Job ID:
34900
Published date:
2026-06-09
Summary
Project Manager - Notes on requirements
- 6-month contractor PM needed for two parallel discovery projects:
- 3 months Home & Insights discovery phase
- Current platform receiving poor customer feedback causing loss of customer confidence
- Need to define Insights 3.0 (currently on 2.0) - complete refresh
- Goal: single modern platform for data actions and services
- Challenge: how to implement in UK that works commercially, technically and operationally without creating fragmented high-risk solution
- Currently utilizing insights stored on US side which causes issues
- Discovery process aims to bring control to UK while giving US confidence in delivery capability
- 3 months telematics discovery (less detailed scope, subject to change)
- Similar themes linking into Home & Insights
- Product team currently very junior with significant gaps
- Business impact assessment bigger priority due to team weaknesses
- 3 months Home & Insights discovery phase
- Team structure already established:
- Business analyst, data architect, solutions architect, technical lead
- DevOps engineer, IT manager, UX/UI designer
- Head of architecture who has deep system knowledge and will be making all the technical decisions
- PM accountability: corral stakeholders and run successful discovery phase
- Discovery phase must ensure solution is:
-
- Fit for customer needs
- Aligned to US framework
- Technically feasible and scalable
- Supported with clear delivery plan
- Output requirements:
- Product definition: what we’re building
- Technical approach: how to build it
- Execution methodology: how to deliver it
- Business case and investment plan for approval
- If both projects approved, PM splits 50/50 capacity between them through delivery
Required PM Profile & Skills
- Business project manager with IT background (not IT/technical PM)
- Must understand IT projects and speak technical language
- Focus on business impact, change management, stakeholder dynamics
- Essential experience requirements:
- Discovery phase tools and business case development - Must understand how discovery feeds into business case process
- IT/digital platform project delivery experience
- Working in ambiguous, loosely defined environments
- Bringing structure, clarity and momentum to unclear initiatives
- Critical behavioral characteristics:
- Hands-on and proactive: driving progress rather than just tracking it
- Strong facilitation skills for cross-functional workshops
- Bridge technical decisions to business impact understanding
- Think through implications: “if we do this, what other teams would be impacted?”
- Confident in driving decisions and being accountable
- Comfortable working in maturing PM environment
- Strong stakeholder management across technical teams and dependencies
- Required mindset and approach:
- Drive and inquisitive nature - “not leaving any stone unturned”
- Proactive follow-up: asking about deadlines, progress, support needs
- “OCD nature in supportive way” - detailed tracking and momentum building
- Not waiting for stakeholders to come to them when tasks complete;
- Reaching out proactively: “Do you need support? How are you getting on? Are you going to achieve deadline?” – needed for current team
- What they DON’T need:
- Deep technical knowledge (Head of Architecture handles all technical decisions)
- Traditional PM approach (will be too rigid for this business environment)
- Pure operational background without IT understanding
- Product management experience (desirable for telematics project but not essential)
- Stakeholder environment context:
- Working with senior technical experts who know systems inside out
- PM opinion on technical matters won’t hold weight due to existing expertise
- Need to understand high-level technical discussions and translate to business impact
- Focus on customer impact, operational implications, and cross-team dependencies
- Management style alignment:
- Needs PM with similar approach: driving momentum with “OCD nature”
- Accountable for entire discovery phase success
- Strongly values proactive progress management over passive tracking
- Traditional PM approaches don’t work in their business environment
Timeline & Logistics
- Project timeline and approval process:
- Kickoff target: Mid-June (15th June for discovery phase)
- Ideal start timing:
- Latest acceptable: End of July (before midway through discovery phase)
- Sooner preferred: reduces Portfolio Managers 60% time commitment to project
- Location requirements:
- Chippenham office: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday (3 days standard)
- Potential flexibility to 2 days but 3 preferred due to project size and priority
- Tuesday-Thursday chosen because all key stakeholders present those days
- Budget and contracting:
- Outside IR35
- 6-month contract duration
- Expectation both projects will extend beyond discovery
- Current head owns the telematics initiative - separate planning discussions ongoing