The Project Management team at Oxford Policy Management is currently seeking a Project Manager on a fixed-term basis- 12 months. The position will be located at our Oxford Office Who we are: We are an international development consultancy working to improve lives through sustainable policy change in low- and middle-income countries. Our vision is for fair public policy that benefits both people and the planet. Through our global network of offices, we work in partnership with national stakeholders and decision makers to research, design, implement and evaluate impactful public policy. We draw on our local and international sector experts to provide the very best evidence-based support. We deliver projects with expert knowledge and experience, and can be relied upon for excellence in all aspects of project delivery. We work collaboratively, with ambition, to help deliver impactful public policy that will bring about lasting change. The THRIVE Program is a multi-country research program that aims to support countries to turn what we know about positive early childhood development into practical, scalable, cost-effective plans, with the potential to transform societies across generations. The position of Project Manager - Finance is responsible for: Budget Management for country level projects, ensuring inputs are realistic and aligned to program budget, and forecasted appropriately Maintaining an overarching budget for Program delivery, tracking all aspects of spend Reporting forecast and expenditure to country level project teams, Program Management unit, inputting to client facing reports Maintaining financial records in our Financial System (Dynamics), including company accounting, project record maintenance and client invoice creation Support to company and client led audits Share knowledge, good practice and embed project rigour whilst supporting the importance of project delivery to OPM’s strategy and vision. Proactively engage with the Community of Practice within OPM to share learning, address emerging challenges and develop knowledge and experience Manage all internal and external stakeholders, taking account of their levels of influence and particular interests Create a collaborative working environment to deliver successful projects Identify, address and resolve differences between individuals and/or interest groups Communicate clearly and openly with others in order to inform, persuade, and build relationships Work with stakeholders to capture, assess and understand their wants and needs to arrive at an agreed schedule of requirements Agree the project goals, objectives, and deliverables with key stakeholders Work in partnership with stakeholders to develop solutions to meet their needs Develop, maintain and apply quality management processes for project activities and outputs, including compliance with OPM’s Project Management and Project Controls Framework Capture lessons learned to contribute to continual improvement. Support strategic thinking and translate this into implementation, e.g. policy engagement and potential programme extensions Deliver the project to agreed schedule and budget Develop plans, estimates and documents for all elements of the project, following organisational processes, controls and governance requirements Refine/update project controls documents and plans, utilising the change control process to ensure effective management of the project Pro-actively monitor project performance, utilising OPM’s project controls framework providing analysis, informative commentary and implementing corrective action as required and in-line with governance Procure, agree and manage contracts for the provision of goods and/or services, monitoring compliance and managing variances Liaise with contributors and consortium partners on the timely delivery of outputs and manage their review by subject matter experts Manage risks with thorough impact analysis and appropriate contingency to mitigate, escalating as required Establish and maintain governance arrangements for the delivery of projects, defining clear roles, responsibilities and accountabilities, that align with organisational practice Deliver accurate and consistent project data and evaluation to meet the needs of the project, practice and various stakeholders This position will be responsible for the collation and management of all levels of budgeting, from country project level up to whole program level (15M program). They must make sure our accounts are FCDO compliant and liaise with the program management team on all financial updates/changes, establish VFM reporting and budget tracking. This role must integrate with OPM practice finance so that they have direct access to systems such as dynamics - i.e. reviewing budgets outside systems, making sure POs are correctly aligned/approved and also delivering on client invoicing for the program (currently sits with practice finance assistant who we will no longer have). Educated to degree level or equivalent Project Management qualifications at APM PPQ level or qualified by experience with evidence of continued professional development (CPD) Extensive knowledge of project management tools and methodologies, effective use of project control tools to optimize delivery team performance A proven track record of successfully delivering complex/medium risk projects, across the full lifecycle Sound experience of planning, leading and delivering projects to scope, time and quality, including client/stakeholder satisfaction. A track record of not only maintaining systems and processes, but also driving innovation to improve ways of working. Being solutions driven. Commercially aware An awareness of and enthusiasm for policy issues relating to economic development and the role of institutions within is desirable Strong stakeholder management ability, demonstrating personal and professional credibility and integrity, with the confidence to engage across the range including senior stakeholders Proven organizational skills, ability to manage a large workload often to tight deadlines. Experience of managing multiple work streams simultaneously and ability to work effectively within teams with minimum supervision. High level of competence in using software packages including Microsoft Office products (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, MS Project). High levels of numeracy, accuracy and attention to detail, whilst being able to think ‘big picture’ Well organized and efficient Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal Self-confidence and ability to influence others. Comfortable challenging project leads and effectively influencing decision making Enthusiasm, persistence, presence and self-motivation Delivery focused with excellent attention to detail We enable colleagues’ capacity to grow professionally through enhanced learning resources, opportunities to work cross functionally, and space to engage with a range of internal and external industry events. Our non-hierarchical culture values support, collaboration, intellectual curiosity, and a rich diversity of perspectives. We provide an exceptionally generous annual leave entitlement and a hybrid working model to encourage and enable healthy work/life balance. Wellbeing resources including a global Employee Assistance Program and access to the Unmind app. Competitive salary and contributory pension scheme. We are strengthened by the diversity of colleagues across our global business and are committed to being an equal opportunities employer, promoting a diverse and inclusive workplace for all. Our recruitment practices reflect our ambition to make the international development sector more inclusive and firm belief that our work delivers the best outcomes when we actively include a diversity of perspectives and experiences. If you share our vision for fair public policy that benefits both people and planet, we would love to hear from you. Please submit your application through our careers’ site. We review and interview applicants on a rolling basis and encourage you to apply by way of CV via our careers site at the earliest. We may close this advertisement before the published closing date, should a suitable candidate be identified. Unfortunately, we are unable to provide visa sponsorship for this role and candidates must have a pre-existing right to work in country for their application to be considered. Oxford Policy Management is committed to promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion at every level of the business. Should you require adjustments to make the application process more accessible please contact us via: recruitmentopml.co.uk