Project Manager (Contract)

Our client, a leader in the retail/tech space, is looking to bring on a freelance Project Manager with Retail/Event experience. Role is set to start early August, through end of year. Role is onsite in Chicago, 24 hours per week.


Position Overview


The Project Manager will support a wide range of retail marketing and event/experiential initiatives across the United States, Canada, Mexico, and LATAM. Projects span physical retail environments, events, product launches, retailer conferences, trade shows, PR activations, and influencer experiences.


The ideal candidate is an exceptional organizer who can proactively manage timelines, coordinate cross-functional teams, improve project forecasting, and ensure projects are delivered on time and within scope.


Key Responsibilities
Manage multiple retail marketing and event projects simultaneously from kickoff through completion.
Build and maintain detailed project plans, workback schedules, and key milestones.
Coordinate cross-functional teams, including creative, design, marketing, and external partners.
Track project progress, deliverables, budgets, and timelines.
Identify risks, bottlenecks, and resource constraints while proactively recommending solutions.
Support project forecasting and long-range resource planning.
Assist with workload prioritization and assignment planning across the team.
Facilitate communication between internal stakeholders and regional teams throughout the Americas.
Ensure projects remain organized, on schedule, and aligned with business objectives.


Project Types
Projects include a variety of retail and experiential initiatives, such as:

• Retail
• Direct retail environments
• Third-party retail displays and merchandising
• Store fixtures and in-store marketing
• Retail launches across the US, Canada, Mexico, and LATAM
• Events
• Trade shows
• Retailer conferences
• Product launches
• PR events
• Influencer activations
• Small retail activations and experiential events


Qualifications

• 3-5+ years of project management experience, preferably within retail marketing, creative services, experiential marketing, events, or agency environments.
• Experience using Monday.com for project management.
• Experience managing multiple concurrent projects with competing priorities.
• Strong organizational, planning, and communication skills.
• Proven ability to develop project schedules, timelines, and workback plans.
• Comfortable collaborating with cross-functional teams and multiple stakeholders.
• Experience managing budgets, milestones, and project deliverables.
• Ability to identify risks and proactively solve problems.
• Retail, experiential, or event marketing experience strongly preferred.


Preferred Skills

• Experience with Content Hub or similar Digital Asset Management (DAM) or content management platforms.
• Experience supporting artwork trafficking or creative asset management.
• Experience with project forecasting and resource planning.


What We're Looking For


The client is looking for someone who can go beyond day-to-day project coordination and help improve how work is planned and prioritized. The team currently manages a significant pipeline of work, and this person will play an important role in building workback schedules, forecasting upcoming workloads, improving resource visibility, and creating a more proactive planning process.


Strong international project management experience is not required. Candidates with solid project management fundamentals who are comfortable working across multiple stakeholders and regions will be successful in this role.