Project Manager, Change Management, Operations Management

At Howdens, we're looking for an experienced IT Project Manager to join our Portfolio & Programme Delivery team in Northampton. You’ll play a key role in delivering technology and business projects that support our continued growth and success. We're looking for someone who enjoys understanding the detail, identifying dependencies and risks, and working through the complexities of delivery to achieve successful outcomes.

You’ll take ownership of a variety of technology and business projects, bringing together people from across Howdens to turn ideas and requirements into successful delivery. From getting a project off the ground through to implementation and close, you’ll keep everyone moving in the same direction and make sure projects stay on track when priorities change or challenges crop up. It’s a great opportunity for someone who enjoys getting stuck into complex projects, working with different teams and stakeholders, and finding practical ways to overcome problems and keep things moving.

• Take ownership of projects from initial planning right through to implementation and close.
• Work with project sponsors, stakeholders and delivery teams to agree what success looks like and create a clear plan for getting there.
• Build realistic project plans covering timescales, resources, budgets, milestones and dependencies.
• Bring together teams from across Technology and the wider business, making sure everyone understands priorities and what needs to happen next.
• Keep a close eye on progress, budgets, risks and issues, stepping in early when something could knock delivery off track.
• Keep stakeholders informed with clear, useful project updates and reporting.
• Manage changing requirements and priorities without losing sight of the overall project goals.
• Work closely with technical teams, resource managers and suppliers to resolve challenges and remove blockers.
• Make sure projects have the right level of governance and documentation in place without losing focus on getting things delivered.
• Capture key learnings when projects close and look for ways we can continually improve how we deliver projects.

We’re looking for someone who can bring people together, build strong relationships and confidently take ownership of delivery. You’ll also need:

• 2–5 years’ experience working in a Project Management role.
• An up-to-date Project Management qualification such as APM PMQ, APM PPQ, PRINCE2 Practitioner or PMI PMP.
• A track record of successfully delivering complex or cross-functional projects.
• A strong understanding of project planning, risk and issue management, stakeholder management, change management and project budgets.
• Experience working with different project delivery methodologies.
• Experience using Azure Dev Ops or similar tools such as Jira or Confluence.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft applications including Teams, Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Visio and MS Project.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, with the confidence to work with people at different levels.
• A practical, organised approach and the ability to stay calm when priorities change or problems need solving.

• Competitive salary and annual company bonus
• Excellent pension scheme (company contribution of up to 12%)
• 25 days holiday + bank holidays with the option to buy additional days
• Staff Discount
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Exceptional Reward and Recognition events

Howdens Joinery is a highly successful FTSE 100 business, with more than 900 depots nationwide and more than 11,000 staff. Last year our sales reached circa 2.3bn, and we continue to experience significant growth and success. Despite our scale, Howdens remains a local business with traditional values. There is a strong…