Project Manager V

Job Title: Project Manager V/Senior Project Manager, Strategic Programs

Location: Remote

Duration: 12 months (This is a contract-only position)

Schedule: Monday to Friday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm CST time zone

Interviews: 3 rounds of TEAMS interviews

Job Summary:

The Senior Project Manager, Strategic Programs is a senior leader responsible for driving the successful execution of the organization's most critical strategic initiatives. This role partners closely with executive leadership to translate business strategy into executable plans, align cross-functional teams around shared objectives, and deliver measurable business outcomes.

Operating at the intersection of business and technology, this leader excels at navigating ambiguity, solving complex organizational challenges, and influencing decisions across a highly matrixed environment. The Senior Project Manager provides leadership beyond traditional project management by serving as a trusted advisor, strategic facilitator, and execution partner to senior leaders throughout the organization.

Success in this role requires exceptional leadership, strategic thinking, business acumen, operational discipline, and the ability to inspire diverse teams to consistently deliver results while adapting to resourcing challenges and evolving business priorities.

Leadership Responsibilities & Success Expectations:

Strategic Leadership:

• Lead the organization's most complex, high-impact strategic initiatives from concept through implementation while ensuring alignment with organizational priorities and long-term business objectives.
• Translate executive vision into comprehensive execution strategies that define clear deliverables, milestones, dependencies, success metrics, and accountability.
• Drive enterprise initiatives that improve business capabilities, operational performance, customer experience, and organizational effectiveness.
• Maintain focus on business outcomes while balancing competing priorities, evolving organizational needs, and changing business conditions.

Executive Partnership:

• Serve as a trusted advisor to executive leadership by providing objective analysis, strategic recommendations, and practical execution strategies.
• Facilitate executive decision-making by presenting complex information in a clear, concise, and actionable manner.
• Build organizational alignment among leaders with competing priorities while maintaining focus on enterprise objectives.
• Represent strategic initiatives during executive leadership meetings, steering committees, and cross-functional planning sessions.
• Build credibility through transparency, sound judgment, thoughtful leadership, and consistent delivery.

Enterprise Program Leadership:

• Lead multiple concurrent strategic programs involving cross-functional business, technology, operational, and vendor teams.
• Develop integrated execution plans that clearly define workstreams, milestones, dependencies, assumptions, risks, resource needs, and critical decisions.
• Successfully navigate organizational complexity while maintaining momentum toward strategic objectives.
• Ensure initiatives remain aligned with business priorities throughout the execution lifecycle.
• Continuously evaluate program health and proactively adjust execution strategies to maximize successful outcomes.

Organizational Leadership:

• Influence leaders, stakeholders, and project teams without relying on formal authority.
• Build collaborative relationships across business and technology organizations that foster trust, accountability, and shared ownership.
• Create alignment among diverse perspectives while helping organizations move confidently toward common goals.
• Foster an environment where collaboration, transparency, innovation, and accountability become standard operating practices.

Business Transformation:

• Lead initiatives that modernize business capabilities, improve operational efficiency, and strengthen organizational performance.
• Identify opportunities to simplify complex business processes and eliminate operational barriers.
• Drive organizational change while minimizing disruption and maintaining stakeholder engagement.
• Challenge existing assumptions by applying an outside-in perspective to improve business outcomes.
• Champion continuous improvement by encouraging innovative thinking and practical problem-solving.

Delivery Excellence:

• Anticipate organizational risks, dependencies, and execution challenges before they impact program success.
• Drive accountability by establishing clear ownership, measurable expectations, and transparent communication.
• Remove barriers that prevent teams from executing effectively.
• Balance strategic leadership with hands-on engagement whenever program success requires additional support.

Team Leadership & Development:

• Mentor, coach, and develop project leaders while cultivating future organizational leadership.
• Create an environment that encourages ownership, accountability, collaboration, innovation, and professional growth.
• Empower team members to make informed decisions while providing guidance and support when needed.
• Promote knowledge sharing, continuous learning, and leadership development throughout the organization.

Required Qualifications:

Experience

• 12+ years of progressively responsible experience leading complex, cross-functional strategic initiatives.
• 5+ years of experience successfully leading geographically dispersed, cross-functional project teams while fostering collaboration, accountability, and consistent project delivery.
• Prior experience leading ERP projects, ERP workstreams, and/or WMS (warehouse management systems) implementation and deployment projects.
• Demonstrated success delivering enterprise-wide business and technology transformation programs.
• Extensive experience partnering directly with executive leadership to define strategy, build organizational alignment, and drive execution.
• Proven ability to successfully influence senior leaders within highly matrixed organizations.
• Experience leading initiatives involving multiple business units, external vendors, and executive stakeholders.
• Demonstrated success managing initiatives characterized by ambiguity, organizational complexity, and competing priorities.
• Strong background leading organizational change that drive measurable business value.
• Proven experience facilitating executive-level discussions, resolving complex organizational challenges, and enabling informed decision-making.

Preferred Experience:

• Supply Chain, Distribution, Manufacturing, Retail, Hospitality, or Food Service industries.
• Enterprise software implementation and business transformation initiatives.
• Business process redesign and operational excellence initiatives.
• Organizational change leadership.
• Customer experience transformation.
• Lean business practices and continuous improvement methodologies.

Education & Professional Certifications:

Required:

• Bachelor's degree in business, Information Technology, Engineering, Finance, Supply Chain, or related discipline.
• Project Management Professional (PMP)

Preferred:

• Master's Degree (MBA or equivalent)
• ITIL Foundation or higher
• Certified Change Management Professional (CCMP) or Prosci Certification

Core Competencies:

• Strategic Leadership
• Enterprise Program Management
• Business Transformation
• Executive Partnership
• Organizational Leadership
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Executive Communication
• Strategic Planning
• Organizational Change Leadership
• Stakeholder Management
• Risk Management
• Decision Facilitation
• Process Improvement
• Operational Excellence
• Continuous Improvement
• Vendor Partnership
• Negotiation & Influence
• Executive Facilitation

Leadership Competencies:

The successful candidate consistently demonstrates the ability to:

• Think strategically while executing with discipline.
• Translate vision into practical execution strategies.
• Create clarity in highly ambiguous situations.
• Build consensus across diverse stakeholder groups.
• Influence executive-level decisions through credibility and trust.
• Anticipate organizational challenges before they impact execution.
• Lead through influence rather than positional authority.
• Balance competing priorities while maintaining focus on strategic outcomes.
• Develop high-performing teams through coaching and mentorship.
• Communicate complex ideas with confidence, clarity, and executive presence.
• Make sound decisions despite incomplete or evolving information.
• Challenge conventional thinking while respecting organizational culture.
• Foster accountability while creating an environment where innovation and collaboration thrive.
• Remain adaptable, resilient, and solutions-oriented during periods of significant organizational change.

What Success Looks Like:

Within this role, the successful leader consistently:

• Translates executive strategy into measurable business outcomes.
• Builds alignment across organizations with diverse priorities and perspectives.
• Creates clarity, structure, and momentum in complex or ambiguous environments.
• Anticipates risks and proactively resolves challenges before they impact delivery.
• Earns the confidence of executives through sound judgment, transparency, and consistent execution.
• Develops trusted relationships that enable collaboration across all levels of the organization.
• Leads with humility, integrity, accountability, and a service-first mindset.
• Inspires high-performing teams by empowering others, recognizing contributions, and fostering continuous growth.
• Simplifies complexity, enabling leaders to make informed decisions with confidence.
• Continuously improves the way strategic initiatives are planned, executed, and delivered.
• Demonstrates resilience and adaptability while maintaining focus on organizational priorities.
• Delivers sustainable business value by combining strategic leadership with disciplined execution.