Project Manager - RECODE

Job Description

About Us

The Natural History Museum is both a world-leading science research centre and the most visited natural history museum in Europe. With a vision of a future in which both people and the planet thrive, it is uniquely positioned to be a powerful champion for balancing humanity’s needs with those of the natural world.

It is custodian of one of the world’s most important scientific collections comprising over 80 million specimens. The scale of this collection enables researchers from all over the world to document how species have and continue to respond to environmental changes - which is vital in helping predict what might happen in the future and informing future policies and plans to help the planet.

We are at a pivotal moment in our history as we launch a new strategy setting out our role as the natural world faces increasing threats. Building on our world-leading collection, global reputation for science and as one of the world’s leading visitor attractions, the NHM has ambitious plans leading up to the 150th anniversary of the opening of the Waterhouse Building in 2031, making this a truly exciting time to be part of the NHM team.

About the role

Our collections are widely considered as one of the most globally important natural history resources because of its taxonomic, geographical and historical breadth. Records of the collection, which are increasingly becoming digital, are critical compliance requirements for many purposes such as loans of items for research or exhibition, and the Museum’s Digital Collections Programme and related initiatives are adding new specimen records to unlock this treasure trove of information at scale for global scientific, entrepreneurial, academic and public audiences.
The Museum needs a Collections Management Solution (CMS) that can be used on multiple devices, within collections or remotely, to manage this complexity and support the necessary integrations.

The Museum is undergoing a procurement process to select a new supplier to deliver a new CMS over the next 2-3 years

The postholder will work directly with the Programme Manager and will play a key role in delivering this digital project in line with the Museum’s ambitious digital strategy.

This is a varied and evolving role which will be responsible for the full lifecycle management of the procurement, ongoing requirements documentation supplier negotiation and the implementation of a new solution.

About you

The Project Manager will also ensure effective solution delivery within time and budget restraints whilst managing third party clients and suppliers.

You will have demonstrable project management experience and experience implementing process centric software products in enterprise environments, combined with experience of system development lifecycle or content management platforms such as ECM and CSP.

You will have excellent communication skills, with demonstrable experience managing external suppliers, diverse stakeholder needs and expectations and influencing up to director level.

You will bring experience of dealing with software centric contract negotiation, including knowledge of implementation and support and maintenance agreements and experience using formal project management techniques and documentation, ideally ‘Agile’ methodology.

What we offer

• 27.5 days holiday plus 8 bank holidays (full time equivalent)
• Generous defined contribution Natural History Museum Pension Scheme (employer contribution up to 10%)
• Free admission to our exhibitions and many other paid exhibitions at museums, galleries and institutions across the country, such as the British Museum, V&A, National Gallery, Royal Academy and Tate
• Affordable membership to the Civil Service Sports Council which offers a range of benefits including a free digital Tastecard, discounted cinema tickets and corporate membership of English Heritage sites (including Dover Castle and Stonehenge). For more details, visit https://www.cssc.co.uk
• Membership to our Sports and Social Association (for a small fee), which includes access to our in-house gym and clubs such as football, softball, table tennis and tennis and classes in Middle Eastern dance, yoga and Tai Chi
• Staff discounts at a range of local businesses and services
• Up to 50% staff discount at our shops and cafes
• Season ticket, bicycle and rental loans
• Eye care vouchers
• Professional development opportunities - We are committed to the professional development of our staff and offer a range of courses to ensure they reach their potential. We also sponsor professional qualifications and job-related professional membership fees