Assistant Project Manager

Note: This profile provides a market aligned view of this job’s typical core requirements, informed by Korn Ferry’s Success Profile methodology, and will evolve over time.

A project manager delivering moderately complex projects using standard project management methodologies and practices. Manages project scope, schedule, cost, risk, and communication, applying sound project management techniques under broad guidance. Contributes to GHD’s project delivery quality by coordinating project work, supporting stakeholder engagement, and maintaining accurate reporting and documentation. Builds broader project management capability and prepares for progression to leading more complex projects.

Responsibilities

Responsibilities describe the typical accountabilities and scope of work for this job,  while recognising that individual objectives are set with the manager and may vary over time.

• Continuous Improvement: Contribute to reviewing existing operations in own area of work, and generate new ideas to assist in identifying continuous improvements.
• Document Preparation: Prepare moderately complex documents using a variety of applications for technology devices, such as standard office software. Also responsible for gathering and summarizing data for reports.
• Personal Capability Building: Develop own capabilities by participating in assessment and development planning activities as well as formal and informal training and coaching; gain or maintain external professional accreditation, where relevant, to improve performance and fulfill personal potential. Maintain an understanding of relevant technology, external regulation, and industry best practices through ongoing education, attending conferences, and reading specialist media.
• Project Assurance: Conduct assurance reviews within the project, facilitate the delivery of assurance reviews by independent third parties, and take appropriate action to resolve any issues identified, so that senior stakeholders have confidence that the project can deliver according to time, budget, and quality.
• Project Closeout and Handover: Draft elements of product documentation and user training to support handover to business as usual. Contribute to post-project reviews and identification of lessons learned.
• Project Planning: Produce workstream or project plans, ensuring that all activities are identified, are appropriately organized to deliver project objectives, and comply with the organization's project management framework.
• Project Reporting and Review: Draft project review reports and presentations, including key information, commentary, and recommendations, to support the review process and enable stakeholders to evaluate progress and agree on change.
• Project Resource Management: Manage the deployment of project resources, proactively managing project costs, providing forecasts, and presenting variances with narrative at appropriate review points to ensure effective utilization.
• Project Risk and Issue Management: Identify and evaluate risks, issues, dependencies, and constraints associated with the project, escalating matters where appropriate. Where necessary, develop, agree on, and implement solutions to overcome these concerns.
• Project Scope Definition: Manage the delivery of research, workshops, and other activities to support the specification and agreement of project deliverables.
• Project Team Management: Lead a small project team; communicate the necessary outcomes and the direction required to achieve them; coordinate team actions on project tasks; request additional team member support when needed; and identify areas of improvement to build the capability of the team through training, coaching, and mentoring.
• Requirements Management: Coordinate the identification and elicitation of requirements; conduct analysis of those requirements for completion and alignment; document and manage requirements throughout the life of the project; and coordinate the verification of the end deliverable. Generally done at the level of project phases.
• Stakeholder Management: Plan and deliver stakeholder engagement activities to develop effective working relationships for projects and to ensure that stakeholder needs and concerns are identified and met.
• Work Scheduling and Allocation: Assign short-term work schedules to a team of subordinates in order to achieve expectations while following established timelines.

Competencies

Competencies describe the observable behaviours that differentiate effective performance in this job and guide expectations, feedback, and development discussions.

• Action Oriented – Takes on new opportunities and tough challenges with a sense of urgency, high energy, and enthusiasm. For example, takes timely action on important or difficult issues. Identifies and pursues new opportunities that benefit the organization.
• Balances Stakeholders – Anticipates and balances the needs of multiple stakeholders. For example, ensures that own efforts meet the needs and requirements of internal and external stakeholders. Works to identify all relevant issues and satisfy the interests of multiple stakeholders during the decision-making process.
• Communicates Effectively – Develops and delivers multi-mode communications that convey a clear understanding of the unique needs of different audiences. For example, listens attentively and takes an interest. Keeps others well informed; conveys information clearly, concisely, and professionally when speaking or writing.
• Cultivates Innovation – Creates new and better ways for the organization to be successful. For example, demonstrates openness to new ideas and ways of looking at things; suggests new and useful ideas or solutions. Learns innovative methods, tools, and technology and applies them to work tasks.
• Customer Focus – Builds strong customer relationships and delivers customer-centric solutions. For example, keeps in contact with customers to ensure problems are resolved, or to improve customer service. Studies customer feedback and emerging customer needs and uses these to determine some creative new ideas.
• Decision Quality – Makes good and timely decisions that keep the organization moving forward. For example, knows when to act independently and when to escalate issues. Integrates various inputs, decision criteria, and trade-offs to make effective decisions. Typically makes good independent decisions.
• Directs Work – Provides direction, delegating, and removing obstacles to get work done. For example, confirms mutual agreement on accountabilities, fostering strong coordination and minimizing duplicated efforts. Communicates delays or problems early so others can manage their own work schedules effectively.
• Drives Results – Consistently achieves results, even under tough circumstances. For example, devotes considerable effort to surpassing goals and achieving the best possible results; goes above and beyond to achieve excellence. Drives ahead with great focus when faced with obstacles and setbacks; maintains productivity and a positive attitude.
• Ensures Accountability – Holds self and others accountable to meet commitments. For example, accepts responsibility for own work, both successes and failures. Handles fair share and does not make excuses for problems. Usually meets commitments to others.
• Manages Complexity – Makes sense of complex, high quantity, and sometimes contradictory information to effectively solve problems. For example, looks at complex issues from multiple angles; explores issues to uncover underlying issues and root causes; sees the main consequences and implications of different options.
• Manages Conflict – Handles conflict situations effectively, with a minimum of noise. For example, takes a positive approach to conflicts; helps dispel tension; seeks guidance and feedback on managing conflict; delivers controversial viewpoints candidly and sensitively; does not take arguments personally.
• Optimizes Work Processes – Knows the most effective and efficient processes to get things done, with a focus on continuous improvement. For example, uses metrics and benchmarks to monitor accuracy and quality. Takes steps to make methods productive and efficient. Promptly and effectively addresses process breakdowns.
• Organizational Savvy – Maneuvers comfortably through complex policy, process, and people-related organizational dynamics. For example, builds support for ideas among key decision makers and stakeholders. Anticipates political difficulties and identifies ways to overcome any resistance.
• Plans and Aligns – Plans and prioritizes work to meet commitments aligned with organizational goals. For example, strengthens alignment and coordination between own work and others', providing well-sequenced activities and exact time frames. Foresees and resolves many potential bottlenecks and delays.
• Resourcefulness – Secures and deploys resources effectively and efficiently. For example, identifies and obtains resources needed to accomplish objectives; identifies different ways to accomplish work when resources are limited. Makes progress across multiple priorities or responsibilities.
• Situational Adaptability – Adapts approach and demeanor in real time to match the shifting demands of different situations. For example, takes steps to adapt to changing needs, conditions, priorities, or opportunities. Understands the cues that suggest a change in approach is needed; adopts new behaviors accordingly.

Skills

Skills reflect the technical, professional, and functional capabilities required to perform the job effectively at the expected level, and guide assessment and development.

• Data Management Techniques - Project and Program Management – Works with full competence to collect, analyze, and interpret project and program data from various sources to track project progress, identify risks and issues, measure performance against baselines, and inform decision-making throughout the project lifecycle. Typically works without supervision and may provide technical guidance.
• Prioritizing – Works with full competence to prioritize components of a project, program, or portfolio work in context with risks, activities, stakeholders, etc. across the life of the project or program. Typically works without supervision and may provide technical guidance.
• Project Benefits Management – Works with full competence to identify, track, and enable the achievement of the planned benefits and intended outcomes of a program and associated projects. Typically works without supervision and may provide technical guidance.
• Project Change Management – Works with full competence to identify, manage and control project related changes. Typically works without supervision and may provide technical guidance.
• Project Communications Management – Works with full competence to ensure timely and appropriate planning, collection, creation, distribution, storage, retrieval, management, control, archiving, and disposition of project information. Typically works without supervision and may provide technical guidance.
• Project Estimating – Works with full competence to estimate each of the components of project, program, or portfolio work, including costs, activity durations, resource needs, risks, stakeholders, etc. across the life of the project or program. Typically works without supervision and may provide technical guidance.
• Project Management Techniques – Works with full competence to plan and manage small project work assignments within desired cost, time and quality parameters. Typically works without supervision and may provide technical guidance.
• Project Organization and Structure – Works with full competence to build the structure and culture of the project team, and define roles and responsibilities within that structure to enable the achievement of project mission and objectives and the effective operation of key business processes. Typically works without supervision and may provide technical guidance.
• Project Quality Management – Works with full competence to establish and manage the quality policies, procedures, and responsibilities for a project or program that satisfies the needs for which it was undertaken. Typically works without supervision and may provide technical guidance.
• Project Scope Management – Works with full competence to identify, verify, and manage changes to the scope of the project or program, utilizing the most appropriate approach. Typically works without supervision and may provide technical guidance.
• Project Tracking and Reporting – Works with full competence to measure and report on the status of milestones in order to deliver predefined project results. Typically works without supervision and may provide technical guidance.
• Requirements Traceability and Management – Works with full competence to manage the documentation, archiving, traceability, changes, and approvals of requirements throughout the project life cycle. Typically works without supervision and may provide technical guidance.
• Stakeholder Expectation Management – Works with full competence to identify potential stakeholders, analyze their expectations, and develop strategies for managing stakeholders and their expectations. Typically works without supervision and may provide technical guidance.
• Strategic Project and Program Alignment – Works with full competence to align the work of the project with the stated goals, objectives and culture of the organization; and maintain alignment throughout the life of the project. Typically works without supervision and may provide technical guidance.
• Systems and Tools - Project and Program Management – Works with full competence to leverage project management software, collaboration tools, and other relevant technologies to effectively plan, track, manage resources, communicate with stakeholders, and monitor progress of projects and programs. Typically works without supervision and may provide technical guidance.

Education

• Bachelor's Degree or Equivalent Level

Experience

• General Experience: Sound experience and understanding of straightforward procedures or systems (7 to 12 months)
• Managerial Experience: Basic experience of coordinating the work of others (4 to 6 months)