Reporting To:

Grace Nolan

Operations Director

Department:

Creative

Working pattern: Hybrid, 2 days in the Manchester office per week

Salary banding: £40k – £45k per annum

We are seeking a highly organised and experienced Senior Project Manager to lead and oversee a diverse range of digital projects, including website builds, design retainers, development retainers, and ad-hoc feature requests. This pivotal role will also involve the direct line management and mentorship of our talented team of designers and developers, including both in-house staff and valued freelancers. You will be instrumental in ensuring projects are delivered on time, within budget, and to the highest quality standards, while fostering a collaborative and productive environment for your team.

Role responsibilities:

Project Management

Plan, execute, and monitor a variety of digital projects, including website builds (from inception to launch), ongoing design and development retainers, and individual ad-hoc requests from our client base.
Manage ongoing website maintenance and designer retainers, communicating deliverables with clients, ensuring everything is scheduled and the retainer stays on track and within budget.
Scope out new projects with stakeholders, capturing all requirements and working with all teams involved to define a scope of work.
Develop comprehensive project plans and timelines.
Own the creation of all project documentation, including briefs, technical specifications and handovers.
Manage resource allocation and scheduling within the Design and Development team.
Proactively identify and manage project risks, issues, and dependencies, implementing effective mitigation strategies.
Manage conversations with clients regarding out of scope requests and quote additionally where needed.
Ensure clear and consistent communication with internal teams, clients, and external partners throughout the project lifecycle.
Track project progress, monitor budgets, and provide regular status updates to stakeholders.
Implement and maintain project management best practices and methodologies.
Ensure all project deliverables meet quality standards and client expectations.
Support with project phases, such as content upload and testing.
Manage project closure, including post-project reviews and lessons learned.

Financial Management

Manage project budgets effectively, ensuring projects are delivered within allocated resources.
Track and report on retainer utilisation and ad-hoc request costs.
Forecast resource needs and manage freelance budgets.

Stakeholder Management

Build and maintain strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including clients and freelance partners.
Act as the primary point of contact for project-related communication.
Effectively manage client expectations and address any concerns or issues promptly.

Line Management Responsibilities:

You will be responsible for leading and developing the Creative function within the business.
Values and behaviours: You will act as a role model for our Company values. You will have the ability to manage both your own emotions and understand the emotions of people around you.
Team: You will recruit and onboard new team members, provide learning and development opportunities for your team, provide feedback, conduct regular touchpoints and follow our Performance Excellence process. You will promptly address and resolve conflicts and challenges.
Operational: Ensuring that your department’s processes and procedures are kept up to date. Identifying opportunities to make improvements. Promptly resolve client challenges to bring about the best possible outcome. Adhere to Company processes and procedures.
Problem-solving: Identify and resolve issues that may arise within your department. Investigate root cause and make necessary adjustments to avoid repetition.
Decision-making: You will need to be able to confidently make decisions for your team when it comes to client strategy and team management.
Innovation: Embryo’s in-house tools should be utilised to their full extent in all circumstances when creating any client activity, strategy and monitoring performance.
Commerciality: You are accountable for client performance, over servicing and under servicing within your department. You drive the time and costs relating to all retainer and project work. You are accountable for the execution and accuracy of your department’s time tracking. Write-offs should be agreed with the Operations Director in the first instance. Quotation decisions should be based on data to ensure accuracy. Adjustments to original quotations must be tracked back to margin.

Skills:

Proven experience (typically 5+ years) in project management within a digital agency or relevant industry.
Demonstrable experience in managing website builds, design retainers, and development retainers.
Previous experience in line managing designers and developers, including freelancers.
Strong understanding of web development processes, design principles, and digital technologies.
Excellent organisational, planning, and time management skills.
Exceptional communication, interpersonal, and stakeholder management skills.
Strong problem-solving and decision-making abilities.
Proficiency in project management software and tools.
Experience with budget management and financial reporting.
Ability to work independently and as part of a collaborative team.
A proactive and results-oriented approach