Senior Project Manager - Finance Transformation
12 months FTC
Reporting to:
Senior Finance Manager - Finance Transformation
Department:
Finance Transformation team
Location:
JD Sports Fashion PLC, Edinburgh House, Hollinsbrook Way, Pilsworth, Bury, BL9 8RR
Job Summary
The Finance Transformation programme is an initiative to deliver a series of improvements across Finance at Group and business unit level. The project manager is responsible for managing people, tasks, setting and managing plans and schedules, and resources through the project lifecycle.
This role will focus in two areas:
* Delivery of the E-Invoicing Project (Belgium) for the Group VAT team by January 2026
* Group Finance & UK / EU Shared Service Centre Finance Transformation projects in the financial year to January 2027.
E-invoicing project background
All EU Member States are mandated to introduce e-invoicing systems by 2030 which will require all invoices to be sent and received via government approved portals or supplier / customer approved networks. Some EU Members have already gone live and others are due to go live next year. We need to have solutions in place prior to each deadline so we can continue to receive invoices from our suppliers and we can continue to issue invoices to our customers. Failing to be ready would impact business continuity as we would be unable to pay our suppliers and we would face potential penalties and fines from tax authorities for non compliance. The Finance Department require a Project Manager on a FTC to manage the next series of implementations.
You’ll play a central role in shaping and delivering these projects, working closely with cross-functional teams and external partners to ensure successful outcomes.
Overarching requirements of this role are to:
* Coordinate planning sessions for project development and execution.
* Collaborate with business representatives to understand, document and refine the business requirements as applicable.
* Collaborate with the vendors project delivery team to co-manage delivery on behalf of the JD finance team.
* Conduct risk analysis to reduce unforeseen obstacles and costs.
* Create and maintain a RAID log for each project.
* Identify staffing and other resource needs to maximise potential for successful execution of the projects.
* Define the projects’ objectives and scope, identifying involvement of internal and external stakeholders.
* Report project progress to the Delivery and Business leads.
* Work with and support the Change lead in terms of project training and change management requirements.
* Delegate project activities and duties in accordance with team members' strengths and experience
* Provide summarised project plan documentation to departmental managers, clients, and other stakeholders as needed
Team Structure
The Project manager reports into the Senior Finance Manager – Finance Transformation and works closely with the Programme Delivery lead.
The Project Manager works collaboratively with a number of stakeholders namely the Business Leads, key stakeholders of each project. The collaboration will:
* Build and maintain integrated project plans
* Coordinate activities across departments
* Track progress and adapt plans as needed to stay on course
A core requirement is to ensure plans are developed in an integrated basis, taking account of cross functional requirements for example IT (incl. Cyber), Tax, Treasury, ICFR (Controls), data and process.
Accountabilities
* Delivery against the project scope outlined in the signed-off project charter
* Projects’ scope documentation; ensure good control of the scope (being vigilant to manage against scope creep)
* Identify project goals and evaluate the potential risks that can increase the cost or cause delays.
* Track and deliver the projects plans key milestones. Monitor and document progress of projects.
* Provide regular updates to key stakeholders.
* Maintain a RAID log, Risk management and tracking.
* Responsible for communication and escalation of the projects’ risk profiles to the appropriate decision forums.
Skills, Experience and Qualifications
Minimum skills:
* Highly familiar with project management tools and processes
* Ability to set and meet project deadlines while maintaining the highest standards.
* Risk identification and mitigation.
* Excellent planning, influencing and communication skills.
* Excellent documentation and reporting abilities in written and spoken form.
* Multi-tasking capability to efficiently manage multiple projects simultaneously.
* Ability to build project teams, identify the right tasks for each team member, and delegate responsibilities accordingly.
* Ability to influence opinions and compromise where appropriate.
* Energetic with a great deal of self-motivated drive, enthusiasm and initiative
* A strong bias for delivery and ability to translate discussions and ideas into actions
* Ability to respond quickly to changing priorities.
Minimum experience:
* Experience of business, people and technology change with a proven track record of delivering projects on time, within scope, and within budget.
* Familiarity with large scale complex transformation programmes, governance and reporting associated with effective project delivery
* Experience with implementation of solutions, recognising cross functional requirements and dependencies including change management, communications and training.
* Accomplished at building strong networks and relationships with key stakeholders.
* Managing and influencing teams through indirect means.
* Experience in project delivery into Finance with (ideally) experience of Expenses implementations
Competencies:
* Excellent executional ability with attention to detail
* Strong in planning, prioritisation and driving focus
* Ability to earn trust, engage, and influence people and teams at all levels
* Excellent written/oral communication skills
* Resilience and resourcefulness
* Ability to spot and understand problems with limited information and in the face of resistance
* Relentless curiosity and desire to challenge status quo
* A high level of adaptability - the problems that we face change frequentl
Example Certifications associated to the role:
• PMP (Project Management Professional) – PMI
• CAPM (Certified Associate in Project Management) – PMI
• PRINCE2 Foundation/Practitioner
• Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP) – PMI