Project Manager

Job Title: Project Manager Department: Beano Brain Reporting to: Group Director – UK Qual Location: Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, London, or Manchester, UK Ways of Working: Hybrid; 1 day a week plus a few days a month in London, UK Contract Type: Permanent Beano Brain, a leading kid, youth and family insights agency, is hiring for a Project Manager to join the team in our any one of our Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, London or Manchester offices with 1 day a month in our London office. Beano Brain is part of the DC Thomson media and publishing company. Beano Brain is a team of collaborators who balance being supportive and transparent with rebel thinking. While fostering a non-hierarchical environment where team members take initiative and aren’t afraid to challenge each other’s thinking, Beano Brain gives everyone on the team a voice. No two days are the same at Beano Brain! The Project Manager will lead the delivery of complex, multi‑stream projects that are critical to commercial growth, operational resilience and transformation across a portfolio business. This an opportunity for a talented Project Manager to make their mark by introducing and implementing a new Project Management tool to the business. The successful candidate will ensure projects are delivered to agreed outcomes with pace, tight control and clear accountability in an environment where margins, customer expectations and market conditions are challenging. The Project Manager brings disciplined project leadership, cross‑functional coordination and evidence‑based decision‑making into a business moving to a skills‑based, outcome‑driven model. It ensures project teams work to a shared plan, remove blockers early, manage risk and dependency, and use data, insight and feedback loops to deliver value and adjust quickly to external pressures. The Project Manager operates across multiple brands, functions and product lines in the portfolio. It covers digital, technology, data, commercial and operational change projects. It manages external partners, suppliers and delivery contractors where required. Key responsibilities include: Managing and developing a team of 4 people Senior administrative overview of all commercial projects, managing timelines, budgets, 3rd party contracts and their costs, and overseeing the recruitment team in the field Deliver project outcomes to agreed scope, time, cost and quality Ensure all projects follow a clear plan, have measurable outcomes and deliver defined commercial or operational value Maintain rigorous governance, risk and dependency control Run disciplined governance cycles. Identify risks and dependencies early, ensure actions are owned and resolved quickly and escalate only when required Drive cross‑functional alignment and unblock delivery teams Create clarity across functions, ensure teams understand their role and deliverables and remove blockers to maintain delivery pace Improve project delivery performance across the portfolio Apply repeatable best practice, use data to measure performance and feed learnings into future delivery. Promote collaboration and shared standards Manage supplier and partner performance Ensure external partners deliver to contractual expectations. Track performance, control costs and drive accountability Ensure outcomes are embedded and benefits realised Confirm that handover, adoption, training, process changes and performance measures are in place so project outcomes are sustained

Skills: Takes full responsibility for the definition, documentation and successful completion of complex projects Plans and implements complex and substantial risk management activities within a specific function, technical area, project or programme Acts as a single point of contact by developing, maintaining and working to stakeholder engagement strategies and plans. Provides informed feedback to assess and promote understanding Provides general advice and guidance on financial planning, budgeting and accounting using recognised practices and standards Performs bench-marking and makes use of supplier performance data to ensure performance is adequately monitored and regularly reviewed. Use suppliers' expertise to support and inform development roadmaps Tailors processes to meet specific needs while ensuring they align with established standards and are informed by evaluations of methods and tools Manages reviews of the benefits and value of methods and tools. Identifies and recommends improvements that support broader organisational goals. Experience: Delivery of complex cross‑functional projects in a matrix environment Experience in commercially pressured or fast‑moving settings Experience in portfolio or multi‑brand organisations. Behaviours that will help this role succeed: Being More Curious Use data and insight to improve project decisions Ask direct questions to clarify assumptions, risks and dependencies Experiment with Purpose Test solutions early, use feedback loops and pivot when evidence requires it Encourage teams to try new approaches that improve delivery performance Owning the Outcomes Hold clear accountability for delivery results Escalate early with options and a recommended action. Being More Collaborative Build transparent communication across functions with clear responsibilities Share tools, learning and best practice across the portfolio. To apply for this role, please follow our online application process and submit a CV and cover letter. Closing date for applications: 8th May 2026