Job Summary

The overall purpose of the role is to manage IT projects across various functional domains. The Project Manager will be responsible for planning, coordination, managing, monitoring, and controlling of the various activities during the implementation and deployment phases

Key responsibilities:

Overall Project Management

• Serve diligently as chairperson of the project working committee and secretary of the project steering committee.
• Effectively communicate project expectations to team members and stakeholders in a timely and clear manner.
• Liaise with project stakeholders on an on-going basis.
• Set and continually manage project expectations with team members and other stakeholders.
• Coach, the mentor, motivate, and supervise project team members and contractors, and influence them to take positive action and accountability for their assigned work.
• Manage project risks, issues, dependencies, and assumptions by ensuring proper recording, assignment, ownership, and timely escalation to the appropriate level of management where
• Monitor the progress of the various project plans and institute corrective measures in the event of any deviations.
• Manage changes to project scope, budget, timelines, and acceptance criteria in line with the agreed changed control process.
• Manage the performance of third-party vendors and contractors.
• Control the project budget and provide regular reports on project financials.
• Review the project charter and business case and improve them where necessary.
• Establish the requisite resource requirements for the project and motivate for their allocation.
• Establish relevant governance structures.
• Develop the key project management plans namely integration management, scope management, cost management, quality management, resource management, communication management, risk management, procurement management, schedule baseline, stakeholder engagement, and benefit realization plans.

Solution Design

• Recommend the appropriate architectural style to meet the To-Be business processes and system requirements.
• Coordinate the design of the system architecture, including security architecture and integration architecture.

Gap Analysis

• Coordinate the review of the established future state (To-Be business process definitions and maps, system requirements) and improve them where necessary.
• Coordinate the analysis to identify the difference between future (to-be) state and the selected software solution and identify ways to resolve these differences
• Coordinate the solution to determine the appropriate customization or refinements to suit the future state
• Coordinate the activities to define and estimate interface, data conversion, and coexistence efforts

Detailed Design

• Coordinate a detailed design of the future solution that is needed for the subsequent Build and Test stage of the project. This should include expanding the initial blueprint and preparations of the following artifacts:

• detailed business design including renationalized product and business processes;
• detailed system design for customization and configuration of the selected solution; and the detailed integration design for the interfaces, data conversion, and coexistence components.

Build and Test

• Coordinate customization and configuration of the selected solution.
• Coordinate the customization and configuration of the interface, data conversion.
• Coordinate preparation for the training program, operational manual, training materials, and train-the-trainer programmes.
• Coordinate preparation and execution of system integration testing, operations testing, and business solution testing.
• Recruitment of the Test Manager.
• Development of the test strategy and plan in conjunction with the Test Manager.
• Coordinate the development of test cases and scenarios.
• Assemble and facilitate the training of the testing team.
• Organize for the availability of relevant testing resources e.g. testing environment, facilities etc.
• Responsible for planning and management of all logistics associated with acceptance testing.
• Oversee execution of system integration, functional and non-functional testing

Deployment

• Recommend the deployment approach (i.e. Big Bang or Phased Approach).
• Planning and preparation of deployment and migration workshops.
• Plan and supervise several iterations of mock deployment and migration.
• Preparation of the go-live plan.
• Preparation of detailed cutover plans including fallback plans for all systems under the migration scope.
• Coordination and facilitation of the various deployment and migration workshops.
• To secure management and Project Steering Committee approval for go-live including preparation and presentation of the Go/No-Go decision paper.
• To coordinate and oversee the actual deployment and migration including physical transportation of in-scope systems to the new data center.
• To organize all the necessary logistics (insurance, transport, packaging, security etc.) for the physical migration of servers.

Post Deployment Support and Capacity Building

• Oversee the design and embedment of effective post-deployment maintenance and support model and its dissemination to those responsible for subsequent operation and maintenance of the system and environment. 
• Facilitate the development of a new maintenance and support structure in line with the support requirements of the new system and environment
• Develop and implement relevant recruitment, training, and upskilling plans.
• Provide for Post Deployment handholding support by various vendors.
• Coordinate review and execution/sign-off of relevant Service Level Agreements (SLA).

Project Closure

• Facilitate project closure workshops and ensure lessons learned are identified and recorded.
• Produce a project closure report and secure its approval from relevant project executives.

People Management Functions

• Manage the performance of subordinate staff and develop and implement training and development plans to ensure their performance is aligned with business goals and objectives.
• Build a performance-driven team by setting SMART objectives, constantly reviewing the department and individual performance against these objectives, and providing the appropriate support, motivation, and guidance to staff to achieve these objectives.
• Responsible for succession planning for key positions, managing the attrition of employees, and ensuring that a plan is developed and executed for high potential individuals in the unit.

Experience, Knowledge, and Skills Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in ICT or related fields with minimum experience of 5 years in IT Project Management.
• Successful delivery of at least 3 peripheral projects.
• Strong Vendor/Outsourcing Management experience.
• Certification in one of the following recognized project management methodologies or its equivalent e.g. PRINCE2, PMI-ACP, PMP, SCRUM etc.
• Advanced understanding of banking operations and information systems
• Experience of working both independently and in a team-oriented, collaborative environment is essential.
• Can conform to shifting priorities, demands, and timelines. Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
• Reacts to project adjustments and alterations promptly and efficiently.
• Ability to read communication styles of team members and contractors who come from a broad spectrum of disciplines.
• Ability to elicit cooperation from a wide variety of sources, including top management, clients, and other departments.
• Ability to defuse tension among project team, should it arise.
• Ability to bring projects to successful completion through political sensitivity.
• Strong interpersonal skills, customer-centric, and agile mindset.
• Must be able to quickly learn, understand, and apply new technologies.
• Ability to effectively prioritize and execute tasks in a high-pressure environment.