Project Manager - Data Modernization, Azure

Project Manager
Contract | Hybrid - McKinney, TX | $80/hr

Department: Technology Delivery & Program Management
Location: Hybrid - McKinney, TX
Role Type: Contract
Pay Rate: $80/hr

About Our Client
Our client is a well-established, technology-forward enterprise actively executing a large-scale data and cloud modernization initiative. Operating across multiple business units and geographies, they serve a diverse base of enterprise and institutional customers. They are mid-flight on a strategic push to modernize their data platform using Microsoft Fabric and Azure-native services - and are building out the delivery team needed to execute that vision at scale. Their culture rewards strong communicators, organized thinkers, and professionals who know how to drive complex technical projects across both engineering and business stakeholders.

Job Description
We are seeking an experienced Project Manager to lead Azure cloud, Microsoft Fabric, DevOps, and data modernization projects from initiation through delivery. This is a highly visible, customer-facing role that sits at the center of technical execution and stakeholder communication - you will own project planning, coordination, risk management, and delivery success across cross-functional engineering teams and customer leadership.
Day-to-day, you will be driving meetings, managing timelines and RAID logs, tracking milestones, translating technical progress into business-friendly updates, and keeping multiple workstreams moving in parallel. You will work closely with architects, data engineers, analysts, and customer sponsors to ensure scope is clearly defined, risks are surfaced early, and commitments are met.
This role exists because the organization needs a seasoned PM who can bring structure and accountability to a complex, fast-moving cloud and data modernization program. If you have strong executive presence, thrive in consulting or professional services environments, and know how to keep technical projects on track without losing the trust of the customer, this is your role.

Duties & Responsibilities
Project Leadership & Delivery

Lead end-to-end delivery of Azure, Microsoft Fabric, DevOps, analytics, and data modernization projects.
Build and manage project plans, timelines, milestones, workstreams, dependencies, and delivery schedules.
Coordinate resources across engineering, architecture, analytics, and customer teams.
Ensure project scope, goals, deliverables, and success criteria are clearly defined and managed throughout the lifecycle.
Track progress against milestones and proactively address blockers, risks, and resource constraints.
Facilitate internal and external project meetings including kickoffs, status calls, design reviews, and steering discussions.
Manage action items, decisions, change requests, risks, issues, and escalation paths.
Ensure projects stay aligned to timeline, budget, scope, and customer expectations.
Drive accountability across teams to maintain momentum and meet commitments.
Support project closeout activities including final documentation, knowledge transfer, lessons learned, and transition to support or managed services.

Customer Communication & Stakeholder Management

Serve as a primary point of coordination between internal teams and customer stakeholders.
Provide clear, concise, and professional project updates to customers, leadership, and delivery teams.
Lead customer-facing meetings and present project status, timelines, risks, dependencies, and next steps.
Translate technical delivery progress into business-friendly language for non-technical stakeholders.
Manage customer expectations around scope, schedule, decisions, and responsibilities.
Escalate issues appropriately while maintaining professionalism and trust.
Build strong working relationships with customer sponsors, IT teams, and project stakeholders.

Technical Project Coordination

Coordinate projects involving Microsoft Fabric, Azure DevOps, Azure cloud infrastructure, Power BI, Azure Data Factory, Synapse, and data pipelines.
Work closely with architects and engineers to understand deployment phases, technical dependencies, environment readiness, and release coordination.
Help organize activities related to discovery, design, build, migration, testing, deployment, validation, and handoff.
Track readiness for infrastructure, security, access, governance, source systems, testing, and production cutover.
Support management of data migration and transformation activities from on-premises systems to Azure and Fabric environments.
Ensure project documentation, status reporting, RAID logs, and governance artifacts are maintained accurately.

Required Experience / Skills

4-7 years of project management experience in IT, cloud, infrastructure, data, analytics, or digital transformation projects.
Experience managing Azure, data platform, cloud migration, analytics, or modernization initiatives.
Understanding of project delivery involving Microsoft Azure, Microsoft Fabric, Azure DevOps, data engineering, or enterprise reporting solutions.
Experience leading cross-functional teams across technical and business workstreams.
Strong ability to create and manage project plans, timelines, RAID logs, status reports, and stakeholder communications.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Strong customer-facing presentation and meeting leadership skills.
Ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines, and stakeholders in fast-moving project environments.
Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.

Nice-to-Haves

Experience managing Microsoft Fabric or Azure-based data modernization projects.
Familiarity with Azure DevOps for project tracking, sprint coordination, backlog visibility, and release planning.
Experience with data migration, cloud adoption, analytics platforms, BI/reporting, or enterprise data integration projects.
Background in consulting, professional services, or managed services environments.
Familiarity with Agile, hybrid Agile, or waterfall delivery models.
Project management certifications: PMP, PRINCE2, Scrum Master, or Agile certification.

Education
Bachelor's degree in Business, Information Technology, Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field preferred. Equivalent practical experience will also be considered.

Pay & Benefits Summary

Contract pay rate: $80/hr
Hybrid work arrangement - McKinney, TX
High-visibility role on an enterprise-scale Microsoft Fabric and Azure modernization program
Collaborative environment spanning engineering, architecture, analytics, and executive stakeholders

Ready to Apply?
If you're a project manager who brings structure, presence, and accountability to complex technical programs - and knows how to keep customers confident while engineering teams execute - we want to hear from you. Submit your application today and a member of our team will be in touch.
Apply Now ?

Project Manager | Microsoft Fabric | Azure DevOps | Data Modernization | Cloud Migration | PMP | Stakeholder Management | Agile | McKinney TX | Hybrid