Senior Project Manager

A leading bank based in Sandton is seeking an experienced Senior Project Manager to join their team on a 12-month contract. This role is responsible for planning, directing, and coordinating the delivery of enterprise-wide projects to ensure successful execution aligned with business strategy.

The successful candidate will lead large and complex projects, ensuring delivery within scope, budget, and timeline, while managing stakeholders, risks, resources, and business change impacts.

Key Responsibilities

Project Planning & Delivery

• Plan, direct, and coordinate enterprise-wide projects to ensure project objectives are achieved.
• Develop detailed project plans including goals, strategy, scope, schedules, resource allocation, risk management, and contingency plans.
• Ensure projects are delivered on time, within budget, and according to agreed scope and governance standards.
• Manage project priorities and ensure interdependencies are identified and managed effectively.
• Provide professional advice to stakeholders on the most appropriate project management methodologies and delivery approaches.

Financial & Resource Management

• Ensure accurate cost estimation aligned with project scope and client requirements.
• Manage and control project budgets within approved scope.
• Conduct effective resource planning, negotiation, and allocation to ensure project success.

Stakeholder & Communication Management

• Identify and manage project stakeholders, defining roles, participation levels, and communication strategies.
• Maintain clear and consistent communication with clients, management, and project teams.
• Ensure stakeholders are actively managed throughout the project and change lifecycle.

Scope & Benefits Management

• Ensure client needs are accurately captured in scope and signed off by relevant stakeholders.
• Maintain traceability of defined project benefits throughout the project lifecycle and escalate deviations where necessary.
• Ensure project scope is clearly defined and managed based on accurate estimations.

Change Management & Impact Assessment

• Lead and support the change management process in collaboration with business stakeholders.
• Conduct business impact assessments across processes, systems, roles, and technology.
• Ensure stakeholder readiness and adoption throughout the change cycle.

Governance & Quality Assurance

• Deliver projects in line with established project governance frameworks and methodologies.
• Ensure post-implementation reviews are conducted and lessons learned are captured.
• Maintain oversight of project risks, dependencies, and compliance requirements.

Requirements

• Proven experience as a Senior Project Manager within the banking or financial services sector.
• Strong experience managing large, complex enterprise projects.
• Demonstrated ability to manage project budgets, scope, timelines, and risks.
• Extensive experience in stakeholder management and change management.
• Strong knowledge of project management methodologies and governance frameworks.
• Excellent communication, leadership, and negotiation skills.
• Relevant Project Management certification (PMP, Prince2, Agile, or equivalent) is advantageous.

Key Competencies

• Strategic Project Delivery
• Stakeholder & Executive Engagement
• Budget & Financial Management
• Risk & Dependency Management
• Change Management
• Resource Planning & Negotiation
• Governance & Compliance