Organization description

The Europe & Middle East region is a retail zone comprising 9 major subsidiaries managing 25 countries and an e-commerce site. This region employs more than 1,700 people, 80% of whom work in the 66 boutiques in the network.

Hermès Middle East is one of several subsidiaries operating under the Hermès International Headquarters in Paris, with a team of over 360 employees headquartered in Dubai.

Mission / Purpose of the Role

The primary mission of the Project Lead is to deploy and provide the subsidiary’s employees with the necessary projects to carry out their duties, in line with the group’s policies and strategy, and with a service-oriented mindset toward users and end customers.

The position is also responsible for the day-to-day delivery of business systems and the integration of new tools and capabilities or opening of new stores and offices.

This is a hands-on role but with full accountability of the Business Systems environment in the local scope with close liaisons with Regional and Group IT / Business in Paris, to deploy group solutions and standards. 

This position will report directly to the Local IT Manager and will closely work with the different project teams in Paris. 

RESPONSABILITIES

Project management

The IT Project Lead defines the project scope, objectives, and deliverables in collaboration with stakeholders. They create a detailed roadmap including timelines, milestones, and dependencies. This involves:

Estimating effort and resources.

Aligning the plan with strategic business goals and IT capabilities.

Ensuring Compliance with group governance rules

Supporting end user during deploying phase, but also in production phase

Team Coordination

Leads multiple teams (Local and Group IT teams, Local and Group business teams) and ensure everyone is aligned. Key tasks include:

Assigning responsibilities and setting priorities.

Facilitating communication and collaboration.

Motivating the team and resolving interpersonal or technical conflicts.

Ensuring the team adheres to quality standards and deadlines.

Budget and Resource Management

The Project Manager oversees the financial health of the project. This includes:

Creating and managing the project budget.

Tracking actual vs. planned costs.

Ensure resource allocation (human, technical, financial).

Risk and Issue Management

They proactively identify risks  and issues that could impact the project. This involves:

Conducting risk assessments and maintaining a risk register.

Developing mitigation and contingency plans.

Monitoring project health indicators (KPIs).

Reacting quickly to unexpected problems to minimize disruption.

Communication and Reporting

The Project Manager ensures transparent and regular communication with all stakeholders (business, IT, external partners). Responsibilities include:

Organizing steering committees and status meetings.

Providing clear, concise progress reports.

Managing expectations and negotiating changes.

Acting as the main point of contact between technical teams and business teams.

Performance criteria

Ability to manage projects and to deploy solution. 

Strong interest in business domains, with the ability to understand and translate business needs into technical solutions.

Ability to propose a vision, adapt market best practices to Hermès’ strategy.

Experience managing multiple projects in an international context.

Ability to support business and IT reporting needs and ensure report relevance.

Strong synthesis and writing skills.

Excellent communication and teaching skills with program stakeholders and subsidiary and group contacts.

Quality of advice and implementation proposals.

Adherence to objectives, timelines, and budgets.

Collaborative work with business and IT teams in the region/group and all internal/external project stakeholders.

Profile and Qualifications

Bachelor’s degrees in IT or a relevant field.

At least 5 years in IT, including 3+ years as an IT Project Manager

Ability to challenge and unite resources around a common goal

Project and Program Management

Familiarity with project methodologies (Waterfall, Agile, Kanban, SAFE) and tools (JIRA, Confluence, Teams, SharePoint, Project, Planisware, etc.)

Strong oral and written communication

Risk assessment and decision-making skills

Ability to explain and liaise with business and technical teams

Retail and Cegid knowledge appreciated

Understanding of IT topics and problematics (Network, Servers, Flows)

Fluent in spoken and written English

Rigor and energy

Open-mindedness

Autonomy and adaptability

Team spirit and strong interpersonal skills

Service and organizational mindset

Calm under pressure

Strong listening skills

Availability and commitment

Values aligned with Hermès

Ability to work in an international team