Nelly is available for hire

Nelly Mhangami

Verified Expert in Project Management

Project Manager

Location

Peterborough, United Kingdom

Toptal Member Since

October 15, 2019

With 20+ years of experience delivering projects in hybrid, Agile, Scrum, Kanban, and Waterfall environments, Nelly brings a new perspective and customer focus on IT, cybersecurity, and digital transformation projects. She has experience in business analysis, PMO, scrum master responsibilities, and agile delivery management in the private and public sectors, including gaming, education, retail, consulting, and digital agencies.

Project Management Mobile Applications Websites Web Technical Project Management Software Project Management IT Project Management Program Management Process Improvement Project Management Project Management Office (PMO)PRINCE2 Project Management Project Management Professional (PMP)Digital Project Management PMI Technical Program Management

Project Highlights

Jagex Studios - Analytics and Data Science Request Management

Supported the analytics and data science team by developing a system for receiving requests from departments, triaging and prioritizing the requirements, and planning for the delivery of the requirements using Agile and Scrum.

40,000-page Website Development and Translation

Developed and launched a 40,000-page website translated into 24 languages.

Online Course Creation Using AI

Used AI to generate course outlines, blog pots, digital printables, content, videos, and images.

Expertise

Feature Backlog Prioritization Jira Meetings Project Coordination Project Planning Project Scheduling Stakeholder Management Vendor Management

Work Experience

Head of Training and Project Management

2023 - PRESENT

KMS DIgital Careers

Project managed the development of online courses from ideation to go live.
Developed courses in project management, business analysis, software testing, online course creation, and digital product mastery.
Coached and mentored graduates in project management and other courses.
Recruited students utilizing AI to generate the required content, manage risks and issues, and engage stakeholders.

Digital Project Manager

2022 - 2022

ESAB - Main

Delivered a 40,000-page website in 24 languages while working with a cross-functional team of 15 content writers, designers, translators, and developers.
Ensured the content was written, designs were produced, and development and testing happened.
Gathered and documented requirements, worked with the team to create, groom, and prioritize the backlog, and manage tasks using Wrike.
Organized and facilitated Scrum ceremonies and produced reports for management.
Maintained the Wrike project management tool, creating, assigning, and prioritizing tasks.
Collaborated with product managers to ensure that the team delivered business value.
Managed the translation of a 40,000-page website into 24 languages.
Worked with the internal creative team, as well as an external agency, and managed the asset creation and management process as well as the asset bank.

Agile Delivery Manager

2021 - 2021

Elsevier

Wrote the business case to secure funding for the development of a research data platform.
Defined the use cases in collaboration with the product manager and business analyst.
Defined the high-level plan for the delivery of the solution, defined milestones, and estimated resource requirements.
Served as the scrum master, facilitating the delivery of the high-level plan, backlog grooming sessions, sprint planning, and daily stand-ups meetings.
Defined project benefits and managed project risks and stakeholder engagement.

Technical Program Manager — Program Risk Management

2021 - 2021

Product Madness

Set up and implemented the technical risk modernization program and issue management plan for cloud migration, client re-architecture, and game back-end modernization.
Collaborated with project managers to ensure that risk and issue management processes were set up correctly for each project.
Facilitated risk and issue review meetings with stakeholders and followed up on relevant matters with risk action owners for updates.
Participated in planning, feature prioritization, and delivery of technology modernization projects while working with development and testing teams.
Documented RACI for a tech modernization program for risk and issue management.
Produced and groomed a backlog of risk and issue remediation actions and facilitated Scrum ceremonies for the risk and issue management function.
Engaged with and managed internal and external stakeholders, ensuring that RACI was clear and the communication plan and stakeholder mapping were developed and kept up to date.

Agile Project Manager | Scrum Master

2020 - 2021

Optimizely

Implemented campaign, web, and mobile experimentation projects for 30+ accounts—including CNN, Microsoft, HBO, Tapestry, Alaska Airlines, Toptal, and Zoom Care—while enabling these companies to increase CTR, revenue, and other metrics.
Integrated end-to-end customer onboarding to the Optimizely platform, ensuring engagement plans and that SMEs were allocated to projects and delivered value to each account.
Developed, managed, and maintained each client's project plans while facilitating weekly syncs to ensure that projects were delivered on time and clients recognized the associated value within a short time.
Collaborated on 30 client accounts to produce and document product and sprint backlogs, identifying and managing risks and issues while removing blockers.
Conducted Scrum ceremonies, including daily stand-ups, backlog grooming sessions, sprint planning, reviews, and retrospective sessions.
Worked with clients' creative teams to ensure that assets were developed and updated. Maintained and created user stories on Jira and shared knowledge on Confluence.
Recruited and managed team members, creating an atmosphere where team members flourished. Worked with geographically distributed teams.
Managed each project's risks and issues, working with client project managers to identify, assess, and manage risks. Used RAID logs to record, track, and manage the risks and issues and reviewed them weekly with relevant stakeholders.
Engaged with external client and vendor stakeholders, planning and coordinating external and internal resource activities.
Onboarded and project managed the implementation of the platform for 30 customers.

Agile Delivery Manager | Scrum Master

2019 - 2020

Jagex Studios

Coordinated the delivery of analytics, data science, and data engineering platforms and applications, enabling management to make informed decisions.
Performed scrum master duties, including managing Jira boards, facilitating Scrum ceremonies, backlog grooming, sprint planning, sprint reviews and retrospectives, and daily stand-ups.
Engaged with stakeholders to understand requirements and unblock blockers.
Facilitated planning sessions and documented opportunity canvases, release plans, and product backlogs.
Prioritized product backlogs and worked with product owners to ensure high-level project plans and grooming.
Removed project blockers and managed risks and issues, working with data analysts, engineers, scientists, and other stakeholders to identify and assess such risks.
Coordinated the migration of services from on-premise to AWS cloud, working with data engineers, software developers, and external and internal stakeholders.
Managed the migration of projects to Jira Cloud, Airflow implementation, data science exploratory projects, data analytics feature requests, data visualization projects, and email marketing campaign projects.
Led marketing campaigns and creative projects while working with the CRM and user acquisition teams.
Worked with the creative team, coordinating asset creation projects for the marketing of games.

Head of Project Management Training

2019 - 2019

KMS Digital Careers

Developed and delivered online courses in project management, software testing, and business analysis.
Mentored and coached aspiring project managers, software testers, and business analysts.
Developed and promoted the adoption of a work experience platform that enabled graduates to gain work experience online.
Coached mentees in Scrum and Kanban, thereby increasing their ability to adopt Agile ways of working.
Grew the project management department from four to 25 people.
Mentored and trained candidates in risk management and modeling.
Trained and mentored candidates in project scheduling using Smartsheets, Microsoft Project, Trello, DevOps, Jira, Excel, and Projectmanager.com.
Managed email and social media campaigns and participation in exhibitions.

Agile Delivery Manager | Scrum Master - Cybersecurity and GDPR

2018 - 2018

Trinity College London

Conducted a GDPR and cybersecurity gap analysis, performed risk assessment, and created project plans for remediation work.
Worked with various internal departments, external vendors, and stakeholders to implement remediation plans to ensure that the organization was compliant by May 2019.
Reported to the steering committee on project progress and high-level risks.
Wrote policies and procedures regarding how the organization would manage the data and keep the clients' data secure.
Managed each project's risks and issues, working with the risk and compliance team and other stakeholders to identify, assess, and manage such risks.
Oversaw and coordinated the work of vendors while establishing and maintaining relationships with them.
Assessed and revamped online English courses to ensure they were GDPR compliant.

Agile Delivery Manager and Scrum Master - Cybersecurity

2018 - 2018

Tesco

Created release plans, working with product owners and relevant stakeholders.
Remediated cybersecurity vulnerabilities—including IAM, disaster recovery, and penetration testing—working with the risk and compliance team to ensure compliance with Cyber Essentials and the EU GDPR.
Served as a scrum master for teams in India and the UK.
Conducted a GDPR and cybersecurity gap analysis producing delivery roadmaps and user stories for remediation.
Delivered gap remediation projects working with third-party suppliers and business stakeholders, managing risks and issues.
Implemented IAM, single sign-on, disaster recovery, penetration testing, Coverity, and Splunk to ensure compliance with Cyber Essentials and ISO27000.
Conducted scrum ceremonies for almost 20 teams based in the UK and India.
Managed each project's risks and issues, working with the teams and supplier project managers to identify, assess, and manage such risks.

Agile Delivery Manager | Scrum Master - Salesforce CRM and Data Warehouse

2017 - 2017

eBay

Managed the procurement, supplier onboarding, discovery, and planning project phases while developing high-level project plans.
Oversaw the end-to-end delivery of the project, working with cross-functional teams and C-level stakeholders.
Spearheaded the discovery phase working with the third-party vendor to understand project vision and goals, and gather, document, and validate user requirements.
Handled the implementation of the project, creating release plans and high-level plans.
Collaborated with the product owner on creating product backlogs.
Scheduled and conducted scrum ceremonies, unblocking impediments facing the team.
Reported on the project and team performance; tracked project progress against agreed-on project high-level plans and sprint plans.
Took part in managing the end-to-end delivery of the project, ensuring the team met project metrics.
Managed a £3.2 million budget and reviewed it weekly with suppliers and the finance team.
Headed the project business change workstream to drive the solution adoption.

Agile Delivery Manager

2016 - 2016

EOS Scientific

Managed the scientific lab testing of over 600 vaping products using Agile Kanban, working with scientists, laboratory technicians, and external stakeholders.
Coordinated a cross-functional team of laboratory technicians, chemists, and scientists.
Developed project plans to ensure that products were successfully tested and reported to prevent the company from being shut down.
Engaged with and managed internal and external stakeholders, including stakeholder mapping and development and implementation of communication plans.
Implemented an order management system as part of an eCommerce program managing risks, stakeholder engagement, project plans, and development as per the SDLC.

Senior Project Manager

2015 - 2016

Essex Cares Ltd

Implemented CRM, ERP, and mobile application development projects.
Gathered, documented, and validated user requirements.
Managed the procurement work-streams of each project, writing RFPs, and selecting and onboarding third-party vendors.
Coordinated cross-functional teams in agile and waterfall environments.
Supervised project plans, risks, issues, and budgets.
Engaged with operational and director-level stakeholders.

Digital Project Manager

2015 - 2015

Cambridge University Press

Managed the successful development and delivery of HTML5 games on an e-learning platform for KS2.
Selected a third-party vendor for the design and development of the games and platform upgrade.
Gathered user requirements working with editorial teams for the e-learning platform upgrade and individual HTML5 games.
Planned and conducted scrum ceremonies, removing impediments.
Upgraded the e-learning platform on time, enabling young learners to have access to learning resources.

Digital Project Manager

2014 - 2015

Oliver Marketing Agency

Managed the design and development of the KPMG and Starbucks websites and creative assets.
Collaborated with the client to define and document business requirements; cooperated with the tech teams to develop and document technical requirements.
Oversaw the project implementation from initiation to completion, working with business and technical teams within the agency and client stakeholders.
Provided project management services for creating digital and print assets for AXA, Starbucks, and KPMG.

Senior Digital Project Manager

2014 - 2015

Digital Bananas Technology

Oversaw the development of mobile applications and eCommerce websites as well as Salesforce CRM implementation.
Created release plans, product backlogs, and sprint backlogs.
Managed cross-functional teams, scheduling and coordinating scrum ceremonies and unblocking impediments.
Gathered, documented, and validated user requirements.
Engaged with the project stakeholders internally and externally.
Managed the end-to-end implementation of digital transformation projects.
Developed mortgage and lending apps, including social gamification, for a banking client based in Nigeria.

IT Project Manager

2008 - 2014

Various NHS Trusts and ECC

Implemented projects in various NHS trusts and Essex County Council; developed an e-learning program and a platform for caregivers.
Created and managed the project plan implementation for an e-learning program at South Essex NHS University Trust for caregivers and social care teams.
Managed project risks and issues, identifying them and coming up with mitigation strategies.
Managed project budgets of up to £1 million, creating forecasts and variance analyses.
Engaged with operational and director-level stakeholders as well as customers.

Infrastructure Project Manager

2007 - 2008

Fujitsu Services

Managed the migration of 200 servers to a new data center.
Created a project plan for the migration and other projects managed.
Implemented the HMRC eVat solution from end to end.
Managed the development of applications and online services.
Engaged with the business and third-party stakeholders.

IT Developments Project Manager

2006 - 2007

Essex Police

Managed the successful implementation of an Oracle-based HRMS.
Gathered and documented user requirements working with team leads in a Waterfall environment.
Created a project plan and implemented the plan working with a third party, project team, and business stakeholders.
Managed project risks and issues, maintaining a program risk and issue register.
Managed the end-to-end delivery of the project, using the Waterfall methodology, mainly the document-heavy PRINCE 2.

Project History

Salesforce CRM with NBA and Targeting Engine

Managed the triaging and prioritization of data analytics requests submitted to the CRM and data analytics team. Managed the delivery and fulfillment of the requests ensuring that these were fulfilled on time.

• Managed the project from supplier selection, discovery, implementation, and testing to its going live.
• Acted as a scrum master looking after Jira boards and scrum ceremonies.
• Managed cross-functional teams based in India, Ireland, and Germany.
• Managed a £3.2 million budget.
• Increased solution adoption from zero to 100% through change management.

ERP Implementation

Led the implementation of Essex Cares Ltd.'s CACI ERP project that saved the company millions of pounds over five years.

Essex Cares Ltd wanted to eliminate manual processes and automate their case management, staff shift management, contact management, and payments. Managed vendor selection and onboarding, requirements gathering, end-to-end project delivery following the Agile Scrum methodology. Managed stakeholder engagement, project risks, issues, and budgets. Conducted scrum ceremonies.

Hadoop Services, Relational and Streaming Migration

Successfully led Jagex Studios' on-premise infrastructure migration and upgrading projects.

1. Worked with data engineers and IT engineers to scope the projects, select suppliers, plan project delivery, and release plans; ensured product owners built product backlogs.
2. Planned and conducted backlog refinement, sprint planning, daily stand-ups, sprint reviews, and refinement sessions.
3. Compiled team sprint reports.
4. Coached the teams in Agile Scrum.

Migration of Analytics and Data Science Services to AWS

http://www.jagex.com

Migrated analytics and data science and data engineering services from Hadoop to Amazon Web Services on time with no data loss or service outage.

As an agile delivery manager and scrum master, I supported a cross-functional team of data engineers, analysts, and data scientists for large video gaming manufacturers and key internal and external stakeholders, migrating ADS services from Hadoop On-premise to the cloud (AWS).

Worked with the product manager to ensure that the product backlog was built, groomed, and prioritized. I also worked with the development teams to plan and facilitate scrum ceremonies, using Jira to manage backlogs.

Coached the development teams and stakeholders on the Agile framework and Scrum principles.

Removed blockers highlighted during daily stand-ups and protected the team from outside interference.

Produced team burndown and sprint velocity reports and drove their use in improving team and sprint performance.

Cyber Security Remediation at Tesco

Designed a system for assessing cybersecurity gaps and developed and implemented a remediation plan working with internal teams and vendors

Worked with product owners, vendors, and development teams to develop, analyze, and groom backlogs for a portfolio of over 100 third-party solutions. Coordinated activities of third-party vendors, ensuring that projects were resourced, roadmaps developed, Jira updated, and remediation plans were developed and executed

Jagex Studios - Analytics and Data Science Request Management

Managed and supported a team of data analysts, data scientists, and data engineers at Jagex by developing a process for receiving and prioritizing requests from other departments.

Supported the teams in delivering the requests, following the SDLC using Agile and Scrum as well as hybrid project management methodologies.

40,000-page Website Development and Translation

https://esab.com/us/nam_en/

Developed and launched a 40,000-page website translated into 24 languages.

I worked with remote teams based in the USA, India, and Europe to gather requirements, prioritize the backlog, and ultimately develop and launch a 40,000-page website which we translated into 24 languages. I handled the development of the project plan, managed tasks using Wrike, organized and facilitated team meetings and communication, and managed stakeholder engagement.

Online Course Creation Using AI

https://digitalcareerseworkexperienceacademy.teachable.com/

Used AI to generate course outlines, blog pots, digital printables, content, videos, and images.

Developed courses, digital printables, print-on-demand, social media videos, and reels using AI tools. Coached graduates in my online community. Started an online community for graduates. Started online stores selling digital products produced using AI tools like ChatGPT, video, mid-journey, Kittl, Canva, etc.

Education

2003 - 2005

Master of Science Degree in Electronic Commerce

Anglia Ruskin University - Chelmsford, United Kingdom

2000 - 2002

Master's Degree in Business Administration

Zimbabwe Open University - Harare, Zimbabwe

1990 - 1993

Bachelor of Technology Degree in Business Management

University of Zimbabwe - Harare, Zimbabwe

Certifications

NOVEMBER 2020 - PRESENT

Certified Scrum Master

International Scrum Institute

JULY 2018 - PRESENT

Data Protection Officer

PECB

JANUARY 2018 - PRESENT

Cyber Security Certification

Edureka

DECEMBER 2017 - PRESENT

PRINCE 2 Practitioner

BCS

JANUARY 2017 - PRESENT

EU General Data Protection Regulations

Smartlearning

JANUARY 2016 - PRESENT

PMI Agile Certified Practitioner

Edureka

OCTOBER 2000 - PRESENT

Post Graduate Diploma in Marketing Management

Institute of Marketing Management South Africa

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