IT Product & Project Governance Manager

To ensure our services and applications are fit for the modern market, our IT team collaborates with every department. They develop, they explore and they implement the new ideas helping us to change the future of accounting, tax and business consulting. But, just as importantly, they maintain the tech that keeps us advancing. By testing and adopting the future of financial technical solutions, they find new and exciting ways to drive us forward. And you could too. In an IT role at BDO, you'll become part of a team that act as the backbone for our business. No matter who you are or what your skillset is, we'll give you the training and support you need to achieve whatever you put your mind to. We'll help you succeed Leading organisations trust us because of the quality of our advice. That quality grows from a thorough understanding of their business, and that understanding comes from working closely with them and building long-lasting relationships. You'll be someone who is both comfortable working proactively and managing your own tasks, as well as confident collaborating with others and communicating regularly with senior managers, directors, and BDO's partners to help businesses effectively. You'll be encouraged to identify and draw attention to opportunities for enhancing our delivery and providing additional services to organisations we work with. At BDO, IT project and product governance team forms part of the wider IT Governance Team in the IT Department. This team is responsible for various methods and practices around ensuring the quality of change initiatives and conduct independent oversight and monitoring to safeguard the best interests of BDO throughout the product or project lifecycle (encompassing idea generation, product or application design and development, and ongoing monitoring). The IT Product & Project Governance Manager plays an active role in defining our Programme Delivery & Digital Product delivery practices, standards and ways of working and manages a team of project and product governance/PMO analysts across both project and product delivery. The role will work across team boundaries and different delivery frameworks in order to ensure we bring the best of our delivery function to the business, as well as providing a quality assurance role to support the successful delivery of projects and products within the IT Department. In this role you'll:

• Ensure that all key project and product governance practises (including Quality Management and Reporting, Standards, Methodologies, Frameworks, Checklists & Templates) are developed, documented, implemented and maintained and lead their continuous improvement / maturity
• Act as a subject matter expert on best practice, providing guidance around methodologies, standards and frameworks (Waterfall, Agile, Digital Product) as required
• Implement internal procedures, policies, and processes, to turn ad hoc approaches into repeatable, systematic processes to avoid potential oversights or inconsistencies
• Actively promote the services of the team and benefits they can bring, fostering a collaborative culture
• Chair multiple project and product governance related meetings & prepare materials to present to relevant internal meetings and Boards
• Maintain links with the Central Operations PMO and ensure aligned ways of working
• Develop and maintain user focused reporting frameworks that provide valuable insights and are easily digestible by senior stakeholders / decision makers
• Promote and nurture a culture that motivates and inspires excellent performance, embraces change and delivers continuous improvement
• Manage the team of PMO analysts and be responsible for performance management, career development, training and development, appraisals and succession planning across the team.
• Provide opportunities for the team to develop soft skills such as communication and leadership, as well as technical skills and ensure team members feel valued, confident and motivated.
• Ensure the team act as key approvers and checkpoints/gates during the delivery process of project and products
• Support the team in playing an independent role during lessons learnt or retrospectives to ensure continuous improvement is encouraged
  
  Proven experience in a PMO or a Project/Product Governance role
• Proven experience managing a team
• Excellent stakeholder management skills
• Competent at data management and reporting using modern tools such as Office 365 and Power BI
• Confidence in presenting information and acting as a source of knowledge and guidance
• Analytical, conceptual thinking, planning and execution skills
• Experience in using and/or governing an agile/product delivery framework
• The ability to influence and persuade others outside their direct control
• Experience in different methodologies and working environments including Waterfall, Agile and Product delivery
• The ability to identify and analyse alternative approaches to dealing with issues and problems
• A strong interest in and willingness to learn and implement new technologies, including AI, to improve Product & Project Governance processes
You'll be able to be yourself; we'll recognise and value you for who you are and celebrate and reward your contributions to the business. We're committed to agile working, and we offer every colleague the opportunity to work in ways that suit you, your teams, and the task at hand.

We're BDO. An accountancy and business advisory firm, providing the advice and solutions entrepreneurial organisations need to navigate today's changing world. We work with the companies that are Britain's economic engine - ambitious, entrepreneurially-spirited and high-growth businesses that fuel the economy - and directly advise the owners and management teams that lead them., At BDO, we'll help you achieve your personal goals and career ambitions, and we have programmes, resources, and frameworks that provide clarity and structure around career development. We're in it together Mutual support and respect is one of BDO's core values and we're proud of our distinctive, people-centred culture. From informal success conversations to formal mentoring and coaching, we'll support you at every stage in your career, whatever your personal and professional needs. Our agile working framework helps us stay connected, bringing teams together where and when it counts so they can share ideas and help one another. At BDO, you'll always have access to the people and resources you need to do your best work. We know that collaboration is the key to creating value for the companies we work with and satisfying experiences for our colleagues, so we've invested in state-of-the-art collaboration spaces in our offices. BDO's people represent a wealth of knowledge and expertise, and we'll encourage you to build your network, work alongside others, and share your skills and experiences. With a range of multidisciplinary events and dedicated resources, you'll never stop learning at BDO.