Job description
The vacancy is in the Payments Innovation and Fintech Directorate as part of the central operations team, which includes project management, governance, secretariat and PMO specialists. The jobholder will play an important role in ensuring that the project delivers to meet the expectations of senior leadership.
This is a great opportunity for an experienced, enthusiastic and motivated project professional to work on a project with significant public policy implications and a high level of public interest.
The Directorate has recently merged a number of divisions across Wholesale, Digital and Retail payments. The Project Manager will initially be required to support agreement on a pragmatic delivery methodology, complete integrated planning activities for 2026 and maintain in-flight delivery priorities.
Following this, the PM will be expected to project manage one or more of the multi-disciplinary key workstreams on retail payments work. They will need to be a fast learner, committed to understanding how the deliverables fit into the wider strategic objectives of the project. The role holder must be able to develop and maintain effective working relationships with senior managers, other project managers responsible for different workstreams, as well as individual task owners in the wider Unit.
The PM will also have responsibility for co-ordinating project reporting responsibilities and ensuring that key project controls are adhered to.
The specific responsibilities of the Project Manager include:
1. Lead integrated planning activities for 2026, leveraging learning from previous phases
2. Lead project management of their multi-disciplinary team(s), including detailed planning that incorporates key dependencies
3. Proactively monitor the project's overall progress against plan, initiating corrective action as appropriate. This will include:
• Proactive tracking and management of project RAID items, escalating where necessary to resolve
• Manage the project's reporting obligations within the delivery governance framework
• Support the Operations Senior Manager, other PMs and PMO team, particularly ensuring that work is neither overlooked nor duplicated
• Implement the agreed project quality assurance approach and processes, as defined by the Operations Senior Manager
• Follow the agreed delivery approach and project management methodologies as set out by the Operations Senior Manager
• Applies the change control and configuration management processes as defined for the overall project
• Identifies and obtains support and advice required for the management, planning and control of the project
1. Coaching for colleagues unused project ways of working, supporting them as they acquire the skills required for effective management and reporting of their assigned tasks.
Role Requirements
We are looking for a collaborative, organised, and motivated colleague with strong consensus-building skills and a track record of successful public and private sector project delivery, preferably with payments and central bank experience. If that sounds like you, and you have some relevant experience, then we would welcome your application.
Essential criteria
* Strong project management skills. A track record of successful project delivery throughout the entire project lifecycle, including project planning, estimating and RAID management (Risks, Assumptions, Issues and Dependencies),
* Excellent stakeholder management skills, with the ability to negotiate, persuade and influence business decisions at senior management level
* Excellent organisational skills. Strong aptitude for effectively prioritising different pieces of work and delivering to tight deadlines, and a demonstrable ability to manage conflicting deadlines and priorities
* Leadership skills. Able to use judgement and provide sound justification for decisions, tailoring approach to delivery based on experience
* Proven interpersonal skills and a collaborative working style. The ability to build effective, constructive relationships with internal and external colleagues, drawing on their expertise and collaboratively problem-solving.
* A recognised project or programme management qualification e.g. Prince 2, MSP, APMP or PMP.
* Experience of managing complex projects with many dependencies
* Evidence of the ability to gain the trust of a new team quickly
* Public and private sector project delivery experience