Delivery Manager – IT Property

Role summary/purpose of job

This role will lead the delivery of Technology Infrastructure for the Property Portfolio, with particular focus on the move and refurbishment of offices and the setup of any new locations. Working with the Product Owners, internal and external technical teams, service teams, outsource providers, Chief Operations Officers, Workplace and Facilities leaders and other stakeholders as required, the Delivery Manager will be responsible for scoping, resourcing and successful delivery of the technology deliverables for Property projects.

Location Overview: Manchester

The Freshfields Global Centre provides both business and legal services to the firm. Our services are delivered in a way which supports the global nature of our firm and our clients, enables our fee earners to deliver exceptional service to our clients and to do that in a way which is efficient and effective.

Function Overview

The IT function support the technology services and change agenda for Freshfields. The Delivery (also known as product teams) function ensures that projects and product delivery is executed on time, to quality and to cost. This supports the change agenda globally via the successful execution of the investment portfolio and wider business\IT initiatives. The delivery function reports into the Global Head of Technology Delivery.

Key responsibilities and deliverables

Apply programme and change management skills and expertise to drive delivery teams to deliver programmes and projects to achieve the desired change and expected business benefits, with focus on our largest and most complex programmes

Responsibilities on specific programmes will include:

Scoping, articulating business outcomes/benefits, planning and designing of assigned programmes of work, firming delivery approaches, partnering and benefits realisation approach, implementing governance structures (e.g. Steering) and formulating business cases whilst ensuring agreement by all key stakeholders

Travelling to sites at all stages of delivery to oversee progress, build and maintain effective stakeholder relationships and ensure quality of work

Driving and developing the creation of a global standards strategy providing a basis of design for future IT Property projects. To include structured cabling, local area network, wide area network, carrier services, audio visual, desktop environment and print services.

Managing dependencies and user impact/change adoption considerations across the programme and into the wider portfolio, planning and working closely with other teams to help ensure alignment in delivery and user impact – also managing the overall IT programme budget, delivery partners and third-party suppliers

Ensuring quality assurance and governance is applied to all aspects of the programme, consistently and reported in accordance with the Property portfolio management processes, whilst complying with practice standards

Partnering with internal teams and stakeholders to ensure the successful delivery of the IT Property programme and overseeing and providing input into communications, working with the Property project team and communications team

Managing all stakeholders up to C-Suite/Managing Partner to ensure alignment in direction and accountable for reporting progress to key stakeholders

Delivering quality products into the business that enable the identified business outcomes, including addressing service considerations and supportability by design, data by design, and adoption and benefits realisation by design

Working as part of a broader product team(s) to deliver successful change

Ensures project teams are motivated and engaged, with clear accountabilities, reporting lines and objectives and with a focus on performance management

Key requirements

Essential

Delivering technology programmes for Property projects, including modernisation of digital infrastructure and corporate systems

Strong track record in scale technology programme delivery (£10m+), selecting, contracting and partnering with external delivery providers

Experience of managing teams, running and transforming service and business-as-usual operational IT teams, including delivering capability consolidation and outsource of service provision

Experience of working in and delivering change into a highly regulated environment with strict security controls (e.g. Legal, Finance, Retail)

Adept in risk management and problem solving

Track-record of successfully operating in environments with highly complex stakeholder engagement, where multiple senior parties must be engaged to ensure alignment

Ability to operate in a matrix and be effective when resources are not in direct span of control

Excellent influencing and communication skill

Ability to operate at all levels from technical staff to C-Suite stakeholders

Manage and develop higher performing teams

Drive the following behaviours within delivery teams (whether directly employed or employed through third parties): teamwork, taking ownership, pro-activity, contributing ideas, exercising judgement, building strong stakeholder relationships and timely delivery, and championing our Being Freshfields principles.

Technical knowledge and experience of IT network infrastructure including implementation, the need for resiliency and decommissioning.

Understanding of the typical set up of MERS/SERS and the key components of LAN/WAN connectivity.

Understanding of the services that are required to establish and maintain the platforms in an office such as telephony services, security systems, monitoring tools and applications, meeting room technology, digital signage.

Desirable

Experience in the Legal sector

Understanding of RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) project methodology

Understanding of our core meeting room technologies, Cisco, Condeco, Poly, Crestron, Zoom, Google and Microsoft Teams

Freshfields Overview

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer is a major international law firm, providing business law advice of the highest quality. We want to be the law firm that clients turn to for legal advice where it most matters, wherever in the world that may be. The Firm has over 2,400 lawyers in 28 offices around the world, providing a comprehensive service to national and multinational corporations, financial institutions, and governments.

Our people make our firm - we are a people business and want to create a welcoming and supportive environment where all can flourish. We see diversity as a strength which creates fresh perspectives and generates new ideas. We enjoy our work and are determined to do an outstanding job. We deliver best when working in teams. Our culture is a product of the combined mindsets and behaviours of our people which is through the Being Freshfields principles, outlined below:

we show respect to everyone

we are there for one another

we are open with each other

we are positive role models

We think and work globally - we do not just say we are one firm; we act like one firm right across the world. We work wherever our clients need us. This is how we define ourselves, not by reference to where we have offices. Cross-border work is not just what we do, it is what we excel at. We understand what it really takes to work across different legal systems and commercial environments and to bridge language and cultural gaps.

We aim to add value in everything we do - we are passionate about helping our clients succeed. We use our experience and creativity to help clients make judgements and achieve their goals. In everything we do, we seek to make a real difference to the communities in which we operate.

Freshfields is committed to promoting equality and diversity and to developing a culture that values differences, recognising that employees from a variety of backgrounds make important and positive contributions to our business and how we service our clients.

Inclusion

Freshfields is an equal opportunities employer and all applications received by the firm will be considered based on their merit alone and we welcome applications from all suitably qualified individuals regardless of background. All offers of employment will be conditional on the candidate having/securing the right to work in the UK and providing the firm with evidence of that right (as required by the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006) prior to employment commencing.

Freshfields is a Ban the Box employer. We ask applicants to disclose criminal convictions only when a conditional job offer is made. A conviction does not automatically lead to withdrawal of the offer: we make decisions on a case-by-case basis and take a number of factors into account (e.g. the role you are applying for and the circumstances of the offence). You would have the opportunity to discuss the matter with us before we make a decision.

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