Project Manager

Job Description:
Overview
The Project Manager is a key player at Merkle, coordinating and overseeing the delivery of assigned projects to ensure that objectives are clearly defined and achieved within the agreed time, cost and quality constraints. You'll be the linchpin between our experience, data, engineering teams and our clients, ensuring quality throughout the delivery whilst building your leadership capabilities.
What You'll Be Working With
This role is for a Project Manager (or perhaps a Project Coordinator ready to make the step up) with 3+ years of experience working in a comparable environment. You will work in a team of c.20 Project Managers of varying levels and experience to deliver to our clients what we have promised—be they technical, creative or strategic projects.
The intention is that you are placed with your own group of projects within a programme, or projects in stand-alone setups across a diverse set of clients. The key factors are your ability to work on new tasks, learn and improve your skills, and have a conscientious approach to the management of the projects and to your colleagues.
You demonstrate:
Effective leadership skills in managing project teams, fostering collaboration, and ensuring excellence in project execution
Exceptional communication abilities, both in internal team interactions and client engagements
Ability to work in a dynamic environment, efficiently managing multiple tasks simultaneously while maintaining focus
Capability to build and maintain supportive client relationships through client management skills
Advanced proficiency across core PM disciplines: Budget Management, Planning & Scheduling, Resource Management, Risk Management, and Stakeholder Management
Intermediate capabilities in Business Case Management, Change Control, Governance, Quality Assurance, and Scope/Requirements Management
Don't meet every requirement? We encourage you to apply if you meet most of these qualifications and are motivated to develop your project management expertise.
Core Responsibilities
Project Leadership: Create and coordinate the project team to deliver the agreed outputs/outcomes within scope, time, cost and quality constraints. Promote the wider good in all actions, acting in a morally, legally and socially appropriate manner in dealings across project stakeholders and team.
Team Management: Manage the project team on a day-to-day basis, appropriate to context and project stage. Clearly define, agree and delegate team and key stakeholder roles and responsibilities; develop capability and foster innovation; empower and support others to deliver successful projects.
Business Case & Benefits Management: Support the project sponsor to prepare, gain approval of, refine and update business cases that justify projects in terms of benefits, costs and risks; track and report forecast and actuals against them, ensuring realization of benefits for business through planning and designing project outputs that meet business/programme requirements and desired outcomes.
Budget & Cost Management: Manage budgets for projects. Control and report forecasts, changes, and actual costs against the budgets.
Governance & Decision-Making: Establish and maintain effective governance and decision-making for the delivery of projects; define clear roles, responsibilities and accountabilities that align with programme and/or organizational practice and requirements.
Project Planning & Controls: Design, consolidate, document and manage the fundamental components of projects (scope, schedule, approach, resource requirements, budgets, risks, opportunities and issues, and quality requirements). Establish, and implement necessary protocols to change the scope of projects and update configuration documents as required.
Scheduling & Dependencies: Develop, produce and maintain schedules for project activities that take account of dependencies, resource requirements and constraints to enable the efficient realization of project outputs and associated benefits. Map project dependencies and identify owners, resolve issues, and build dependency management into the project's governance cycle.
Resource Management: Develop, implement and maintain resource allocation plans needed for projects (including external required resources), taking account of availabilities and scheduling variances.
Stakeholder & Communication Management: Identify and manage pertinent project stakeholder relationships (taking account of their levels of influence and particular interests), communications and need for senior level support. Ensure continual alignment with programme (if applicable), wider portfolio management and organisation communications. Proactively identify, address, and seek to resolve differences between individuals and/or interest groups.
Risk & Issue Management: Identify and monitor project risks (threats and opportunities) and issues. Develop mitigating actions and escalating as appropriate. Identify and work with related projects to manage interdependencies.
What Success Looks Like
Your projects consistently deliver on time, within budget, and to high quality—clients and colleagues trust your capabilities
You establish effective reporting for client projects, manage risks, and develop mitigation strategies that keep projects on track
You build supportive relationships with clients, coordinating cross-functional teams effectively
Team members and stakeholders appreciate your clear communication and organized approach
You're developing toward Senior Project Manager capabilities through successful project delivery and team collaboration
You contribute positively to the broader delivery team through knowledge sharing and supporting colleagues
Who You Are
Experienced PM professional: You have 3+ years in project management or a related role, with proven ability to deliver projects successfully
Effective leader: You demonstrate leadership skills in managing project teams, fostering collaboration, and ensuring excellence in project execution
Clear communicator: You have exceptional communication abilities, both in internal team interactions and client engagements, ensuring effective information exchange
Organized and proactive: You can efficiently manage multiple tasks simultaneously while maintaining focus and attention to detail
Skilled relationship builder: You cultivate supportive client relationships through skilled client management, ensuring client satisfaction and project success
Methodologically knowledgeable: Working knowledge of project management methodologies (Agile, Waterfall, or Hybrid approaches)
Collaborative team player: You work effectively with cross-functional teams, support your colleagues, and contribute to positive team culture
Adaptable and resilient: You're comfortable working in a dynamic environment and ca