University of Birmingham - Commonwealth Games (CWG) Project…

University of Birmingham - Commonwealth Games (CWG) Project…

COMMONWEALTH GAMES (CWG) PROJECT MANAGER CANDIDATE INFORMATION PACK

The University of Birmingham

The

University was established in 1900, and has a pioneering history including being the country’s first civic University, the first Medical

School and the first faculty of commerce. The University offered the first ever sport degree in 1946 and became the first University to open a secondary school in 2015. In 2018, we also opened a new campus in Dubai, the first Russell Group University to do so. Today, the University of Birmingham is ranked in the top 100 globally and in the top 20 of all domestic league tables. The quality of what we do at Birmingham is widely recognised. The University’s prolific research portfolio has produced 2 Prime Ministers and eleven Nobel Prize winners, including 3 in 2016 for Physics and Chemistry. The University’s School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences is ranked 6 in the world for its research.

The University of Birmingham is the largest of 5 higher education institutions in Birmingham with 23,000 undergraduates, 12,500 post-graduates and 8,000 staff. Our heritage as the original ‘redbrick’ is combined with one of the most compelling and ambitious agendas in Higher Education. Quite simply, at Birmingham we make things happen. The University is a founding member of the Russell Group (UK) and Universitas 21 (global) groups of research-intensive universities, and its alumni population exceeds 300,000, spread far and wide across the globe. The University’s campus spans over 250 acres, nestled in leafy green Edgbaston, just three miles from Birmingham city centre. The University is home to the Barber Institute of Fine Arts, housing works by Van Gogh, Picasso and Monet; and the 100 metre high Joseph Chamberlain Clock Tower (affectionately known as ‘Old Joe’) a prominent landmark visible from many parts of the city. We have been integral to some of the greatest scientific discoveries of recent times, such as the Higgs Boson and Gravitational Waves, and are pioneering new approaches to tackling some of the biggest global challenges facing society; from antibiotic resistance and maternal health to conflict resolution and access to education.

In

As well as being the competition venue for squash and hockey, the University of Birmingham is also likely to be an important training venue, including use of the University’s 50m pool and 8-lane athletics track. The University has established a Steering Group to plan its contribution to and benefit from the 2022 Games. The strategic sub-groups include Venues & Sport; Student Experience; Research; Profile and Communications; Culture; Commercial and Business Engagement. The University’s Venues Operations Group includes relevant functional leads within the University, and is led by the Director of Sport. It includes Sport, Estates, Security, Catering, Cleaning, Sustainability, The Guild of Students and IT Services.

December 2017, Birmingham was officially declared host for the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

The University has just been named as the principal village for athletes and officials for the Birmingham 2022 Games with the Vale Student Accommodation Village hosting 2,800 athletes and officials across the 12-day event. The Games provide an opportunity to showcase the University’s significant strengths to an international audience. The Games are scheduled to take place between 27th July and 7th August, with the following venues and sports/disciplines:

• Alexander Stadium : Opening & Closing Ceremonies, athletics • Arena Birmingham : Gymnastics • Birmingham City Centre : 3x3 Basketball, beach volleyball • Edgbaston Cricket Ground : Women’s cricket • University of Birmingham : Squash and hockey • National Exhibition Centre : Badminton, boxing, table tennis, netball, weightlifting

• Sandwell Aquatics Centre : Aquatics • Sutton Park : Triathlon • Ricoh Arena : Rugby 7s, judo, wrestling • Cannock Chase : Cycling (mountain bike, road, time trial) • Victoria Park, Leamington Spa : Lawn bowls • Lee Valley VeloPark, London : Track cycling

Commonwealth Games

UoB

Campus Services portfolio sits within Professional Services, comprising 1,100 staff and an annual turnover of almost £60m. Overall, this

Campus Services

is one of the largest campus services portfolios in the Higher Education sector. As an income-generating department, Campus Services seeks to strike a balance between enhancing the student and staff experience and ensuring a financial return to the institution through the effective use of University assets. Sport and Fitness forms part of the University of Birmingham’s Campus Services alongside: Venues, Facilities Services, Security, Catering, Conferencing and Marketing, Accommodation and our Hotel. 2026 vision The University has set itself a number of clear and challenging goals, charting a course for balanced growth underpinned by financial stability. Campus Services’ main objectives are geared towards driving two strands of Birmingham’s 2026 vision: • A destination of choice for the best researchers and students in the world. • Financially strong, with a healthy surplus to continue to invest in our academic mission and the student experience.

Job Description

Role Summary The University’s role as a Games Venue for sport and village will have a major impact on campus operations during the summer of 2022. The Project Manager will play a pivotal role in managing the logistical interfaces between various campus functions involved in and affected by the University’s commitment as a Commonwealth Games host venue. The main purpose of the role is to achieve 3 main outcomes: i) optimal effectiveness in the delivery of the University’s obligations to Birmingham 2022; ii) maximise the opportunities to the University from the Games (e.g. physical legacy to sport from temporary infrastructure); and iii) minimise the impact of hosting the Games on the University’s normal business operations. This is a crucial operational and integration role across many University functions. The role will support UoB functional leads in their effective collaboration with respective B2022 functional leads. The role will be embedded within Campus Services, with close interaction with other Professional Services such as Estates, IT Services and UoB Communications. However, the impact is campus-wide, and the purpose of this role is to minimise potential disruption to normal University operations of hosting the Games on campus, and optimise the opportunities, value and profile. The postholder’s ability to support the VOG and the University achieve those outcomes is critical. This is an 18-month project, with a high degree of focus and urgency on ensuring the pieces of a multi-dimensional jigsaw are joined up, and the impact of Games’ plans on normal campus operations is well managed, and the opportunities to the University are optimised. The role requires a detailed understanding and experience of project managing complex multi-functional events.

Structure

Director of Conferences and Marketing (Campus Services)

Head of Academic Conferences and Events

Director of Sport CWG Project Manager

Commercial Conferences and Events Manager

The role does not have any direct reports. Official line management will be through the Director of Conferencing & Events. But, in practice the role will be accountable to the Venue Operations Group via the agreed Project Plan. The post holder will therefore have several dotted reporting lines.

Main Duties • Produce and manage an integrated master plan for campus (Games Plan), covering all University functional areas contributing to and impacted by the hosting of Games Venues on campus. Produce an initial Project Plan within the first month, and continually review and update it on at least a monthly basis, in conjunction with the VOG • Ensure effective and timely reporting into the University’s CWG Steering Group, and timely implementation of actions from it • Lead on key internal/external stakeholder meetings • Support the effective operation of the University’s CWG Venue Operations Group (owners of the Games Plan), including planning and managing meetings/agendas, ensuring the group is kept updated of all relevant developments, and ensuring actions are completed swiftly • Build and maintain positive working relationships with relevant colleagues across the University who are either contributing to or affected by the Games Plan • Liaise closely with the leads in each of the 2 main campus venues (Sport and Village) to help identifying impacts on other parts of the University and surrounding community in order to a) ensure a joined-up mitigation plan; and/or b) secure other University support where required • Anticipate / identify University operations that will be impacted by Games set-up, Games Time and ‘bump-out’ phases. Ensure all are captured in the integrated Games Plan • Maximum opportunities for additional events such as those hosted by Conferences & Events, Edgbaston Park Hotel or any academic Colleges / Schools are captured within the Games Plan, The aim must be to avoid any surprises which may add unnecessary additional pressure to the delivery infrastructure on and surrounding campus around Games Time • Co-ordinate issue resolution / problem-solving across all relevant UoB functional areas • Liaise with relevant UoB colleagues to identify additional opportunities for the University and its constituent parts, including physical legacy from temporary Games infrastructure • Able to manage and analyse budgets and produce accurate financial reports in conjunction with the finance department • Set up VOG meetings, consult on agendas and issue meetings notes & actions. Implement and track actions from VOG meetings and Project Plan

Dimensions • The post holder will not have staff to manage, but will work through other relevant colleagues across the University to implement the Project Plan (masterplan) and the actions from the VOG meetings • Prioritisation will be crucial. Effective delivery of the University’s obligations for the CWG and the global profile from it is a very high profile project, to be delivered in a short timescale (18 months). The postholder will need to gain the trust and co-operation of already busy University colleagues in order to execute tasks promptly, effectively and efficiently • They will need to be an excellent planner, but also be trusted to execute an agreed plan with minimal supervision, whilst also anticipating / recognising any wider impact or repercussions of particular actions and propose solutions very promptly. They should have an appreciation of when to escalate a problem. • Will be expected to use their judgement on whether their decision-making and action should first be approved by the VOG or relevant members • Ability to develop collaborative working relationships with internal and external stakeholders and delivery partners, working across different operating cultures Planning and Organising • Strong planning and organising skills. Communication with other departments across the University is key. The post holder will have an understanding of other events running within UoB and the city • Work with marketing and sales in Campus Services to identify, plan and organise initiatives that will drive revenue opportunities • Expected to prioritise work according to relative importance and urgency, and to carry them out in an appropriate order. Where they have potential conflicts or face lack of time to achieve agreed deadlines, they should raise this with their line manager urgently • Strong operational project planning and management experience, with expertise in co-ordinating large-scale complex multi-functional events and/ or projects via a cohesive plan, across different stakeholders and cultures

Person Specification

Required Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, Experience • A degree in a relevant subject, or appropriate professional experience within sports management • Advanced project management qualification and skills. Methodical planner with highly developed organisational skills. Ideally Prince 2 qualified • A self-starter with the ability to grasp a project and kick-start planning quickly, including the ability to rapidly gain sufficient understanding of a large complex organisation to produce an initial Project Plan • Able to work collaboratively in a dynamic and complex working environment handling multiple tasks within a multi-disciplined team and to tight deadlines • Outstanding interpersonal, negotiation and communications skills, including excellent report-writing skills • Ability to present complex issues simply and clearly to different audiences • Effectively prioritise and manage others’ expectations around those priorities; ensure those priorities are consistent with the overall agreed project priorities

• Ability to adapt to different demands and address conflicts between them • Skilled in the use of information technology, and supporting others in doing so

• Experience in management and logistics of major sports event and/or village planning / delivery would be advantageous • An understanding of how universities operate incl. structures, functions, systems etc. would be advantageous. • Leadership experience in planning and delivering major projects and/or events • Professional, polite and approachable manner • Positive attitude, resilient, calm and optimistic • Flexible, intuitive thinker with highly developed / tested diplomacy skills. Ability to handle difficult issues sensitively

Further information & Application process

For

a confidential discussion to learn more about the role and opportunity please contact the University’s appointed recruitment partner, Hayley Mintern of The Management Recruitment Group.

Applications should consist of a comprehensive CV (of not more than 4 pages) and supporting cover letter (of not more than 2 pages) outlining key matching experience and rationale for applying for the post. (Applications should be sent to [email protected])

Hayley Mintern T: 020 3962 9900 M: 07530 680 184 E: [email protected]

Closing date is Sunday 24th January 2021. You can view the university’s website here; http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/

mrgpeople.co.uk