Organisation: Tasmanian Government
Job Title: Project Manager
Location: Hobart
Demonstrated high level experience in the management of complex and concurrent projects in a service delivery environment
My employment at the aged care facilities of St Ann’s Homes and Verve Living, together with my role at Bethlehem House, demonstrates my high level experience in the management of complex and concurrent projects in a service delivery environment. Providing support and management in relation to their IT systems requires my excellent skills to deal with multiple issues over multiple sites. The IT systems and platforms I have introduced and maintain include the nurses station, 24-hour care, and electronic drug management. My expertise extends to the high quality provision of a network Wi-Fi system to the organisations themselves as well as the residents in the three facilities. Complete responsibility fell on my shoulders in relation to the roll out of the Citrix performance platform with a XenServer virtual environment across two of the sites and I managed the third project in order to configure the external site into our environment. Part of my duties also entails creating project plans for scheduled maintenance and breakdowns whilst taking into consideration priority requirements. Priority is allocated to problems that affect workflow or the residents in the facilities. Multi-tasking is an aptitude I possess and have expertly applied throughout my career.
In conjunction with my IT role, I have simultaneously undertaken management of building projects such as new residential units and the Verve Café. The Verve project I was involved with required my abilities in relation to complete construction and managing server migration. In order to successfully achieve these objectives, when still conducting my usual duties, I drew up plans and prepared a comprehensive business case, including budgets and designs. These plans and business case were presented to the board and relevant stakeholders for approval and I then commenced procuring the appropriate contractors and equipment to complete the project. As the owner of a Hudsons Coffee Shop, I demonstrated my vast experience in multifaceted and contemporaneous projects in a service delivery environment by effectively and efficiently managing the refit of the shop over a 12-month period at the same time as operating the business and training staff. The business flourished with gross sales increased by 40% during this tumultuous time of establishing and renovating the coffee shop.
Demonstrated high level knowledge and understanding of contemporary project methodology in a service delivery environment
The projects I have undertaken throughout my career demonstrate my high level knowledge and understanding of contemporary project methodology in a service delivery environment. The management of the various projects, including IT systems and procedures together with construction works, has necessitated my implementation of project management methodology. Creating a formalised and structured method of managing change in a rigorous manner ensures I am able to achieve planned outcomes. The outcomes that I am required to adhere to include delivery by a certain time, to a defined quality standard and with a given level of resources.
Effective project management is essential for the success of business projects and my differing roles at the three sites of St Ann’s Homes, Verve Living and Bethlehem House utilise my exceptional skills in this area. When I institute a quality management framework within which projects are conducted, I am confident and eager to address the projects at the three facilities. Producing and applying my project management methodology I constantly consider the corporate and business culture of the organisations that the project is to be undertaken within. Utilising a pre-defined set of management procedures that are designed to provide a guide for developing, planning, managing and implementing projects, assists me with organising and attaining the prerequisite objectives in a rapidly changing environment with diverse opportunities and requirements. In my experience, applying a formalised project management framework to projects contributes towards clarifying and agreeing goals, identifying the resources needed, ensuring accountability for results and performance, and fosters a focus on benefits to be achieved.
Demonstrated high level research, analytical and problem solving skills, including the capacity to think strategically and exercise sound judgement to identify priority issues for attention and develop acceptable solutions within a service delivery environment
In my current role at St Ann’s Homes Inc., I am a member of the senior leadership management group, which consists of 10 people from diverse backgrounds and includes the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, and Human Resources Manager. Applying my high level research, analytical and problem solving skills, including the capacity to think strategically and exercise sound judgement to identify priority issues for attention and develop acceptable solutions within a service delivery environment, I accomplish the objectives agreed upon in management meetings. Liaising with the board of directors, I prepare reports, budgets, and business plans to present to stakeholders for approval. My extensive involvement in the strategic planning for the direction of St Ann’s Homes entails organising a meeting twice a year to discuss and identify priority issues for attention and develop acceptable solutions. During these meetings, budgets and timeframes are established for the various projects, the structure for the next 12 months is designated, and progress updates are provided. The Excel reports I prepare in relation to the projects determine the amount of funding the facilities are approved for from Not for Profit organisations. Incidents occur across the three sites and by employing my problem solving skills I am able to develop solutions for these incidents. On occasion the work I am expected to undertake is too voluminous and I am responsible for managing the contractors tasked with completing the overflow work. The research and analysis I conduct allows for continuous improvement in IT solutions and products.
The strategic organisational skills I employ to achieve my objectives in this demanding work environment comprise preparing daily to-do lists, scheduling appointments and continually assessing budgets and timeframes. These tools, in conjunction with exercising my sound judgement to identify priority issues for attention within a service delivery environment, provide me with the assurance that I can accomplish my responsibilities and develop acceptable solutions. Possessing a firm desire to fully participate in any tasks in my work environments has provided me with opportunities to gain new knowledge and skills in a variety of areas. A strong work ethic is the backbone of my approach to work and I pride myself on being a committed member of an organisation. My willingness to undertake ad hoc duties has been demonstrated in many of my roles, both present and past. I am pleased when presented with challenges because I enjoy resolving problems and applying my expert skills and knowledge. Working hard, being busy and going the extra mile is my preference in employment positions in order to attain quality service principles, practices and attributes. I have demonstrated the utmost professionalism and integrity in challenging circumstances and I persevere to generate solutions to problems and deliver high-quality work.
Demonstrated high level communication skills, including the ability to liaise and negotiate with a broad range of stakeholders; including senior managers in other agencies; and internal and external stakeholders, and high level written communication skills including the ability to produce quality documents for a range of audiences
My excellent communication skills have been proven by my ability to listen attentively, speak clearly, write concisely, and compile well-researched and factual information in a structured and direct manner. My focus is to use unambiguous language and select the most appropriate medium for my audience. The nature of my work means that it is essential for me to display strong communication skills. I liaise and negotiate with different stakeholders, internal and external, on a daily basis. These stakeholders include the board of directors, suppliers, contractors, residents and the community. This requires me to build strong professional relationships with stakeholders, to enable them to trust my advice and recommendations.
The stakeholders that I liaise with all possess differing levels of technical knowledge and sophistication which means that I need to tailor my communications in a way that is suitable for their level of understanding. For some stakeholders this entails avoiding technical language whereas for other stakeholders, I am able to discuss aspects of the IT systems, programs, design and functionality with experienced technical teams. In some cases, I need to employ negotiation and persuasion skills in order to manage stakeholder expectations and agree on a realistic plan that will meet their needs. Aged care homes require specific and distinctive systems and procedures and by liaising and negotiating with stakeholders, together with conducting research, I am able to identify what new technology is available and best for that environment, and provides the finest care for residents.
As the proprietor of the Hudsons Coffee Shop, I further developed my communication skills with the interactions I experienced with employees and customers. The employees ranged from a fully qualified teacher to a 15-year-old school student and the customers were multicultural and from numerous backgrounds. Communicating with the tradesmen, comprising electricians, plumbers and builders, I exercised my skills to convey information in order to complete the shop renovations quickly and cost effectively.
Preparing business cases and presentations demonstrates my high level written communication skills including the ability to produce quality documents for a range of audiences. In these presentations I provide advice in relation to upgrading physical servers, associated risks if not implemented, timelines, budgets, benefits and possible down time. The written reports I produce assist with striving towards remaining within these restraints. As a project progresses, I provide ongoing updates to the relevant stakeholders, advising on milestones achieved and progress towards completion.
Demonstrated high level ability to plan, organise and prioritise workload within timeframes, to coordinate the outputs of others and to deliver results
In my career I have demonstrated my capacity to effectively lead and develop teams of varying size. In my concurrent positions at the three facilities of St Ann’s Homes, Verve Living and Bethlehem House, I have proven my high level ability to plan, organise and prioritise workload within timeframes, and to coordinate the outputs of others in addition to delivering results. This was clearly demonstrated when I was allocated an eight-week period to plan, build and make the Verve Café operational. This was an extremely tight timeframe and one which I successfully achieved.
When work is being completed for a facility, I continually monitor and review the work being produced by my team, and provide guidance and instruction where necessary. If staff or contractors encounter issues, they are able to refer problems to me for clarification, information and advice. I ensure that staff members are appropriately trained and skilled to perform their roles in order to deliver results. In cases where network errors or outages occur, I provide prompt and direct attention to the area that needs to be resolved. I prioritise and coordinate the tasks needing resolution then designate and reallocate those tasks to others while I continually manage and liaise with stakeholders throughout the day.
I have developed the ability to manage multiple functions with ease, including conducting research, generating reports, undertaking analysis of IT systems, and managing constantly busy aged care facilities. I consistently exercise independent judgement and work effectively, both autonomously and within a team, prioritising my work to remain in line with desired outcomes and organisational values. Having been exposed to many strict deadlines throughout my career, I understand the importance of ensuring immediate attention to critical issues in order to maintain the smooth operation of organisations. I enjoy the excitement of a fast-paced workplace and I have gained valuable time management and organisational skills working in corporate, customer service and sales environments.
Acting as an advocate for positive change, I regularly seek opportunities to create, support and influence initiatives designed to improve the outcomes and performance of the businesses. I pride myself on the ability to remain flexible and adapt to uncertain or changing circumstances. Using short and long-term planning techniques, I prioritise tasks in order of importance and deadlines, and remain aware of the need to re-prioritise these tasks as workflow changes. Managing multiple conflicting priorities can be a challenge, but my highly developed organisational skills make it one that I can easily overcome with personal drive, initiative and planning. Demonstrating the willingness and ability to work in a team environment, I work constructively with stakeholders on a daily basis to ensure work is being attended to within the outlined key performance indicators, team goals and deadlines.
