Senior Project Manager – Group Lead
Job Description
Job title: Senior Project Manager – Group Lead
Company: Smiths Detection
Job description: SMITHS DETECTION MAKING THE WORLD A SAFER PLACE
Every minute of every day, in nearly every country across the globe, Smiths Detection people and technology make the world a safer place. We safeguard people, business and infrastructure with the latest innovations and screening technology for aviation, ports, borders, defense, and security across 55 countries around the globe
Life At Smiths –
- Global leader: We impact critical systems every day with sites in 17 countries and six centers of research excellence. From pioneering to powering life-changing innovation, we’re delivering threat detection and screening solutions to safeguard the world from threat
- Digital growth: A key part of our capability is the integration of digital technology across our business and our operations in more than 55 countries, will be critical to our continued success
- Exciting opportunities: Our growth is creating exciting opportunities to work with experts in physics, chemistry, electronics, mechanics, production, computer science, and AIML
- International environment: With some projects, work requires global collaboration and the potential to travel and grow with the business
Job Description
Reporting directly to the Programmes Director, NW Europe, the role of Senior Project Manager (SPM) is responsible for driving project delivery excellence throughout their assigned portfolio by applying a broad range of recognised project management methodologies. This includes team leadership covering both project delivery and support.
The Senior Project Manager will be accountable for the successful delivery of major complex projects that span Commercial and/or Technology managing integrated project teams in a matrix organisation. The SPM within Smiths Detection is a versatile role and day-to-day duties will vary in accordance with the needs of a portfolio.
Duties and Responsibilities(include, but not limited to)
Project Management:
- Accountable for the initiating, planning, monitoring & controlling, communicating and close-out phases for all assigned projects, which includes the completion of Product Lifecycle Process Gates where applicable. Apply best practise and operate in accordance with relevant processes.
- Lead the activities of integrated project and/or cross-functional teams to achieve successful completion of projects to their committed delivery dates within budgeted costs and in accordance with relevant processes in tune with the business rhythm.
- Ensure that assigned projects have a minimum number of artefacts (e.g. Work breakdown Structure, Cost Breakdown Structure, Responsibility Assignment Matrix, Responsible Accountable Consulted Informed (RACI) Matrix, time scheduling, resource planning, risk and change controls.
- Accountable for the establishment of cost and schedule baselines and the maintenance of such baselines through forecast updates and the management of scope. Ensure that the Programme Excellent Centre (PEC) defined risk and change control process is applied.
- With support from Project Controls conduct monthly variance analysis for explaining and interpreting impact against baselines.
Typical duties specific to Commercial orientated projects include:
- Lead or provide input to Customer tenders working in accordance with the Bid and Pursue Programme Lifecycle Process.
- Negotiate and reach agreement with customers or end users on aspects such as project deliverables, requirements, budget/contract values.
- Responsible for completing project Kick-off and Sales to Project Management Handover.
- Finance management covering revenue recognition and reporting.
- Accountable for successful handover to Service.
Typical duties specific to Technology orientated projects include:
- Initiate and control feasibility of science and technology studies in accordance with the PEC Technology Development processes.
- Lead the planning and execution of product development, enhancement or sustaining projects defined by an approved business case.
- Work closely with Product Management to deliver project outcomes in accordance with the business case
- Support the resolution of field service issues or product complaints.
Portfolio specific duties:
- Fulfil the role of Group Lead for a designated group of projects and leading project execution performed by PM(s) assigned to the Group:
- Effective leadership and development of allocated project/programme managers.
- Line-management of allocated PM(s).
- Identify development activities to ensure professional development of allocated team members to support building of capability.
- Coordinate the accurate forecasting of sales and Target Gross Margin (TGM) for programmes/projects within the Group.
- Identify opportunities to accelerate programmes where resources permit and it is acceptable to the end customer.
- Liaise and coordinate with the Head of Programme Management & PMO to assist with maximizing resource utilisation and to ensure the installation aspects of projects/programmes are delivered in the most effective and efficient way.
- Act as the first point of escalation for Customers within the Group.
- Injection of expertise to drive best practice.
People and Talent Management:
- Act as a role model and mentor to junior project management team members. Provide ad-hoc support based on their experience.
- Promote disciplined project management throughout the global project management function.
- The SPM-Group Lead will effectively exploit and develop the knowledge of people from all functions.
The Individual
Knowledge:
- Extensive knowledge of project management methodologies gleaned from a mixture of experience, exposure and training.
- Good level of understanding of planning methodologies/techniques and other aspects of project controls such as earned value management.
- Awareness of complex integrated technology-based sensor systems and the critical roles that the technology and products play in the market.
- Awareness of the main priorities of typical cross-functions and how they operate and support the delivery of major technology projects
- Can demonstrate experience of the complete project lifecycle and varying degrees of project complexity.
- Strong verbal and written communication and people management skills.
- Proven problem-solving skills combined with extensive experience leading integrated teams to benefit the delivery of projects.
- Developed experience of baseline planning and scheduling, forecasting and estimating, cost/schedule integration techniques.
- Exposure to resource management and integration with Integrated Business Planning.
- Experience in critical path analysis, reporting, risk management tracking and the completion of corrective action plans.
- Experience of or exposure to the use of estimating, scheduling, risk and change software tools such as: SAP, Primavera, Oracle ERP, MS Project, Pertmaster, Active Risk Manager, Cobra, Power BI.
- Capable of driving continuous improvement across all aspects of areas of responsibility adopting both formal and informal approaches.
Competence and Abilities:
- Ability to demonstrate strong leadership and interpersonal skills with a natural passion to deliver against commitments.
- Ability to communicate at all levels of the organisation recognising the level of details that is required for a particular audience.
- Significant ability to build and manage a multicultural team in a matrix environment and influence people outside of direct reporting relationships.
- Advanced vision, attention to detail, highly organised and proven ability to work under own initiative.
- Significant ability to influence and act as a champion for project governance, particularly those related to project management.
- Lead the production and control of baselined, fully logic linked, cost and resource loaded plans, with appropriate milestones utilising approved work breakdown structures and techniques.
- Capable of producing special reports for the Senior Leadership Team within short timescales and comfortable working with ambiguity.
- Leading the application of change activities from proposal through to integration into the Performance Measurement Baseline.
Educational requirements:
- Relevant practical experience as a Programme Manager on complex programmes essential.
- Degree qualification (HND minimum) in relevant discipline (Business/Project Management or Technology/Engineering) desirable.
To find out more about life at Smiths Detection check out our LinkedIn page and follow our story
Join us for a great career and competitive compensation & benefits whilst keeping the world a safer place.
Diversity & Inclusion
We believe that different perspectives and backgrounds are what make a company flourish. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, economic status, disability, age, or any other legally protected characteristics. We are proud to be an inclusive company with values grounded in equality and ethics, where we celebrate, support, and embrace diversity. We have several employee-led Employee Resources Groups (women@work, Black Employees Network, Veterans, Pride Network) providing support, enhancing career development, and contributing to personal development in the work environment and beyond.
At no time during the hiring process will Smiths Detection, Smiths Group, nor any of our recruitment partners ever request payment to enable participation – including, but not limited to, interviews or testing. Avoid fraudulent requests by applying jobs directly through our career’s website ( )or LinkedIn.
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Expected salary:
Location: Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire
