Project Manager AI Engagements (Contract-to-Hire)

Project Manager — AI Engagements (Contract-to-Hire)

Avenera · Remote (US) · Contract-to-Hire $35–$60/hr (contract phase) · $70,000–$100,000 USD (converted FTE)

ABOUT AVENERA

Avenera is an AI engineering and services company. We partner with enterprise leaders on AI over the long term, building proprietary AI systems on their data and operating those systems alongside their teams, so capability compounds over time. Our work sits across strategic decisions and hands-on technical execution, and we measure ourselves on business outcomes, not time spent. Learn more at avenera.ai.

THE ROLE

We're hiring a Project Manager to run client engagements end-to-end. You'll own the project plan, keep the work on track, and make sure clients and our internal team always know where things stand. You'd work closely with our AI Strategist, AI Architect, AI Solutions Architect, and client stakeholders.

This role is for someone who is organized, calm, and follows through. You don't need to write the code or design the architecture, but you do need to understand enough about technical work to ask the right questions, spot when something's slipping, and translate between client leadership and engineering.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

• Build and maintain project plans, timelines, and milestones for client engagements
• Run weekly status meetings with clients and internal status syncs with our delivery team
• Track deliverables against scope; flag risks and dependencies early
• Coordinate across our AI Strategist, AI Architect, AI Solutions Architect, and engineering team
• Manage scope changes and document decisions
• Track project budget and burn; surface variances before they become issues
• Write clear, concise status updates for client leadership and our own team
• Help improve how we run engagements as a firm, not just the one you're on

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR

• 3–4+ years of project management experience, ideally on technical, software, data, or AI projects
• Strong organization and follow-through; you don't drop things
• Comfortable with technical concepts; you can hold a conversation with engineers and ask useful questions
• Client-facing experience with both technical and non-technical stakeholders
• Clear written communication; you write status updates people actually read
• Comfortable in modern project tools (Asana, Jira, Linear, Notion, or equivalent)
• Calm under pressure when a project is at risk

ESPECIALLY VALUABLE

• Project management experience at a consulting firm, agency, or professional services company
• Direct experience on AI, data platform, or cloud engagements
• PMP, CSM, or equivalent certification (nice to have, not required)
• Experience coordinating distributed teams across multiple time zones

ENGAGEMENT STRUCTURE

• Contract-to-hire with potential to evolve into a longer-term role
• Hands-on responsibility and autonomy from day one
• Close collaboration with Avenera's AI Strategist, AI Architect, and AI Solutions Architect

COMPENSATION & LOCATION

• Contract phase: $35–$60 per hour, based on experience
• Converted FTE: $70,000–$100,000 USD, based on experience
• Remote (US)
• Open to sponsoring work authorization for the right candidate