Team Lead Initiative Support at First Bank

JOB DESCRIPTION

• The Delivery and Measurement function is an operational arm of the Enterprise Data Management & Transformational Analytics (EDMTA) Department of FirstBank, supporting the successful implementation and value realization of its initiatives/ projects. 
• Based in Lagos, Nigeria, the function supports all data initiatives, providing management and financial/programmatic oversight of Portfolios, management advisory services, implementing projects, and managing human resources.
• The primary role of Lead, Initiative support is to provide the EDMTA with the structures, tools and techniques needed to ensure that it has the right programmes and projects in place, that operational and change priorities are balanced, the governance and decision making is facilitated and it has the resources and capability to deliver them consistently well whilst continuously measuring the value realized from initiatives.

The functions and services of the Lead Initiative support include:

• Strategic Planning/Portfolio Support: Ensuring EDMTA is focused on doing the right projects to drive the Bank’s data agenda.
• Delivery Support: Ensuring EDMTA is doing projects the right way, through the effective delivery of the programme and projects.
• Best Practices: Applying the Bank’s standards in project management, encouraging consistent working practices and ensuring appropriate application.

The Delivery and Measurement team shall ensure that project management policies, processes and methods are followed and practiced according to the organization standards, while acting as the overall Project Assurance capacity within the business unit on behalf of the Chief Data Officer. Reporting to the Chief Data Officer, the Delivery and Measurement team strongly contributes to moving the EDMTA toward achieving its mission-focused goals and objectives.

Functional Responsibilities

Development and planning

• The Delivery and Measurement lead provides appropriate levels of programmatic management support to the Chief Data Officer regarding all ongoing project activities, while maintaining and implementing appropriate standards and best practices in line with the Bank’s policies and procedures.
• Provide advice and support to potential and current engagement of high value and/or risk, supporting Engagement Authorities in strengthening project governance structures and processes to enable achievement of high standards and consistency in line with EDMTA success criteria.
• Directly contribute to strategic oversight, advice and direction on programme and project management activities in line with service agreements and project documents. Ensure programmes and projects contribute to strategic objectives and targets.
• Develops and establishes resource tracking systems for use within EDMTA office, to ensure effective planning, forecasting, and tracking of delivery across the EDMTA.
• Identifies, and anticipates in a timely manner, potential risks and issues and advises mitigating measures to the Chief Data Officer team.

Set-up and closure

• Facilitate the development of high-level programme/project plans, including the collation of lower-level plans into programme/project-level milestones.
• Develop, track and maintain dependencies and provide advice to management to ensure quality of delivery throughout the project lifecycle.
• Liaise closely, supporting Unit Heads and Data Project stakeholders on project operational issues, including project assets, finances, and other as required.
• For project closure purposes, acts as (or nominates and supervises) a focal point between EDMTA, working in close collaboration with other key stakeholders throughout the process.
• Oversee and coordinate all project closure activities, working in close collaboration with Unit Heads and data project stakeholders across the Bank ensuring appropriate disposal of project assets, timely and effective final (operational) reporting, updating of information on the project repository, and effective handover of closed projects for financial closure processes.

Monitoring and reporting

• Support the Chief Data Officer in regular review of project status, evaluating performance criteria (scope, cost, schedule and quality).
• Maintain progress reports as required by the Bank’s procedures.
• Identifies and anticipates in a timely manner, potential risks and issues specific to delivery forecasts, and advises mitigating measures to the Chief Data Officer
• Perform routine maintenance and implementation of effective monitoring and evaluation systems of programme and project activities, in line with internal requirements, and provide advice and support to portfolio managers and teams to facilitate quality delivery.
• Within the context of monitoring and evaluation, ensure all projects submit and regularly update specific milestones and targets for the duration of projects’ life-cycles, and track progress, or otherwise, against such information as per Bank’s requirements
• Provide editorial support to programmes and projects, ensuring effective and timely dissemination of reports, in line with project documentation and clients’ expectations.
• Coordinate and oversee the implementation of requests or initiatives relevant to data projects as required.

Stakeholder engagement

• Develop stakeholder profiles and facilitate the formulation of stakeholder engagement strategies.
• Enable the formulation of EDMTA communication plans.
• Coordinate stakeholder engagement and communication, ensuring effective timing and interdependency management of communications across programmes and projects.
• Coordinate internal programme/project communications.
• Monitor the effectiveness of programme/project communications.

Quality assurance

• Support the Chief Data Officer so that the monitoring of projects is carried out regularly in order to ensure accomplishment of set targets and results for projects/portfolios, delivery of services as per the agreed terms and conditions and in a timely manner.
• Support the Chief Data Officer to ensure there is adequate risk-based internal control system and mechanisms in place which are exercised on regular basis as per the appropriate guidelines and tools of the Bank
• Adequate quality management procedures are applied across projects/portfolios of EDMTA.
• Assurance procedures are embedded into the programme management of EDMTA and are applied consistently across all projects/portfolios as per the Banks’ corporate guidelines, procedures and policies.
• Identify threats and opportunities, and evaluate implications of at the organizational level.
• Provides scrutiny, challenge and support for the programme and projects steering committee.
• Forecast and track benefits (outcomes) to be realized.
• Ensure compliance with the Bank’s defined standards for programme/project management.
• Coordinate quality reviews of programme/project documents and deliverables.
• Provide quality control for management products (project documents, reports, etc.).
• Represent the Chief Data Officer in supporting key stakeholders to continuously identify and improve operational processes relevant to project implementation.

Knowledge management

• Act as a focal point for the EDMTA maturity enhancement initiatives.
• Make recommendations on policy and tools and contribute to the development of guidance material and tools that advance EDMTA strategic project management goals
• Participate in, and advocate participation in, relevant Communities of Practice.
• Actively interact with the wider PM community to share case studies, lessons learned and best practices in the Knowledge System.
• Provides feedback to Practice Leads on policy and supporting guidance working to achieve continuous improvement of the Bank’s policies.
• Contributes to the oversight of lessons learned procedures, ensuring that lessons learnt are shared in a timely and appropriate manner.

Training and capacity building

• Provide advice and support to project management practitioners on how to embed best practices of project and programme governance, risk management, project and programme management
• Support and provide training and internal consulting in project and programme management and provide project and programme development advice and assistance to EDMTA as required, in support of initiatives and roll-outs
• People and skills – identify skills and competence shortages to deliver the portfolio of changes and recommend suitable development.

Education Requirements

• A combination of Bachelor’s degree is required
• PRINCE2 Practitioner Certification is highly desirable.
• MSP certification (Foundation and/or Practitioner) is an advantage.

Experience Requirements 

• A minimum of 7 (seven) years of relevant and progressive professional experience 
• Full working knowledge of English is required.