Project lead jobs

Job Description

Reports to: CEO and Board of Trustees

Line management:        none

Checks: Enhanced DBS and two references

Purpose

The Project Manager & Systems Implementation Lead will lead a programme of organisational and systemic change across DATUS, supporting the organisation to move from largely paper-based, informal and inconsistent working practices towards a more structured, reliable and digitally enabled system of operations.

The postholder will work with the CEO, senior managers and the Organisation and Governance Consultant to implement agreed organisational systems, processes and priorities across DATUS. This will include supporting the practical development and day-to-day use of systems such as SharePoint, client records, finance processes, reporting tools, action trackers, governance documents and operational workflows.

The role is focused on turning agreed organisational systems into everyday practice. The postholder will support managers and staff to use systems consistently, identify barriers to implementation, ensure agreed actions are followed through, and escalate risks where systems are not being used or delivery is drifting.

This is a senior implementation role. The postholder will have delegated authority to monitor implementation, challenge drift, request updates, support problem-solving and escalate risks. They will need to work with managers constructively and confidently, without relying on formal line-management authority.

The role does not set the strategic direction of services, replace the authority of service managers, or redefine DATUS’s peer-led model of delivery. Responsibility for service delivery remains with service managers and programme leads. The purpose of this role is to strengthen organisational reliability so that DATUS can grow, evidence its work, meet funder and governance requirements, and protect the integrity of its peer-led approach.

Key Responsibilities

Systems Implementation

• Coordinate the design, testing, implementation, embedding and ongoing improvement of agreed organisational systems, operational frameworks and processes across DATUS.
• Work with the CEO, Organisation and Governance Consultant, senior managers and relevant staff to ensure new systems are practical, usable and aligned with organisational priorities.
• Support the implementation of key systems, including client records, finance processes, SharePoint, reporting tools, action trackers, governance documents and other operational workflows.
• Ensure new systems and applications are properly documented, maintained and managed once implemented.
• Develop practical guidance, templates, processes and tools to support consistent use across the organisation.
• Identify practical barriers to implementation and work with teams to resolve them.

Embedding & Adoption

• Work with Heads of Service, managers and staff to embed agreed systems into everyday practice.
• Ensure staff are trained, supported and confident in using organisational systems.
• Reinforce consistent ways of working across programmes and teams, while recognising the different practical needs of each service.
• Gather feedback from staff and managers to identify what is working, what is not working, and what needs to be improved.
• Support a culture where systems are used to strengthen delivery, accountability and learning, not simply to create paperwork.

Delivery Assurance

• Maintain oversight of agreed organisational priorities, implementation plans, actions and milestones.
• Track progress against agreed deliverables and ensure actions are completed, followed up or escalated where necessary.
• Hold short, structured check-ins with managers and staff responsible for delivery to confirm priorities, review progress, identify barriers and agree next steps.
• Challenge drift constructively where agreed systems are not being used or actions are not progressing.
• Maintain clear action logs, risk logs and implementation trackers so that commitments are visible and followed through.

Organisational Coordination

• Maintain visibility of operational activity across DATUS and support clear communication between leadership and operational teams.
• Help managers and teams understand how their work connects to wider organisational priorities, funder requirements and governance expectations.
• Support coordination across programmes so that systems, reporting and operational processes are aligned rather than fragmented.

Reporting & Escalation

• Provide regular updates to senior leadership on implementation progress, risks, barriers, adoption issues and system effectiveness.
• Escalate issues where delivery is not on track, where risks are not being managed, or where agreed systems are not being used.
• Support clear evidence of progress for internal governance, funders, commissioners and organisational learning.

Performance & Systems Integration

• Work closely with the Performance & Finance Lead to align finance systems, client data systems, KPI reporting and organisational dashboards.
• Ensure systems support accurate, timely and useful data capture, including outcome tracking, pathway reporting and recovery intelligence.
• Support the development of dashboards, reports and practical management information that helps DATUS understand performance and improve delivery.

Policies, Procedures & Governance

• Support the development, implementation and review of organisational policies, procedures and governance frameworks.
• Translate policies into practical processes that staff can understand and use.
• Monitor compliance with agreed processes, identify gaps and support managers to address them.
• Ensure governance documents, templates and procedures are kept organised, accessible and up to date.

Continuous Improvement

• Identify where systems are not working effectively and support practical improvements.
• Work with leadership, managers and staff to refine systems and processes based on evidence and feedback.
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement, follow-through and shared organisational learning.

Person Specification

Qualifications and Training

Essential

• Relevant management, operations, systems implementation, project management or change management qualification, or significant equivalent experience.
• Evidence of using structured project management approaches in practice, including planning, risk management, action tracking, implementation monitoring and review.
• Strong working knowledge of Microsoft 365, including SharePoint or equivalent document management / collaboration systems.

Desirable

• Formal project management qualification or training, such as PRINCE2, APM, Agile, Lean, Scrum or equivalent.
• Training or qualification in change management, business improvement, systems implementation, governance, data management or operational management.
• Training in data protection, information governance, safeguarding systems or quality assurance.

Experience

Essential

• Significant experience leading or coordinating the implementation of organisational systems, processes or operational frameworks across multiple teams.

· Experience leading or significantly supporting the move from paper-based, spreadsheet-based, informal or inconsistent working practices into structured digital systems and agreed organisational workflows.

• Experience implementing or improving systems such as SharePoint, client record systems, CRM systems, finance systems, reporting tools, action trackers or workflow processes.
• Experience tracking organisational priorities, actions, risks, issues and milestones, and ensuring agreed work is completed.
• Experience working across teams where delivery depends on influence, coordination and constructive challenge rather than direct line-management authority.

Desirable

• Experience working in the third sector, health and social care, addiction/recovery, homelessness, mental health, criminal justice, community development or other relational services.
• Experience supporting services with funder, commissioner, quality, audit or compliance reporting.
• Experience working with peer-led, lived-experience-led or community-based models of delivery.

Skills and Knowledge

Essential

• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to create order, track detail and keep multiple workstreams moving.
• Ability to translate organisational priorities into practical systems, workflows, templates and day-to-day routines.
• Strong IT skills, including Microsoft Office, Microsoft 365, operational tracking systems, case management systems, CRM systems and finance systems.
• Ability to identify where systems are failing, where staff are struggling, and where risks are emerging.
• Strong communication skills, including the ability to explain systems clearly to staff with different levels of confidence and technical ability.
• Ability to produce clear written reports, action logs, process notes, implementation plans and senior leadership updates.
• Good understanding of confidentiality, data protection and the importance of accurate records in services working with vulnerable adults.

• Ability to support dashboard development, management information and real-time reporting.
• Understanding of governance, compliance, quality assurance and continuous improvement in a third-sector or public-service environment.

Personal Attributes

Essential

• Organised, structured and methodical, without being rigid or bureaucratic.
• Practical, calm and solution-focused.
• Confident enough to challenge drift, but mature enough to do it constructively.
• Able to work collaboratively without needing formal authority over others.
• Able to simplify complexity rather than create unnecessary process.
• Respectful of peer-led, lived-experience-led and community-based ways of working.
• Non-judgemental, reflective and open to personal change.
• Willing to learn about addiction, recovery, social exclusion and the DATUS peer model