Senior Project Manager – Fixed Term (6 months)

SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER (6 MONTHS FIXED TERM)

Financial Services | Ireland (Hybrid/)

ABOUT THE ROLE

Our client is a well-established and growing wealth management and employee benefits organisation operating within the Irish financial services market. They are seeking a Senior Project Manager to lead business change and technology delivery initiatives at the heart of their continued evolution. This is not a process-keeper role. They need a genuine doer – someone who leads from the front, builds trust quickly, and has the interpersonal intelligence to bring business users and technical teams along on the journey. The ability to get things done, build relationships, and operate as a culturally strong fit accounts for the majority of what will make this hire successful. Processes matter, but they serve the outcome – not the other way around.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Lead end-to-end project delivery from initiation through closure, owning scope definition, critical path management, risk and issue resolution, and milestone delivery on time and within budget
Manage a concurrent portfolio of business change and software initiatives, juggling competing priorities without losing control or momentum across multiple projects simultaneously
Act as primary point of contact for stakeholders across project portfolio, communicating progress, surfacing risks early, and facilitating resolution of issues before they become blockers
Build and maintain trusted relationships with business stakeholders at all levels, translating technical concepts into clear, intelligent business language and reading the room to adapt communication style
Constructively challenge business scope and requirements with intelligence and curiosity, asking why and working through the logic collaboratively to drive better outcomes
Plan future release scope in collaboration with IT leads, taking capacity and capability into account while applying both analytical rigour and commercial judgement to prioritise based on business impact
Apply and contribute to continuous improvement of established PMO frameworks and processes, adapting them where they don’t serve the business rather than pursuing process for process’s sake
Flex into supporting non-IT business process improvement activity when organisational capacity demands it, remaining pragmatic and hands-on without treating such work as beneath the role

ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS

Minimum 7-10 years’ proven project delivery track record, specifically within wealth management, life insurance, or pensions sector – this is non-negotiable and must include direct credible sector experience
End-to-end project delivery ownership: defining scope, managing critical path, resolving risk and issues, and delivering milestones on time and within budget – real delivery ownership, not process compliance theatre
Exceptional stakeholder engagement and relationship management skills with the ability to build genuine trust and rapport with business users and technical teams, making people feel heard while maintaining delivery momentum
Business-technology translation capability: comfortable with technology without being a deep technologist, able to bridge the gap between IT delivery and business need, and reframe technical constraints in business terms
Constructive challenge and requirements scrutiny: confidence to push back on business asks with intelligence and curiosity, digging into the why behind requests rather than simply executing against a brief
Concurrent project management capability: ability to carry a portfolio of projects simultaneously, triage ruthlessly when capacity is constrained, and maintain organisational discipline across competing priorities
PMO process application and improvement: experience working within established PMO frameworks, applying processes intelligently, and contributing to their continuous improvement
Commercial awareness and pragmatism: ability to translate technical concepts into business language, understand not just what can be delivered but what should be prioritised, and flex into non-IT business process support when needed

DESIRABLE REQUIREMENTS

PMP, PRINCE2, or Scrum Master certification
Experience working within Central Bank of Ireland regulatory and compliance frameworks
Degree in Business, Technology, or a related discipline
Proficiency in project management tooling such as Jira, MS Project, Monday.com, or equivalent
Experience supporting non-IT business process improvement initiatives
Prior exposure to a COO-led change agenda or equivalent cross-functional delivery environment

CONTRACT DETAILS

Contract Type: Day Rate Contractor (DRC) / Consultant
Level / Experience: Senior | Minimum 7-10 years’ project delivery experience
Location: Hybrid – Ireland / Remote
Availability: Immediate or near-immediate start required
Sector Experience: Wealth management or life and pensions sector experience is non-negotiable

WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE

The ideal candidate will be commercially sharp, comfortable with technology without being a deep technologist, and skilled at constructively challenging business requirements
A genuine doer mentality with the ability to make things happen, lead from the front, and maintain momentum without waiting for perfect conditions
Someone who builds trust quickly and has the interpersonal intelligence to bring business users and technical teams along on the journey
A pragmatic and adaptable person who operates as a culturally strong fit within a fast-moving, growth-oriented organisation

CERTIFICATIONS NOTE

Formal certification (PMP, PRINCE2, Scrum Master) is desirable but not the deciding factor. Demonstrated delivery track record in the wealth management or life and pensions sector, and the quality of stakeholder relationships, will be weighted considerably more heavily than paper qualifications. A candidate with ten years of credible sector delivery and no certification will be preferred over a certified PM with no relevant industry background.