Dog Training Project Manager

Key Responsibilities

• Work with Services and the Strategy, Performance and Impact team to design, test, implement and evaluate new approaches and delivery models, using user-centred design informed by lived experience, that support sustainability, flexibility and managed growth, ensuring that agreed milestones, outcomes and benefits are delivered.
• Lead projects through the full project lifecycle, establishing proportionate plans, governance and controls, including Project Initiation Documents, delivery plans, milestones, budgets, stakeholder maps, RASCIs, risk and issue logs, impact assessments and working with Strategy, Performance and Impact, evaluation arrangements.
• Work with the Income Generation and Finance teams to support funding proposals and reporting including project budgets.
• Use evidence and learning from pilots to develop recommendations and business cases for whether and how successful approaches should be embedded into operational delivery, scaled or concluded.
• Promote knowledge sharing and collaborative learning across teams and external partners.
  Partnerships
• Build and maintain effective relationships with external stakeholders relevant to assigned projects, which may include training organisations, charities, academic institutions, statutory bodies, suppliers and other delivery partners.
• Identify and develop opportunities for collaboration that deliver impact, improve capacity and / or resilience and sustainability.
• Manage all external stakeholders associated with pilot projects and any subsequent scale up.
• Ensure strong communication, governance and performance management across partnership arrangements.
• Represent HDfDP at external meetings, events and sector forums, as required.
• Work collaboratively across Services and other departments to ensure partnerships are maximised supporting the wider charity where possible.

• Establish and maintain proportionate governance for pilots and projects, and support the development of appropriate governance arrangements where successful projects transition into operational delivery.
• Ensure project activity is aligned with agreed objectives, standards and HDfDP priorities.
• Monitor project performance, dependencies, risks, issues, challenges and opportunities; take timely corrective or mitigating action; and escalate matters through the agreed governance arrangements where required.
• Work with the Strategy, Performance and Impact team to ensure effective output, outcomes and impact measurement and reporting. Using data, insight and evidence to support decision-making and continuous improvement.
• Identify emerging opportunities, evidence, learning and developments that could benefit HDfDP, with the flexibility to explore priorities across Services as the role develops.

• Demonstrate accountability, collaboration, openness and integrity.
• Provide visible, clear and motivational leadership.
• Promote clear, timely and effective two-way communication across internal teams and with external partners, ensuring stakeholders are informed, engaged and able to contribute throughout the project lifecycle.
• Build strong relationships with all internal teams, particularly Services, Strategy, Performance & Impact, Marcomms and Income Generation teams.
• Support colleagues to embrace innovation, learning and new ways of working.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

• Proven experience of successfully delivering projects through the full project lifecycle, supported by a recognised project management qualification such as AgilePM, PRINCE2 or equivalent, or by equivalent practical experience.
• Experience of establishing and working within proportionate project governance, including risk and issue management, procurement or tender processes, and the management of contracts or Service Level Agreements where relevant.
• Proven experience of developing and managing partnerships and operational delivery.
• Experience of working with an expert team (Strategy, Performance and Impact), to ensure user-centred design approaches are applied involving people with lived experience in shaping, testing and improving services or delivery models.
• Excellent internal stakeholder management skills, with the ability to work collaboratively across multidisciplinary teams and build trusted, productive relationships at all levels.
• Excellent external stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build trusted relationships, communicate clearly, and negotiate and influence effectively.
• Experience of working closely with Income Generation and Finance teams to support the development of, and reporting on, funded projects, including budgets.
• Strong organisational, project and operational planning skills.
  Strong analytical skills, with the ability to use data and insight to inform forecasting and decision-making.
• Ability to identify risks, take timely mitigating action and / or escalate as appropriate.

Benefits

• Employee Assistance Programme
• Death in Service Payment
• Annual leave enhancements recognising long service
• Day off for your birthday
• Defined contribution group personal pension plan
• Enhanced sick pay
• Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay
• Eye care
• Hearing tests
• Learning and Development opportunities
• Discounts on merchandise at Hearing Dog gift shops
• Pet Dog Policy