Project Manager – Strategic Projects Candidate Pack
The University of Law (ULaw) is one of the world’s largest law schools. With an impressive history dating back to 1876, the University employs over 900 staff and has over 14,000 students studying on their undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, along with an alumni network in excess of 100,000. They were the first-ever independent institution to be granted degree awarding powers and in 2012 gained university title. With a rich heritage and a reputation for innovation and contemporary teaching practices, the University continuously focuses on developing the best legal and business minds. In 2016, they opened their leading Business School, further enhancing their reputation as a full service legal, business and educational training specialist, operating from campuses throughout the UK, Berlin and Hong Kong and an Online campus. What really sets them apart from other universities is the guiding principle that future lawyers and business leaders should learn in a realistic, professional and contemporary context, with plenty of practical interactive engagement. That’s why they keep their contact hours high and their teaching groups small. Over the past 5 years the University has doubled student enrolments and continues to grow. They are extremely ambitious and plan to expand and diversify both in the UK and worldwide. As they have grown, the continuing enhancement of their brand and reputation for teaching quality and student satisfaction has been at the core of everything that they do. Whilst their legacy and identity as a specialist legal education provider remains central to who they are, they have successfully diversified their offering into business and accounting dis- ciplines, with a rapidly expanding suite of programmes delivered in their UK and overseas campuses. They plan to expand their portfolio into new applied and professionally accredited disciplines. As a pri- vate university, they are agile and innovative, anticipating the future needs of their students, their client firms and society as a whole. In 2020 their student recruitment exceeded 10,000 for the first time in their history and, whilst they remain a predominantly postgraduate university, their undergraduate numbers are also growing strongly. In 2020 they were ranked 1st for overall student satisfaction in England in the National Student Survey. Their success is driven by their reputation as a specialist university of the highest quality, offering students a unique and practice-led learning experience.
BACKGROUND
Vision and Strategic Plan
Strategic Plan
Vision and mission
Caring for our students is at the heart of everything we do. We stand shoulder to shoulder with them, supporting their ambitions and ensuring they are respected and valued.
In 2025 we will be the leading global university of law, business and the professions with a network of online and worldwide locations. Digital technology will enable us to offer unparalleled flexibility, based around cutting edge facilities and environments, further removing geographical barriers to education. We will offer the same quality of teaching and learning experience, with the convenience to study where, when and how our students want. At the heart of this are our people and values. Many of our staff, stakeholders and students helped to shape our new vision and strategic plan.
We are deeply committed to delivering a high-quality service and education. We support and accept appropriate and managed risks, in the pursuit of growth and progress whilst maintaining quality.
Vision and Mission
Strategic Plan
We are dynamic and future-focused, anticipating and embracing change with creativity and motivation.
We are agile and adaptable, leading change and meeting the changing demands of our students and employers, all the while updating our knowledge and practice to improve our performance and the student experience.
We embrace our challenges as learning and growth opportunities and prepare our students, with confidence and resilience, to do the same.
We work together in a collegiate way, challenging one another whilst treating each other with dignity and respect - embracing diversity of experience and background that allows people to do their best and thrive.
We have a global outlook and connect across different cultures. We are a diverse, inclusive community where everyone is welcomed and valued, and our differences are a source of strength.
Our diversity and inclusion initiatives are at the heart of our strategic plan to empower our staff and student community.
Vision and Strategic Plan
Our International Community
Core components of our Strategic Plan
We will establish new, and strengthen existing, pathways for international students to join us - including through our oversees campuses and our strategic partnerships.
Our Learning Journey
Building on our heritage of outstanding teaching and support for our students, we will deliver excellent standards in innovative learning, teaching and applied research that transforms lives and is globally recognised However, our learning journey does not end in the classroom, and we will continue to grow our support services and technologies, deepening our care for our students and offering ever closer support networks. We were ranked top university in England for overall student satisfaction in the National Student Survey 2020 and also achieved top ten placements amongst other universities for eleven further categories across the UK including: ‘The Teaching on my Course’ (4th), ‘Student Voice’ (4th), and ‘Assessment and feedback’ (7th). And in the latest Teaching and Excellence and Student Outcome Framework we were awarded silver for our teaching, learning and outcomes. Our performance in the critical categories of teaching excellence and academic support for students is sector leading.
We will embed inclusivity and multicultural values into the curriculum and develop new modules to define and address ethical issues and the rights of minority and protected groups.
Core components of our Strategic Plan
Through collaboration with our international partners we will create global learning and employability opportunities.
Our Learning Journey
Our Learning Environment
Our People
Our International Community
We will develop, retain and recruit the highest calibre people, increasing the ethnic representation to reflect the diversity in our students.
Our People
By uniting academic and business professionals, we will innovate and personalise our students’ future teaching and learning, bringing knowledge from the front line of practice.
Our Impact
Our Impact
Graduates will leave ULaw with the experiences and skills to drive change, helping to transform the future of society and the professions.
They will have not only a world class qualification, but also a sense of purpose and empowerment that they can have a positive impact on their environments.
Our Learning Environment
We will transform our study and work settings through the use of the most advanced technology and resources.
Through our pioneering Employability Service we will shape our graduates into the next generation of professionals. They will be digitally confident, have broad project management skills, and strong leadership potential.
By combining our physical and online campus environments and infrastructure, we will create adaptable and flexible spaces for learning and support.
CAMPUSES
1. Birmingham
2. Bristol
3. Chester
4. Guildford Campus
5. Leeds Campus
6. London Bloomsbury Campus
Birmingham
Nottingham
7. London Moorgate Campus
8. Manchester Campus
9. Nottingham Campus
10. The University of Law at UEA in Norwich
11. The University of Law in Exeter
Hong Kong
Guildford
12. The University of Law in Liverpool
13. The University of Law at Reading
14. Hong Kong Centre
All of our campuses are in thriving commercial areas and offer the same fully-resourced facilities, including well equipped IT suites with PCs for DVD and i-Tutorials, comprehensive law libraries with all the latest legal texts, quiet study areas and places to relax.
15. Online
Moorgate
Bristol
16. The University of Law at Chester
17. GISMA Berlin
18. Sheffield
Portfolio Growth
The University of Law is entering a pivotal period of transformation; accelerating growth in an ever more competitive world to attract students globally, with intensive imperatives on widening access and reducing differences in outcomes related to our students’ backgrounds. Naturally, student expectations are rightly rising with ever heightened perceptions of how their money is being used and what they want for it. At the same time, the University is quickly adapting to changes in the Higher Education sector around regulatory regimes and funding. One of the University’s strengths is its focus on internationalism in our education and employability offer and also the focus on cutting-edge facilities and environments, blending our physical and online learning and working environments. Due to significant growth and product diversification, we are looking to recruit a Project Manager to work in the Strategic Projects Team and take responsibility for managing and delivering key aspects of our Growth and Expansion Portfolio of key projects. You will ensure that all projects are delivered to scope, time, quality & budget and deliver the defined objectives set out in the business case. You will provide project management advice and support to colleagues within the university and be adept at building and maintaining effective relationships with colleagues and senior stakeholders. Reporting to the Head of Strategic Projects, you will have significant experience in business transformation projects and change. You will have led complex transformation projects end-to-end within a fast-paced, large organization, ensuring objectives, goals, and commitments are met while interacting with both business and IT stakeholders at all levels. You will be a self-starter with excellent communication skills and the ability to manage multiple projects and work to multiple deadlines. This fixed term role is an excellent opportunity to work in a for profit, sector-leading Higher Education organisation and it is ideal for candidates who have Consultancy or HE experience and are interested in working at a more commercially-focused institution.
JOB DESCRIPTION
Main Function of Job:
Main Function of Job:
• Managing and delivering multiple projects in the diversification, growth and expansion portfolio of the University, to achieve the strategic plan of ULAW.
Responsible for:
• Project planning and management – define project scope and schedule; organise and lead project meetings; prepare and distribute progress reports; manage risks and issues; correct deviations from plans; and perform delivery planning for assigned projects. • Leading the identification and development of key project objectives, milestones, actions, dependencies, and success criteria in collaboration with the project sponsor and other stakeholders. • Define and manage a well-defined project management process and champion ongoing process improvement initiatives to implement best practices. • Integrate new programmes into the University’s operations and planning systems. • Accountable for the end-to-end delivery of key project(s) across all workstreams from initiation to close, ensuring that desired outcomes are met. • Leading the project team to successfully deliver projects. • Co-ordinating the definition of scope and delivery of detailed business requirements through collaboration with the business, IT, and other 3rd parties. • Managing all stakeholders to manage key dependencies and interfaces between projects, to ensure consistency with objectives and timelines. • Ensuring all stakeholders are kept up to date on the progress of the project, potential risks and delays, budget concerns. • Ensuring risks are accounted for and that an appropriate risk management process is in place and followed appropriately by the project team. • Collaborating with teams across the University responsible and with vendors / partners for the full change and transformation scope.
Job Title: Project Manager – Strategic Projects Career (R&R) Level: Team Member Department: Strategy and Projects Reporting to Head of Strategic Projects
Location London Moorgate
Reporting Line:
Direct Reports None
• The Project Manager will report to the Head of Strategic Projects.
JOB DESCRIPTION
Specif c Responsibilities i
Professional Skills
• Actively take responsibility for your own personal career development in all respects. • Through active networking and research, develop a comprehensive awareness and knowledge of the legal, education and commercial markets nationally and internationally.
Project Management
• Provide effective project management, ensuring that the project(s) are delivered on time, on budget and to the standard required. • Ensure that the project(s) and its workstreams are appropriately evaluated, briefed, budgeted, and documented. • Create and maintain project plans, track deliverables against time and cost, monitor slippage and agree alternative arrangements to accommodate delays in time-critical deliverables. • Manage project risk and issues, communicating the impact to the project and overseeing their mitigation and resolution. • Prepare engaging, coherent, and concise project reports and presentations; co-ordinating the production, review and sign- off of deliverables. • Take ownership of project documentation to ensure documents are disseminated to stakeholders and records are kept of progress, decision making, expected benefits and actual benefits realised. • Dealing with ambiguity and translating into business requirements. • Carry out detailed fact-finding, data-gathering, investigation, and analysis as appropriate to support project analysis and goals. • Work with the business to align business improvement objectives and identify opportunities for business improvement. • Own project stakeholder relationships and engage the business with project communications and change interventions, to ensure that the project lands successfully. • Communicate complex problems/solutions in an articulate manner, using data to support your argument and influence stakeholders. • Report regularly to the Director of Strategy and Planning and to the wider organisation. • Develop links with the Executive Board team and their functions, to ensure all appropriate parties are clear on project status and delivery.
Specific Responsibilities
General Responsibilities
• Adheres to Corporate Policies and Procedures, including code of conduct. • The job holder has a duty to take reasonable care for the health and safety of themselves and of other persons with whom they come into contact at work. The job holder also has a duty to co-operate with the University in complying with any statutory duty or requirement concerning health and safety at work. They must familiarise themselves with the Health and Safety Policy and its safety and fire procedures.
In addition to the responsibilities listed above, the job holder may be required to perform other duties as assigned by the Head of Strategic Projects and the Director of Strategy and Planning from time to time.
This job description is to be read in conjunction with the relevant Roles and Responsibilities Career Level document.
This role is hybrid, the job holder will be working from home and the main place of work in London Moorgate.
This job description is correct as of February 2022. It may vary in consultation with the post holder to reflect changes within the marketplace, the Strategy and Projects team and the University.
PERSON SPECIFICATIONS
Training & Education
• Clear ability to demonstrate strong commercial, financial, and analytical skills – from identifying opportunities (internal and external), to securing approval/buy-in (from the Executives to the Board) and through to successful implementation. • Proficient on Microsoft packages including Word, PowerPoint, and Excel • Project financial analysis capabilities.
Essential
• Graduate level or equivalent
Education
Desirable • A Project Management qualification – e.g., PRINCE2 Practitioner, PMI-ACP, PMP Experience Essential • Significant experience in business transformation projects and change, leading complex transformation projects end-to-end within a fast- paced, large organization, including cultural, system, process, and people impact. • Proven ability to lead projects and ensure objectives, goals, and commitments are met. • Experience in leading business change project teams, including 3rd party teams. • Experience interacting with both business and IT stakeholders at all levels with excellent oral and written communication skills . Desirable • Consultancy experience. • Experience in a hybrid Business Analyst / Project Manager role. • Experience of working in virtual teams.
Experience
Desirable • Knowledge of the UK legal and higher education sectors.
Special Skills & Knowledge
Behavioural Skills
Behavioural Skills
Special Circumstances
Essential • Ability to work on own initiative and with minimum supervision; self-motivated with a hands-on, positive attitude. • Strong interpersonal skills including mentoring, coaching, collaborating, and team building. • Strong analytical, planning, and organisational skills with an ability to manage competing demands work under pressure, prioritise and ensure all deadlines are met. • Assertive but with outstanding interpersonal skills and an ability to carry opin- ion by effective persuasion. • Ability to secure quality and timely output from others. • Methodical in approach; accurate with high attention to detail. • Quick learner; focussed and driven work ethic. • Fair, consistent, open, and honest.
Skills & Knowledge
Essential • Substantial knowledge of project management frameworks and governance approaches. • Ability to manage and influence multiple stakeholders at all levels, both internally and externally. • Ability to foresee potential issues and manage novel and unusual projects. • First class communication skills and a real ability to secure results via diplomatic influence and authority, with the necessary confidence to build senior level relationships and help drive forward major change programmes.
Application Process
The University is being supported on this recruitment campaign by the search consultancy The Management Recruitment Group (MRG) .
To arrange a brief conversation please contact our advisors Sian Gardiner (020 3962 9900 / 07932 717 458 / sian.gardiner@mrgpeople.co.uk) or Charlotte Turedi (020 3962 9900 / 07852 131 794 / charlotte.turedi@mrgpeople.co.uk) of MRG. Applications should contain a CV and Covering Letter and should be sent to Sian Gardiner or Charlotte Turedi at the Management Recruitment Group. (sian.gardiner@mrgpeople.co.uk / / charlotte.turedi@mrgpeople.co.uk).
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