Head of Projects & Performance Management at Old Mutual Kenya

Job Description

This role is responsible for the coordinated management of multiple and/ or related projects. This role is tasked with setting up and managing programmes to support and align to the organisation’s strategic goals and long-term goals. The role incumbent may run a Programme Office and will work closely with project managers. A key component of this role is strategic stakeholder management, both internal and external to the organisation.

Project Conceptualisation and Scoping

• Undertake strategic engagements with key stakeholders (sponsor/ business owners) to understand the business strategy, objectives and problem statement(s) driving the potential program/ projects that needs to be undertaken
• Based on the conceptual solution, undertake preliminary high level program scoping

Change request & Change control

• Manage scope and an integrated change control process by undertaking the following:
• Manage scope creep of the program within the wider context of ensuring that benefits are delivered.
• Intervene and negotiate high level decisions with sponsor where projects/ programs deviate out of tolerance from plan in terms of timeline, costs/business case. o Oversight and guidance of all supporting projects on how changes will impact the overall programme

Project planning, integration

and dependency management

• Lead and facilitate the overall program planning process and create an integrated programme plan including: o systemic and innovative integration of plans (project and program) to reach business objective o sequencing and prioritising

Key Result Area

Accountability

• identify the programme level critical path o undertake resource levelling and constraints management. o determine the skills requirements for the projects/ programme
• scope and build the program resource plans o Quick wins and high impact strategic leverage points
• Drive program dependency planning (both internal and external) and actively manage dependencies, especially on the critical path adjusting plans as required.
• Undertake ongoing articulation, testing/ validation key program assumptions. Lead the change/ adjust scope if needed.
• Monitor and track against project/ program plans with project managers over program life cycle
• Monitor and track programme level tasks/ activities through the life of the programme o Drive and be overall accountable for quality delivery across all projects within the program

Quality Management

• Determine the approach to achieving quality including quality standards, controls and governances, processes and measures and build these into the project plan.
• Execute on quality components through duration of the project. Correct and/or escalate non-compliance to quality components timeously.

Risk, Opportunity & Issue

Management

• Understand the organisation/ business unit’s risk appetite and align planning decisions, solutions and mitigations to this.
• Evaluate and manage the accumulative and systemic effect of risks across all projects within the program by engaging in both a bottom up and top down risk identification process.
• Manage programme risks or issues at a strategic level
• Undertake effective opportunity management on the program by identifying, understanding and exploiting opportunities that arise which can save costs, realise efficiencies or benefits

Stakeholder Engagement

• Develop and execute an overarching programme stakeholder engagement and communication plan which a strong focus on driving the following; o Facilitating a guiding coalition of engagement and consensus building
  • Getting alignment and co-operation across the business

(functional and hierarchical) for program implementation o Resolving strategic and impactful conflicts or commitment breakdowns to clear the way for program progression. Navigate and influence politically and organisationally sensitive decisions with key stakeholders

• Provide thought leadership for pragmatic program execution
• Develop and define governance structures ensuring compliance with the enterprise governance requirements and ensure adherence to all governance structures and approval protocols for programme decisions
• Work closely with the Change Manager to drive the execution

Key Result Area

Accountability

of the change management plan for the programme.

• Align the business change and integration within the context of what is happing within broader organisation. o Guide the organisational readiness and business impact for timely change. Communicate and create strategic

context for the business. Understand what level of change management is needed

• Undertake the role of ‘leading the change’ within the program and with business owners/sponsor

Skills

Education

Bachelors Degree (B): Project Management (Required)