cloud technologies, SaaS platforms, and Microsoft Azure solutions
- Experience supporting operational excellence, business transformation, or process optimisation programmes
- Background working with business services functions such as HR, Finance, Risk, Procurement, or Operations
We welcome applicants from all backgrounds. Our client is an equal opportunities employer.
At Xpertise, we keep things human. Your application will always be reviewed by a real person. We do not rely on AI or automated screening tools. Every candidate receives fair, considered attention from our team.
Right to work in the UK is required for this role.
“It took my CV and asked me questions relevant to understanding what kind of jobs to suggest for me. Suggestions were almost perfect. Jobs were exactly what I’ve been looking for.”
Jessica, London
Skills