Role: Project Manager – Database (Entropy) Replacement

Purpose of role: Reporting into the Ethical Trade and Environment Sustainability Lead – Technology and Systems, the Project Manager will plan, manage and deliver every aspect of the Entropy Replacement project, whilst partnering with key stakeholders across ABF and Primark.

Location: Reading / Peterborough

Duration: FTC [24 x Months]

Project Overview:

We want visibility of all our supply chains and understand and record any issues which contravenes our Code of Conduct and opens us up to risk. The current database (Entropy) is reaching the end of its life and needs to be replaced with a system / database that will take the Ethical Trade and Environmental Sustainability Programme forward for the next 10 years. Whilst the Global team compromises of over 130 specialists, central project management is required to oversee the replacement of the existing database. This project will involve all relevant stakeholders within including but not limited to: -

• Primark Ethical Trade and Environmental Sustainability Global Team,

• ABF CR Hub,

• ABF and Primark IT Teams.

Core objectives:

• Retaining all previous information from existing Ethical Trade Database

• Ensuring that there is no disruption or lesser delivery to Primark Commercial and it supply chain that is currently delivered by the database

• Support the Ethical Trade and Environment Sustainability Lead – Technology and Systems in locating a replacement for the existing database whilst incorporating requirements from all areas of the Ethical Trade and Environmental Sustainability Team on a global level Protecting Primark’s ethical reputation and code of conduct through the complete supply chain.

• Using the most up to date technology available to ensure the transfer and retention of Ethical Trade and Environmental Sustainability data is secure and efficient as possible across multiple global teams.

Key Responsibilities:

• Accountable for compiling, driving and enabling the delivery of all project deliverables and documents (status reports, risk registers, action logs, etc.) and as such will ensure reporting is completed in a timely and efficient standard. They will highlight where the risks lie, including anything which may impact the final delivery of project/s and any indication of any issues / risks that may be encountered during the project
• As a part of the Ethical Trade and Environmental Sustainability team they will always operate with integrity.
• Responsible for developing and managing the project plan for all designated workstreams within the context of an overarching programme plan (overseen by the Ethical Trade and Environment Sustainability Lead – Technology and Systems.)
• Establishes the meeting rhythms and routines for all workstreams to ensure that the right level of control is in place to ensure their workstreams are on time and delivering desired outcomes.
• Ensures that each workstream areas are appropriately resourced and escalates any areas of risk.
• Builds agendas in partnership with the Ethical Trade and Environment Sustainability Lead – Technology and Systems and for the weekly project, Working Group and Steering Group meetings, ensuring that every aspect of the project is progressing in line with required timescales; identifies any risk to the plan and develops a mitigation strategy.
• Captures minutes, key actions and dependencies from all meetings and ensures that these are tracked as part of the overall project governance.
• Utilizes existing Project management and reporting tools that exist within ABF / Primark as well suggest better tool for all reporting and project management purposes.
• Co-ordinates the inputs for the project as required.
• Working with 3rd party service providers, where applicable, develops strong SLA based relationships, monitors performance and aligns to contract
• Coordinates with workstream teams so there is consistency across all markets and seeks feedback to improve.
• Leads and supports business requirement workshops.
• Tracks any change requests to business requirements.
• Liaises with the broader stakeholder groups as required.
• Supports the Ethical Trade and Environment Sustainability Lead – Technology and Systems to communicate project progress to all levels throughout the organisation.

Key Interactions and engagement:

• Work with a diverse and potentially remote team of internal and external resources. They will manage the resources, time and ensure that all workstream/s within the project are delivered on time and to a high quality. They have the full understanding of their areas of the project, cross functional and supplier dependencies, resources, risks and issues and communicates and escalates to the Ethical Trade and Environment Sustainability Lead – Technology and Systems.
• There will be dependencies that will surface throughout the project which will require a strong and dedicated person to work cross functionally and keep the teams in line and focused on the end goal.

Essential knowledge, education, skills and experience:

• Significant Project Management experience gained through a number of complex and varied environments.

• Professional Project Management qualification preferred.

• Ability to use all online project and blueprinting tools.

• Good communicator and good team player.

• Influential in a meeting environment with a range of international Stakeholders.

• Understands the development of SLAs.

• Strong coordination skills: able to maintain many tasks to a high standard.

• Strong interpersonal skills: gets people to buy in and deliver to a high standard.

• Ability to travel (especially to Peterborough) and build on the ground planning process.

• An understanding of Ethical Trade and Environmental Sustainability monitoring would be advantageous.

• Project Management experience required – either working in or with a retailer or FMCG operation (management consulting) for a minimum of 2 years.