Project Management Office Specialist

The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world's largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still brands. Led by Coca-Cola, the world's most valuable brand, our Company’s portfolio features 15 billion dollar brands including Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero, vitaminwater, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply, Georgia and Del Valle. Globally, we are the No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages, ready-to-drink coffees, and juices and juice drinks. Through the world's largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy our beverages at a rate of 1.7 billion servings a day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, our Company is focused on initiatives that reduce our environmental footprint, support active, healthy living, create a safe, inclusive work environment for our associates, and enhance the economic development of the communities where we operate. Together with our bottling partners, we rank among the world’s top 10 private employers with more than 700,000 system employees. For more information, please visit www.thecoca-colacompany.com or follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/CocaColaCo.

Job description

The closing date for this role will be 24th February 2015.

JOB SUMMARY: 
The position champions the marketing factory stages & gates process, ensuring adherence and compliance to applicable standards and procedures. This role takes the lead in providing coaching to project managers within the marketing community in the preparation of their gate deliverables. Key to this role as well is the administration of the gate meetings, communication of the agenda and managing and tracking results thereof. It is the responsibility of the incumbent to train project managers, teams and gatekeepers on the process (ensure newcomers get exposed).

KEY DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES: 

1. Process Management 40%

• Champions and ensures adherence to the process
• Sets up Gate meeting calendar; Facilitates and manages Gate Meetings; communicates agenda and results according to the Operating Model.
• Facilitates establishment of clear, measurable process and business metrics.
• Ensure Project Team members have clarity about their roles and responsibilities and give input on this regard.

2. Strategic Alignment - 20%

• Provides project portfolio visibility to Senior Leadership; ensure strategic alignment
• Coaches teams in preparation to Gates; provides information to the Gatekeepers for decision-making

3. Best practice management and continuous improvement: 30%

• Conducts the process post launch review & implements improvements.
• Given the rapidly changing Business environment, role must continually innovate in terms of process and systems. Needs to stay abreast of latest trends and technologies

4. Capability building: 10%

• Trains project managers, teams and gatekeepers on the process
• Responsible for own capability building to ensure we stay ahead of the curve

COMMUNICATION COMPLEXITIES: 

Internal Communication:

• Marketing Director
• Marketing Leadership team
• Brand Managers – Center and Franchise,
• IMC team
• K&I
• SRA, Legal
• Procurement, Finance, HR

External Communication:

• Bottling teams – Sales and Marketing
• Creative agencies
• Specialist agencies (Digital, PR, Experiential, PR etc.)

ANALYSIS: 

This position requires Advanced Project Management, Influencing and Collaborative skills - innovative thinking, consistency, flexibility and responsiveness, as communications contexts and brand needs differ in terms of scope and complexity

• Alignment of all internal parties on strategies and ideas for different brand communication projects of varying nature, to ensure on time and successful execution of brand campaigns (including promotions and packaging) in tight market deadlines – as stakeholder perspective differs from Brand to PAC to Legal to Procurement to SRA to Bottler
• Working with extended internal team to ensure the delivery of key project milestones within agreed timelines

JUDGMENT AND DECISION MAKING: 

• Stage and Gate processes management
• Timely and successful delivery of projects

INNOVATION:

• Best practice thinking on project management
• Creative solutions to enable timely delivery of projects
• Out of the box thinking in reaching alignment with teams
• Ability to sell and align on strategies within internal teams (Marketing, SRA, legal etc.)

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES: 
No direct people responsibility within TCCC, however directly manages internal and external teams to deliver on key projects.

QUALIFICATIONS / COMPENTENCIES / SKILLS: Leader of Self

Extensive knowledge of project management. (Vendor Management, Contract Definition and Management, MS Project, Budgeting, Vendor Selection, Negotiation…).

Ability to apply the standard TCCC application development methods covering the full development lifecycle (e.g., project preparation, analysis, design, development, testing, deployment and support) to ensure solution quality and consistency of process

Strong communications and influencing skills, across multiple stakeholders and virtual, matrixed teams. Sets example of utilizing technology, able to multitask and switch from strategic to detail.

Ability to take ownership and drive team agenda, following process & methodology

Functional capabilities:

• Delivers results – lead project management within the Marketing community
• Balances immediate and long-term priorities – lead gate and stage process to ensure timely delivery of projects and key results
• Imports and exports good ideas –best practice sharing on project management

RELATED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS/ QUALIFICATIONS: 
6- 7 years marketing experience as Brand, Communications or Projects Manager

EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS: 
University/Bachelors degree

CULTURAL DIVERSITY: 
Fluent use of both written and spoken English is a must. Working knowledge of French would be advantageous.

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS: 
10% in total; local field visits / abroad trainings, conferences, Division marketing meetings.

At The Coca-Cola Company you can cultivate your career in a challenging and dynamic environment. We are the largest manufacturer and distributor of nonalcoholic drinks in the world-selling more than 1 billion drinks a day. Unlock your full potential with a future-focused company that is known and respected throughout the world.

Relocation costs are not provided for this job. By applying for this job, candidates understand and acknowledge that the Company will not provide relocation assistance or support and that relocation will be entirely the responsibility of the candidate.

To apply click here