Project Manager – Student Systems and Development

Role Overview

• As a Project Manager within Arden University's Student Systems & Development team, you'll play a key role in delivering technology and business change initiatives that support every stage of the student journey.
• Working across a diverse portfolio of IT and business-sponsored projects, you'll ensure solutions are delivered on time, within budget and to the highest quality, creating tangible benefits for students, colleagues and the wider University.
• You'll lead projects from inception through to successful implementation, coordinating cross-functional teams that include Business Analysts, Software Developers, technical specialists, academics and professional services colleagues.
• Acting as the central point of coordination, you'll bring together people, processes and technology to deliver change that aligns with the University's strategic priorities.
• Working closely with programme managers and senior stakeholders, you'll help translate wider enterprise change into deliverable initiatives for the Student Systems & Development team, ensuring projects are effectively prioritised, planned and integrated into ongoing business activity.
• You'll provide clear governance, manage risks and dependencies, and maintain regular communication through progress reporting, stakeholder engagement and solution demonstrations.
• From initial business analysis and requirements scoping through to testing, deployment, go-live and handover into business-as-usual support, you'll oversee the complete project lifecycle.
• Your work will help ensure that critical student systems continue to evolve while maintaining the reliability of core services that underpin admissions, enrolment, timetabling, graduation and the wider student experience.

Requirements

• Formal Project Management qualification, such as PRINCE2, PMI, Agile, Scrum, ISEB or PPM.
• Significant experience delivering complex IT projects across multiple technology domains, including business applications, infrastructure, integrations, and data and analytics.
• Proven experience leading business and technology change initiatives within complex organisations.
• Strong project and change management expertise, with experience of applying a range of project delivery methodologies.
• Demonstrable experience managing projects throughout the full lifecycle, from initiation and planning through to implementation and handover.
• Experience managing project budgets, risks, dependencies, resources and delivery against agreed timescales.
• Proficiency with project management tools, including Microsoft Project or Project Server.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to evaluate complex information and identify effective solutions.
• Excellent planning, prioritisation and organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple competing priorities.
• Excellent stakeholder management, influencing and negotiation skills, with the ability to build productive relationships across technical and non-technical teams.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present complex information clearly to a range of audiences.
• Strong customer focus, with a commitment to delivering high-quality services and positive stakeholder outcomes.
• Experience leading and coordinating the work of cross-functional teams to achieve successful project outcomes.
• Ability to work independently, exercise sound judgement and share knowledge to support colleagues and continuous improvement.
• Sound understanding of relevant governance, legal and regulatory requirements relating to project delivery.
• Knowledge of Project Management Office (PMO) governance, standards and best practice.
• Knowledge of Student Information Systems (SIS/SRS), ideally including Tribal SITS, together with an understanding of relational databases and API/middleware integrations.
• Experience within the Higher Education sector would be advantageous.

Benefits

• 30 days holiday + bank holidays on-top, and even a Christmas closure!
• A generous Aviva pension plan, company contributions starting from 7%
• BUPA Cash Plan
• Private Medical Insurance coverage (applies to certain job roles)
• Access to Perkbox benefits
• Study any Arden course for free, with a discount for all family and friends
• Plus, other excellent benefits
• Our ‘Golden Ticket’ which allows you to gift anyone in your life a free Arden education