Digital Project Manager

Lancaster, Lancashire
Reading Room

We’re looking for a talented Digital Project Manager, with a keen interest in web development, technology and software to bring a fresh perspective and enthusiasm to this client-facing role.

At Reading Room, we help organisations make meaningful progress, whether that’s by launching a new digital platform, transforming a user journey, or shaping a digital strategy. Our work spans research, strategy, design, web development, and communications, anchored by an understanding of user and business needs, and backed by technical excellence.

Fundamentally understanding users’ needs, motivation and behaviours in relation to our clients’ products and services is the key to success.

We help all kinds of passionate brands and organisations to realise their digital ambitions. And, as a 60-strong team of digital specialists across the UK, Europe & Asia, we work with clientsfrom the deep dive and digital strategy, through to design, technology and communications that define how customers feel and interact.

We are not afraid to challenge conventional thinking and we’re well known for our candid, jargon-free approach to delivery.

Our work adheres closely to the principles of user-centric design and delivers client work using agile processes, and in-depth discovery.

Our impressive client portfolio spans Buckingham Palace and the Royal Household, Public sector brands such as NHS, Health Education England and MHRA, to Membership organisations like British Safety Council, Unite the Union, UK Coaching and The British Society of Haematology to Charities such as Cystic Fybrosis Trust, Mates in Mind and ambitious commercial enterprises, including Royal Mail MarketReach, and Riviera Travel to name just a few.

We’re proud to be part of the independently owned Rippleffect Group, alongside our sister company: RONIN International, a research consultancy which is providing an even bigger toolbox for clients to collect data, understand their customer and scale up in other countries.

The Opportunity:

Reporting to the Head of Project Management, you will be one of approximately 5 project managers working across multiple projects and clients, alongside our client partners and other practitioners in design, technology and marketing. You will get the opportunity to work closely with multi-disciplined, technology-agnostic delivery teams daily, and the ability to understand technical requirements and communicate successfully between both technical and non-technical team members is a must.

Under the mentorship of the Head of Project Management, you will have access to ongoing professional development and training. We have a strong culture of learning, listening and development. We are looking for someone who will thrive in this environment and develop their own voice.

Responsibilities include:

• Managing the client relationship and providing effective service delivery
• Ensuring project documentation is maintained to a high standard
• Measuring and reporting on delivery performance and profitability
• Working with clients to capture functional and non-functional requirements
• Managing project teams and promoting efficient working ways within projects
• Working closely with technical teams to manage delivery via Jira, through refinement of requirements, management of sprints, and management of releases
• Ensuring that everything we deliver to the client is of high quality
• Identifying improvements to the development and delivery processes, and working with the wider PM team to contribute to delivery practices
• Ongoing project reporting to both the client and the business with early identification of risks, and clear escalation of issues for resolution
• Running client workshops and training, where relevant

About You

• As a Digital Project Manager, you will represent the business and will be the client’s primary point of contact on all accounts you are assigned to. As such, the ability to demonstrate confidence, openness, creativity, empathy, and a desire to innovate and create long term relationships with our clients is highly important within the role.
• As this role is to mainly manage a large UK based account, it is important you are UK based to travel to client meetings as/when needed.

Demonstratable Experience

• Agency and Agile experience is a must.
• The use of various project management methodologies and experience delivering a range of small to large scale digital platforms and services using a variety of technologies
• Use of project management tools, such as Jira, Confluence, Smartsheet etc (ability to create and update Project Plans is very important)
• Ability to understand complex development challenges and explain to clients of mixed technical or digital attainment
• Understanding of commercial requirements
• Demonstrable experience in risk management and mitigation

Soft Skills

• Excellentorganisational and time-management skillsto manage frequently changing priorities over several projects
• Empathy and understandingas well as the ability to listen
• Authenticity to build trustwith both clients and internal teams
• Assertiveness and confidenceto keep groups focused, conversation on topic, and activities within the allotted time frame,
• Clear and precisecommunication skillsto clearly articulate technical and non-technical requirements within teams, and give clear instructions to drive projects forward efficiently
• Willingness toadapt, be flexible, and improviseas the situation requires it
• Apositive attitudeand ability to keepenergy levels highwithin teams

What we offer:

Everyone in our team has access to these as standard and we’re continually looking for new ways to provide extra values to our colleagues.

• Personal development, learning and progression opportunities
• 25 days annual leave plus UK Bank Holidays

We are currently reviewing our benefits offering and considering new ways to provide value and support to our colleagues.

How to apply

Do you like the sound of all of this? If so, we’d love to hear from you! Click the button below to begin your application.

The interview process will consist of 2 stages the first will be a 45 minutetask-based interview which will test your ability to Project Manage the type of projects we deliver.The second stage would be a less formal interview with the Hiring Managerand a member of the PM team (and possibly a representative from Client Services).

Given the nature of the business and our clients’ requirements, any job offers issued will be conditional upon the return of a satisfactory basic DBS check and employment references.