HCM Project Manager

The HCM Project Manager will report into the Senior IT and Systems Project Manager. This role is currently operating hybrid working in our West London Office on a fixed term basis working full time.

Ark Schools have recently appointed Midland HR’s iTrent as our new HCM (HR and Payroll) system.  This is a significant and complex change programme for Ark, and we are now seeking a Project Manager with experience of delivering a similar implementation and migration project to join our fantastic team to support this transformational change. 

Working alongside key members of the Ark’s central teams, schools, and the supplier, the Project Manager will ensure a smooth transition to the new system supported by a dedicated Change Manager and other internal project roles. 

Sitting within Ark’s Project Management Office (PMO) but with strong links to the People Team and other requirement leads, the project manager will lead and manage the implementation, ensuring successful delivery on time and within budget, while managing stakeholder expectations and providing guidance across workstreams.  You will work collaboratively with the project team to support the team, facilitating the work of others, running workshops, coordinating with key stakeholders and arranging meetings as needed. 

The HCM system is a key component of our technical architecture, integrated with our Microsoft tenant and acting as the source for provisioning new staff accounts and sharing key data with other systems.    

You will work closely with: 

• A dedicated Change Manager, responsible for the human element of change. 
• An experienced Functional Lead/Business Analyst, responsible for configuring iTrent to meet our launch design principles. 
• The Project Sponsor and Product Owner, who are key stakeholders in the People Team. 

There are two key strands of the project: 

• Implementation of the HCM, including integration and provisioning with other Ark systems (e.g. Entra, Bromcom) 
• Implementation of a new Payroll system and Payroll provider 

Alongside our HCM implementation, Ark is currently considering options for Learning Management and the deployment of learning functionality may also fall within scope of the HCM project manager role. 

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the day-to-day running of the project. 
• Plan and schedule the project, ensuring delivery on time and within budget, in line with Ark’s project methodology. 
• Manage project change requests that impact cost, scope, resources and timelines, and ensuring that impact is understood and agreed. 
• Create and maintain project governance artefacts (e.g., Project Brief, Risk & Issue logs, Project Plans, Highlight Reports, Budgets, Communication Plans, RACI). 
• Manage and track project finances.

• 27 days annual leave plus bank holidays, rising with each year of service up to 30 days after 3-years’ service. This entitlement is pro rata for part time employees. This entitlement excludes bank holidays
• Full office closure between Christmas and New Year
• As an Ark employee, you will have the opportunity to be part of the TPT (The Pension Trust) scheme, our workplace pension scheme where we make an 11% contribution; you are not required to contribute towards this scheme unless you choose to. Depending on your role you may also be entitled to LGPS which is a defined benefit scheme where you contribute a percentage based on how much you earn (as do we) in exchange for a guaranteed amount in your pension pot every year
• Access to high-quality professional learning throughout your career, offering both face-to-face sessions and a bespoke online learning platform
• Access to Ark Rewards scheme offering savings from over 3,000 major retailers, interest-free loans available for season tickets or a bike, gym discounts offering up to 40% off your local gym and free eye tests

Ark is an education charity that exists to make sure that all children, regardless of their background, have access to a great education and real choices in life. Our network of 39 schools reaches traditionally underserved communities in Birmingham, Hastings, London and Portsmouth. We educate 30,000 pupils and have nearly 3,000 teaching staff across our network. We also incubate and scale innovative ventures, which we roll out beyond our network of schools for the benefit of teachers, pupils and the education system as a whole. Current Ventures include Ark Curriculum Plus, which equips teachers with the subject expertise needed to ensure students succeed, and Ark Start, a growing chain of nurseries offering affordable, high-quality early years education.

Recently, Ark moved to new offices at EdCity – a unique not-for-profit development in West London, in partnership with Hammersmith & Fulham council. EdCity is designed to bring mission-aligned organisations together to focus on improving the lives of children, especially through education. It offers leased offices, a range of venues for training and events, and an innovation hub for the education sector to connect, collaborate and learn together.