Transformation Project Manager

Job Summary

Robert Gordon University means dynamic leadership, multiple awards, a stunningly beautiful campus and a well-established reputation as an innovative, friendly and thoroughly modern university.

This role, in a newly formed team, will be key to turning strategic priorities into practical improvements across systems, processes, and service delivery. Reporting to the Senior Transformation Project Manager, you will deliver business‑critical change projects that support the University’s 2030 Strategy.

You will lead the planning and delivery of transformation and change projects, coordinating cross‑functional teams and engaging stakeholders to ensure successful outcomes and benefits realisation. You will develop effective change management plans, undertake business analysis activities such as requirements gathering and process mapping and prepare robust business cases.

You will bring a degree or equivalent experience, along with a recognised project, programme, or change management qualification, and have strong knowledge of change management, business process improvement, and project delivery in complex environments. You will be an excellent communicator, confident working with senior stakeholders and diverse teams, and skilled in facilitation, analysis, prioritisation, and evidence‑based decision‑making. You will have experience delivering business process or digital transformation projects, preparing high‑quality project documentation, and managing risks and dependencies, supported by strong digital literacy, particularly in MS Office 365.

This is an opportunity to contribute directly to institution‑wide change in a collaborative, forward‑looking environment.

In keeping with RGU's commitment to work/life balance you will have the opportunity to work from home for a portion of the working week and also benefit from an attractive 46 days annual leave (including statutory days), generous pension contributions in highly rated schemes, an onsite nursery and sports centre, as well as a range of voluntary health and travel benefits. 

RGU's ultra-modern campus, located on the outskirts of the vibrant and prosperous city of Aberdeen, offers a superb place to live, work and develop your career. A relocation package is available to assist with your transition to RGU, where you’ll enjoy working in one of the most impressive university settings in the UK, with first-class educational infrastructure and outstanding sporting and leisure facilities, all set against a stunning rural backdrop on the banks of the river Dee. More information can be found on our relocation pages

As per the UKVI immigration rules, this role may be eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route.  Sponsorship under this route is dependent on factors specific to the applicant and if tradeable points can be used under the rules.

Job Description

REPORTS TO: Senior Transformation Project Manager

PURPOSE OF POST: As a key member of the Transformation Project Management Office (TPMO), the post holder will play a critical operational role in supporting the strategic direction set by the Senior Transformation Project Manager. The post holder leads the initiation, planning, delivery, and successful adoption of business-critical change and transformation projects across the University. Working closely with the Senior Transformation Project ‑Manager, Academic Schools, Professional Services, IT & Digital, and senior stakeholders, the role ensures that strategic transformation priorities are translated into effective, deliverable operational improvements to systems, processes, and service delivery. The post holder will ensure projects are aligned to the RGU 2030 Strategic Outcomes, deliver measurable benefits, and embed sustainable improvements within operational teams.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES:

Lead the delivery of selected transformation and change projects, ensuring delivery of agreed outputs, outcomes, and benefits.

Lead and coordinate cross functional‑ project teams, providing direction, resolving issues, and ensuring effective performance.

Lead stakeholder engagement and communication, collaborating with Executive Sponsors, Senior Managers, subject matter experts, and external partners.

Develop change management plans, including change impact assessments, communications, training and adoption activities.

Support business analysis activity, including requirements gathering, problem definition, process mapping, and opportunity identification.

Prepare outline and full business cases, ensuring clarity of scope, options appraisal, expected benefits, and resource requirements.

Work in partnership with IT & Digital teams to ensure appropriate technical expertise is allocated to projects.

Contribute to solution design discussions and support the delivery of digital transformation initiatives.

Identify, assess, and manage project risks, issues, dependencies, and assumptions, escalating where required.

Develop and monitor benefits realisation plans to ensure improvements are measurable, evidenced, and delivered.

Ensure accurate project reporting, including progress updates, KPIs, and papers for governance boards.

Assist in preparing project budgets and maintain accurate financial tracking supported by the Finance team.

Monitor resource utilisation and contribute to forward resource planning.

Support the management and coordination of the wider project portfolio and contribute to the TMO’s improvement of governance processes and tools.

Provide coaching, guidance, and support to senior managers and colleagues involved in project or change activity.

Oversee quality assurance processes to ensure outputs meet required standards and project objectives.

Champion equality, diversity, inclusion, and environmental sustainability in all aspects of project work.

Person Specification

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA

Qualifications & Professional Memberships

• Degree or equivalent professional experience in a relevant field.
• Formal project, programme, or change management qualification (e.g. AgilePM, PRINCE2 Agile Practitioner, APM PMQ, MSP) or demonstrable experience applying recognised project methodologies.

Knowledge and skills

• Strong understanding of change management principles, adoption approaches, and business process improvement.
• Excellent organisational, planning, and prioritisation skills, with the ability to manage multiple competing deadlines in a complex environment.
• Analytical and problem-solving ability, including interpreting data to support business analysis and decision‑ ‑making.
• Highly effective communication skills, able to tailor messages for senior leaders, operational staff, and specialist audiences.
• Ability to lead groups, facilitate workshops, and build consensus across diverse teams.
• Strong stakeholder management and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build trust and influence without direct authority.
• Strong digital literacy, including confident use of MS Office 365 applications.
• Competence in data driven decision‑ making‑ and benefits analysis.
• Ability to work autonomously, exercise sound judgement, and escalate appropriately.

Experience

• Proven experience leading complex projects or transformation initiatives in large, multi‑stakeholder, or regulated environments.
• Experience planning and delivering business process change, service improvement, or digital transformation projects.
• Experience managing/coordinating multidisciplinary project teams and influencing colleagues without direct line management authority.
• Demonstrable experience in risk, issue, and dependency management.
• Experience preparing project documentation such as business cases, delivery plans, RAID logs, and progress reports.
• Proven experience in business change, stakeholder engagement, and facilitation.
• Experience conducting business analysis, process mapping, and requirements gathering.

DESIRABLE CRITERIA

Qualifications & Professional Memberships

• Change management certification (e.g. Prosci, APMG Change Practitioner).
• Lean Six Sigma certification (e.g., Yellow, Green, or Black Belt).
• Membership of a relevant professional body (e.g., Association for Project Management).
• Chartered Project Professional (ChPP) status.

Knowledge and skills

• Knowledge of continuous improvement tools and methodologies.
• Understanding of organisational design, service design, or user‑centered design approaches.

Experience

• Experience working within the higher education sector or a similarly regulated environment.
• Experience delivering digital transformation or system implementation projects.
• Experience of benefits management and tracking realisation over time.
• Experience facilitating workshops and training sessions.
• Experience using project or portfolio management tools (e.g., MS Project Online, Planner, Power BI).

 

Behaviours

Behaviour 1: Communication - Ability to receive, understand and convey information requiring careful explanation and information of a complex or conceptual nature, in a clear and accurate manner

Behaviour 2: Decision Making - Experience of using own judgement to make decisions, making collaborative decisions with others to reach conclusions and providing advice or information that will influence the decisions of others

Behaviour 3: Planning and Organising Resources - Experience of being responsible for the operational planning and organisation of large projects or the coordination of a number of teams or projects, including setting performance standards and monitoring procedures 

Behaviour 4: Service Delivery - Experience of exploring and adapting a service to meet customers’ expectations and also identifying ways of improving standards 

Behaviour 5: Team Work and Motivation - Experience of being an overall team leader for one or several sections, setting the goals, and directing to effectively meet team objectives.

Behaviour 6: Team Development - Experience of providing advice or guidance to new starts, delivering training or instruction to others on specific tasks or activities and identifying the training and development needs of the team and carrying out performance appraisals