No matter how competent a company’s operative team is, any major project needs a representative at board level to ensure the milestones are conceived based on the realistic aims of the board and that they are met. The project director oversees this process by advising the board when change or transformation is planned and then seeing it through by liaising with the relevant managers.
It is important that someone with executive powers and experience fills this role, as well-intentioned managers might be reluctant to challenge impossible goals set from the top, and change and transformation may stall when issues build up to a critical level. Having a director overseeing the project ensures the project has an advocate for both the board and the business operatives, thus ensuring it runs smoothly.
Previous project management at senior level or project directorship will be a key requirement, with demonstrable delivered benefits to the company. Experience will be sought at a similar level to the position being filled; there is a big difference between project directing a three-month plan for an SME and overseeing the transformation of a multinational. Although good employers will recognize ambition and ability, they will not want to engage someone who is under- or over-qualified.
For long-term appointments, it’s possible to have several different projects running simultaneously, so an ability to juggle, prioritize and delegate is required. Even when projects run consecutively, there is an inevitable merging at the beginning and end as strategies are laid down, so the same skills apply. Experience within the same or a similar sector as the company seeking a PD will also be of great benefit due to the specific needs of each industry.
Cast UK is a recruitment consultancy that deals exclusively with management and director-level appointments over a focused range of sectors, and this gives us the much-needed expertise to match the most appropriate candidates with any given position.
Our offices are in London, Birmingham and Manchester, but our reach is throughout the whole of the UK, and we recruit overseas when required. We have become the vital conduit between our clients’ recruitment aims and the talent to fill them, so if you’re looking to change your career, phone us today on 0333 121 3345.
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