Head of Projects and Sponsorship

Requirements

Qualifications

• 3 to 5years of successful and verifiable experience in as a senior management position with a reputable company/ or project sponsor
  Must have a balanced personality with excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Preferably a post graduate qualification in finance with a supplementary Business Administration qualification
  
• Must be a top class manager who is driven and proactive
  
• Must be able to lead large teams with complex task requirements
  
• Must be able to analyze and solve complex problems
  
  

Roles

• Provides business context, expertise, and guidance to the project manager and the team;
  
• Champions the project, including “selling” and marketing it throughout the organization to ensure capacity, funding, and priority for the project;
  
• Acts as an escalation point for decisions and issues that are beyond the authority of the project manager;
  
• Acts as an additional line of communication and observation with team members, customers, and other stakeholders; and
  
• Acts as the link between the project, the business community, and strategic level decision-making groups.
  
• Negotiate funding for the project and be a spokesperson to the senior management
  
• Provide direction and guidance for project empowerment, key business strategies and project initiatives
  
• Identify and qualify project benefits and manage project benefits realization
  
• Participate in initial project planning, including developing the project chart and the project scope
  
• Identify members of Steering Committee and facilitate the work of project management office (optionally)
  
• Review changes to the project environment, including schedules, priorities, tasks, etc.
  
• Identify project critical success factors and approve deliverables
  
• Negotiate with stakeholders to gain consensus when differences of opinion take place
  
• Involve stakeholders in the project and maintain their ongoing commitment to the project through using communication strategies and project management planning methods
  
• Evaluate the project’s success on completion.
  

Responsibilities

• Ensure the validity of the business case and the viability of the business proposition,
  
• Ensure ongoing alignment to business objectives,
  
• Informally interact with the project team and other key stakeholders to stay informed of trends and events within the project (and ensure the project remains viable), and
  
• Define project success criteria that align with the business objectives.
  

• Prioritize the initiative and ensure it is launched and initiated properly,
  
• Serve as a voice for the project and ensure appropriate organizational priority is given to it throughout,
  
• Assemble and provide on-going support for the project organization,
  
• Identify roles and reporting structure,
  
• Serve as an escalation point for issues and other matters and obstacles that are beyond the control of the project manager, and
  
• Provide financial resources for the project and approval on go/no go decisions regarding progress and phases.
  

• Ensure risks and changes are managed properly and sufficiently and make associated decisions;
  
• Ensure control mechanisms and reviews are in place;
  
• Ensure the project delivers the intended value;
  
• Evaluate progress and status;
  
• Approve deliverables;
  
• Make go/no go decisions; and
  
• Be responsible for the overall quality, value, and benefits for the project, from process to the end product.