Project Manager

Team - VerticalReporting to - Portfolio DirectorAbout PacktPackt's mission is to help the world put software to work in new ways, through the delivery of effective learning and information services to IT professionals. We are a technical publisher and learning provider with over 400 staff based across the globe, primarily in India and the UK. Our products have global relevance, and our multimedia portfolio includes over 7,000 books, e-books, audiobooks, and video courses. For more details, visit www.packtpub.com.Role OverviewThe Project Manager (PM) is a core member of the Operations team and is responsible for managing the progress of contracted projects, allocating work to the various stakeholders, and ensuring the delivery of a pipeline of books to agreed delivery dates without compromising book quality. Working on a catalogue of projects, the PM is responsible for creating, maintaining, and driving project schedules to ensure the timely publication of books/products. The PM is expected to adapt, prioritize, and re-organize project schedules based on challenges and opportunities associated with the products. A PM is responsible for managing the health of the pipeline working closely with the Program Manager and ensuring that book projects run as per schedule, thereby managing the end-to-end delivery of contracted book projects. A PM is expected to plan the production timelines and ensure that the book is published/a project completed as per plan. In this capacity, you will also play a crucial role in nurturing and expanding our author and technical reviewer relationships, providing an environment that fosters creative freedom while maintaining rigorous project timelines. Your strategic oversight will ensure that all project deliverables align with our business objectives, driving continuous improvement and adaptation in our project management processes to meet evolving market demands.Adaptability and Evolving Role Requirements in Packt's Vertical StructurePackt’s move to Verticals, bringing our teams closer to users, is a response to significant changes in the market. Due to AI, self-publishing and multi-format options, the nature of the work and the business of publishing is changing. This is not just for Packt, but for the whole industry. Whereas in the past we had atomised and specialist roles in a single-format product lifecycle (eg Development Editor and Acquisition Editor for books), in the future we will need to be agile and flexible, prepared to adapt and stretch our skills and knowledge to new products and services. Each Vertical team will evolve over time towards the offering and product suite that best serves its users. Vertical teams, and the work they do, will adapt accordingly. Examples of the agility we are looking for: in roles related to publishing, you will not only be working on books but also on other content formats that fit the preferences of your users (newsletter, live events etc). You may have a different team structure and line manager in your vertical vs other verticals. You will be open to taking on stretch projects and undertake tests to evolve new product types. You’ll get proactively involved in team meetings so that you can contribute your ideas alongside the rest of the vertical team. Whatever role you are in you will be expected to connect with users and experts in your vertical, and to sustain ongoing relationships that provide value. This in turn means developing a level of domain knowledge in the technology and user roles in your vertical. In summary, the above means that a critical ‘power skill’ in the new Packt organization will be Adaptability and Flexibility - ability to adjust quickly to changing circumstances and new challenges while remaining effective and open to different approaches. Only those with the willingness to adapt and flex in this new world should apply!What You Will DoKey responsibilities:Manage title performance – in terms of publishing timelines, milestones, author satisfaction, and TR satisfaction Ensure the projects worked on meet the Time to Market deadlines set by the Portfolio DirectorsEnhancing author and TR satisfaction and refining the author and TR experience while adhering to publishing schedules and maximizing commercial outcomes. Implement advanced project management methodologies to enhance productivity and project timelines. Regularly evaluate project processes to identify risks and streamline publications, ensuring high standards of quality are met consistently. Drive and execute strong, collaborative relationships with all stakeholders, including authors, publishing peers, and external collaborators, ensuring seamless communication and project coherence. Problem solve, manage, and mitigate risks, when necessary, to keep authors, TRs, and book teams on schedule Maintain the integrity of process and good practice at each stage in the publishing project. Manage or refer conflicts between deadlines, processes, and quality, where