Project Manager - (Manchester/Preston)

Key Responsibilities

• Internal Blocker Removal & Delivery Enablement (Core Focus)
• Actively identify and remove internal blockers impacting delivery:
• data availability and quality
• ownership ambiguity
• business decisions not being made
• Work proactively with constrained business teams to:
• prioritise inputs required for delivery
• extract knowledge efficiently
• reduce reliance on informal/tacit processes
• Ensure that internal dependencies do not delay project progress
• Business Engagement & Knowledge Capture
• Engage internal SP ENW teams to:
• Capture business priorities and communicate
• Facilitate structured workshop sessions
• Support business teams in transitioning to repeatable processes
• Supplier Accountability (Partnership Model)
• Work alongside the supplier to:
• ensure clarity on inputs, outputs and expectations
• maintain alignment on delivery priorities
• Hold the supplier accountable for:
• agreed milestones
• quality and usability of outputs
• Challenge where necessary, but operate within a constructive, partnership-based relationship
• Delivery Coordination & Clarity
• Maintain a clear, integrated view of:
• delivery plan using Microsoft Project
• dependencies
• risks and issues
• finances
• Ensure that:
• required inputs are defined and owned
• output expectations are explicit and testable
• Drive clarity where ambiguity exists across business teams
• Governance & Reporting
• Provide clear, outcome-focused reporting to stakeholders, including leading steering group and boards
• Ensure governance supports:
• rapid decision-making
• visibility of blockers

Person Specification

Essential Experience

Experience delivering or supporting complex, cross-business IT/data programmes

Demonstrated ability to unblock delivery in resource-constrained environments

Experience working closely with third-party delivery partners

Strong experience of business change and process definition

Strong financial management

Proven ability to operate in environments with:

ambiguity

incomplete requirements

evolving scope

Critical Behaviours

• Relentlessly proactive - does not wait for issues to escalate
• Comfortable chasing and challenging across all levels of the organisation
• Pragmatic and delivery-focused - prioritises progress over perfection
• Strong facilitator - can extract clarity from vague or tacit knowledge
• Resilient and persistent - able to navigate slow-moving or resource-constrained environments

Desirable

• Experience in Network related projects
• Utilities/infrastructure/engineering domain experience
• Exposure to data integration or data product delivery