The Open University
Senior Project Manager
Milton Keynes
Posted about 15 hours ago
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About the Role
This role sits within Curriculum Services, Learner and Discovery Services (LDS) which works cross-institutionally on specific workstreams to deliver strategic change to improve curriculum development agility across the end-to-end Curriculum Journey. The role holder will work in multi-disciplinary teams requiring collaboration across the team and with key stakeholders from across the University.
Key Responsibilities
As a Senior Project Manager, you will;
- Lead the planning and delivery of complex projects and improvement initiatives from discovery through to implementation, ensuring successful outcomes and lasting value for users, stakeholders and the University.
- Select and apply appropriate delivery approaches, including Agile practices, iterative delivery, discovery, proof of concept, pilot and testing phases, using feedback, evaluation and learning to continuously refine solutions and maximise impact.
- Facilitate and support multidisciplinary teams to deliver agreed outcomes, fostering effective collaboration across faculties, professional services and other stakeholder groups.
- Work with stakeholders to define objectives, scope requirements, success measures, resource needs, agree priorities and delivery plans, building commitment and influencing decision-making without formal authority.
- Champion user-centred and co-design approaches, ensuring the needs and experiences of staff and students, alongside Equality, Diversity and Inclusion considerations, are embedded in service and solution design.
- Identify, manage and resolve risks, issues, dependencies and blockers, facilitating constructive discussions and helping stakeholders with differing priorities reach informed decisions.
- Monitor and communicate progress through appropriate governance and reporting arrangements, providing stakeholders with confidence in delivery and outcomes.
- Support the adoption of change and promote a culture of continuous improvement by capturing learning, evaluating outcomes and impact, and identifying opportunities to enhance services, processes and delivery approaches.
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About You
Essential Criteria
The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate:
- Proven experience delivering complex projects, programmes or organisational change initiatives in large and complex environments.
- Strong understanding and practical application of a range of delivery methodologies and techniques (for example Agile, APM).
- Experience working with multidisciplinary teams to deliver strategic outcomes, building productive relationships and collaborating effectively across organisational boundaries, particularly where there is no direct line management responsibility.
- Experience of running discovery, requirements gathering, solution design, pilot and proof-of-concept activities.
- Experience applying user-centred approaches and engaging users and stakeholders in co-design, evaluation and continuous improvement activities.
- Excellent stakeholder management skills, including the ability to build credibility and trust, influence senior leaders, negotiate effectively, manage conflict constructively and secure commitment.
- Exceptional communication and facilitation skills, with the ability to adapt style and approach to different audiences and communicate complex information clearly.
- Strong planning, organisational and prioritisation skills, with experience managing competing priorities, coordinating multiple activities and stakeholders, and delivering to challenging deadlines.
- Proven ability to identify, assess and manage risks, issues and dependencies, exercising sound judgement, solving problems proactively and escalating concerns appropriately when required.
- Ability to work effectively under pressure, remaining resilient, adaptable and focused when managing uncertainty and changing priorities.
- Demonstrable commitment to continuous improvement, using feedback, evaluation and evidence to improve outcomes, identify opportunities for innovation and support a culture of learning and development.
- Willingness and ability to learn and apply new information, technologies, specialisms and delivery approaches.
- Ability to carry out the role in a way that is consistent with equality legislation and University policies whilst ensuring that diverse perspectives, accessibility and inclusion are considered throughout discovery, design, delivery and evaluation activities to achieve equitable outcomes for all users.
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Desirable Criteria
Ideally, the successful candidate will also demonstrate:
- Experience of delivering curriculum, learning, educational technology or student experience-related change initiatives.
- Experience of applying DevOps principles and practices within delivery teams.
- Experience of organisational change management and supporting change adoption.
- Knowledge of service design methodologies.
- Relevant professional qualifications (for example Agile, Scrum, APM, PRINCE2, MSP or Change Management certifications).
- Experience of working with procurement and supplier management.
- Experience working within Higher Education or similarly complex matrix organisations.
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Skills
Project Management
Agile Methodologies
Stakeholder Management
User-Centred Design
Risk Management
Change Management
Co-design
Facilitation
Strategic Planning
Requirements Gathering
Solution Design
Continuous Improvement
Resource Planning
Conflict Resolution
Governance
DevOps