PMIP Project Manager

Job summary/purpose:

The Project Management Improvement Programme (PMIP) will provide a single core robust process covering Site Identification through to Site Start (SI-SS) for use by all Business Units (except for Central London). This will be supported by a project management toolkit and training for all those involved in the process.

PMIP will provide an essential solid and repeatable foundation by designing quality into the front end processes starting from site identification to enable Production and Customer Service to be more successful. It will help improve quality, customer satisfaction and staff morale. The PMIP combined with two other major initiatives: New Customer Approach and Production Academy will provide a powerful improvement package in the way Taylor Wimpey operates to deliver site success and customer satisfaction.             

One of the key roles identified for PMIP to be successful is a dedicated full-time Project Manager in each Business Unit.

Primary responsibilities:

To proactively manage the cross functional SI-SS Process from offer acceptance through to effective site hand-over for their allocated projects. Each PM will be expected to manage a portfolio of projects.

The PM leading a project delivery team supported by a standardised best practice SI-SS process, toolkit and role specific project management training, will help to ensure that projects are handed over to Production Managers within agreed realistic timeframes, to a defined quality as demanded by our customers and to financial measures acceptable to Taylor Wimpey, whilst adhering to Taylor Wimpey Health, Safety and Environmental standards and policies.

The PM will be supported by a cross-functional team with named individuals from each function allocated by the relevant Functional Directors. The PM will deliver each project through the matrix managed cross-functional team and will work directly with the project team members to build a team ethos and focus on the goals to successfully deliver the project.

Key accountabilities

Leadership/people/team

• Lead, motivate and coordinate cross-functional project teams promoting a clear focus on delivering quality sites delivered on schedule
• Ensure cross-functional project team members understand their role and responsibilities and what is expected of them
• Promote/encourage a ‘no surprises’ attitude to/from all those involved in project delivery
• Empowered to drive projects forward at all stages
• Ensure team dynamics are strong. Advise management team where specific improvements can be made to improve the project team’s performance
• Promote and support awareness of, and adherence to, Taylor Wimpey Health, Safety and Environmental standards and policies for all project work

Project planning and monitoring

• Complete Project planning for entire project and for individual stages to include (but not limited to): defining project scope, KPIs, Milestones, fee budget, schedule (programme) including critical path, quality objectives, project-level risk and issue monitor, stakeholder management/communication plan, project resourcing (internal and external team), establish meeting frequency etc.
• Monitor performance versus the above plans and update/refine through the project to ensure on track and to proactively address variances identified which may impact project timescales, financials, health, safety & the environment or quality
• Manage control of scope changes versus agreed baseline (impacting time/cost/quality) to ensure fully informed decisions are made and avoid ‘knee jerk’ decisions
• Track, coordinate and manage project-level risks and issues
• During all stages of all sites within own portfolio in the pre-development phase, be fully cognisant of project status, key risks and critical path at any point in time
• Escalate promptly to Project Sponsor or Functional director according to the situation when you cannot resolve an issue or manage a risk impacting the success of the project

Project reviews/status meetings

• Report on overall status of own project(s) to Project Sponsor, BU Directors/BUMT
• Lead regular project team status reviews to monitor performance and support effective project communication, team focus and alignment
• Ensure attendees complete their tasks in readiness for effective/efficient review meetings
• Co-ordinate and manage project meetings in a timely and efficient manner, ensuring all relevant action points are noted, recorded and followed-up
• Manage the pre-distribution of information and taking of minutes from all meetings together with updated documentation such as programmes and status reports

Lessons learned and project handover

• Prompt the use of lessons learned from previous projects and drive the capturing of lessons learned from current project
• Make sure that an effective handover takes place to the assigned Production Manager
• Conduct a post-site start review of actual versus planned performance across the SI-SS scope and identify/document and share lessons learned. Produce report to document and share this

The PM will NOT:

• do the tasks the functions are responsible for completing (and expert at doing)
• be the line manager for functional resources allocated to a project. This remains the Functional Director/Manager
• just sit behind a desk updating a project programme

Note:  This PM role does not remove the need for site specific project managers on highly complex infrastructure or design-led projects.