Senior Project Manager

ABOUT THE NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Founded in 1917, the National Hockey League (NHL®) is the premier professional ice hockey league in the world and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada.

With more than 1500 employees across the US and Canada, the NHL is a global sports and entertainment organization committed to building healthy and vibrant communities using the sport of hockey. At the NHL, we are looking for dynamic, energetic and impactful individuals who are committed to doing the same by sharing in our philosophy that Hockey is for Everyone.

WHAT WE EXPECT OF YOU

SUMMARY
As a key member of the Information Technology department, this individual will lead complex initiatives and support one or more lines of business. This role also emphasizes leadership development through the management of project team members.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Project Management

Project Governance

• Ensure strategic project governance by adhering to established standards, processes, and tools for effective delivery
• Confirm that League security policies and procedures are properly applied to all new and existing applications

Initiation

• Partner with business owners to define clear project scope and objectives
• Guide stakeholders through the project approval process, demonstrating a strong understanding of business goals and collaborating with technical teams as needed
• Support vendor selection by identifying key requirements, coordinating demonstrations, and documenting evaluation feedback
• Assist IT leadership in developing project budgets, forecasting costs, and tracking expenditures

Planning

• Identify required project resources and define roles and responsibilities
• Develop comprehensive project and change management plans aligned with scope and business objectives
• Lead interviews with business owners and subject matter experts to document detailed business requirements and process flows (As-Is and To-Be)

Execution

• Provide consistent project updates to stakeholders and resource groups regarding strategy, progress, and adjustments
• Ensure timely and accurate documentation and communication through the project lifecycle
• Identify and escalate risks, decisions, issues, and actions to senior leadership as appropriate
• Motivate and guide project teams to meet goals, fulfill responsibilities, and achieve milestones
• Ensure the technical team understands the business requirements and collaborate with solution architects to design the solution aligned with business objectives
• Present and explain design changes and their impact on original objectives
• Monitor deliverables and timelines while managing risks to ensure timely, goal-aligned project completion
• Conduct organizational change management (OCM) analysis and tailor communications to various audiences
• Implement OCM strategies to drive user adoption
• Secure stakeholder approval on specifications, testing, and deployments

Closure

• Lead project retrospectives and apply lessons learned to future initiatives
• Provide implementation and post-launch support, ensuring a smooth handoff to business owners
• Complete all operational documentation and transition support responsibilities to the ServiceDesk
• Assist in defining disaster recovery/business continuity (DR/BC) processes and develop SLAs and recovery targets to meet business expectations

Additional Responsibilities

• Contribute to project prioritization discussions based on business needs
• Support the development of strategic IT roadmaps for business units
• Mentor and guide junior project managers in methodology and best practices
• Promote the professional growth of direct reports through coaching and feedback
• Serve as a role model by mentoring others, offering guidance, support, and clear direction to help them succeed in their work
• Build and maintain partnerships with third-party vendors and consultants

QUALIFICATIONS
Knowledge Areas/Experience

Required

• Minimum of 4 years of hands-on experience as a Project Manager or Project Lead
• Proven understanding of project management principles

Preferred

• PMP certification preferred but not required

Education/Certifications

• Bachelor's degree from a four-year university or equivalent experience

Required Skills

• Ability to work independently, prioritize effectively, and manage multiple tasks across various projects.
• Strong leadership and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence without direct authority.
• Results-driven with a strong sense of accountability.
• Solid grasp of technical concepts and a demonstrated ability to learn and adapt to new technologies.
• Highly organized with excellent attention to detail and follow-through.
• Ability to see the big picture and contribute to projects with diverse, often competing goals by aligning efforts with overarching strategic objectives.
• Skilled in decision-making and analytical problem-solving.
• Analytical thinker with the ability to develop creative solutions to complex business challenges.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to engage stakeholders at all levels.
• Proven ability to build and maintain effective relationships with business owners and project teams.
• Comfortable working in an ambiguous environment and collaborating across functions to achieve a common business objective.
• Proficient with Microsoft PowerPoint, Excel, Word, and Project.
• Experienced with Visio or similar workflow/process mapping tools.
• Experience with JIRA, GitLab Issues, or other project planning and development.

CORE COMPETENCIES
These core competencies reflect the underlying values that are necessary to represent the National Hockey League:

• Accountability
• Adaptability
• Communication
• Critical Thinking
• Inclusion
• Professionalism
• Teamwork & Collaboration

The NHL offers U.S. regular, full-time employees:

Time to Recharge : Utilize our generous Paid Time Off (PTO) to focus on your well-being and ensure a healthy work/life balance. PTO includes paid holidays, vacation, personal and sick days, plus an extra day off for your birthday.

Ability to Focus on your Health: Along with competitive salaries, the NHL offers comprehensive health benefits to employees and their eligible dependents effective on their first day with us - there is no waiting period. The NHL subsidizes a large portion of the health benefits costs, therefore your cost for medical, dental and vision coverage is minimal.


We also offer our employees and members of their household access to our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to support mental, physical, and financial health. In addition, employees have access to a digital wellness resource designed to improve health and happiness through courses in sleep, movement, and focus. These services are confidential and at no-cost to our employees.

Childcare Leave: Because your family is the NHL family, employees are offered comprehensive Childcare Leave to welcome your new addition. The primary caregiver to the child is entitled to up to 12 weeks of paid Childcare Leave, at full pay, following the birth, adoption, or placement of a child.

Employees that are not the primary caregiver to the child are entitled to up to 6 weeks of paid Childcare Leave, at full pay, which must be taken within the first 6 months following the birth, adoption, or placement of a child.

Confidence in your Retirement Goals: Participate in the NHL's Savings Plan which includes a 401K(pre-tax and Roth options) plus non-elective (employer) contributions to keep your retirement goals on track.

A Hybrid Work Schedule : The NHL recognizes the value of flexibility in work locations/schedules to help our employees balance work/life priorities. Hybrid work schedules are available for a majority of our roles.

Our New Headquarters: Our new, state of the art, offices are located at One Manhattan West in Hudson Yards. When you're in the office, you can conduct meetings in one of our high-tech conference rooms, have lunch with a view or play in the game room. Employees can also enjoy New York's newest neighborhood that is home to more than 100 shops, culinary experiences, and public artwork.

A Savings for Commuting: Participate in the NHL's pre-tax commuter benefit plan whichhelps offset the financial cost of traveling to and from our office.

NHL Partner Rates: Unlock exclusive pricing from our Partners that include savings on travel, consumer goods and services, plus the NHL Store.

Life at the NHL: In your first few days, you meet with your new teammates and the HR Team. You have the opportunity to learn more about the NHL and our workplace culture. Employees are invited to play hockey during our Tuesday Night Skate at Chelsea Piers, join our Employee Resource Groups and more. You are a part of our team and we encourage you to be your authentic self, adding to our dynamic workplace culture.

SALARY RANGE:

$110-140K

Actual base pay for a successful candidate will be determined based on a variety of job-related factors, including but not limited to: experience/training, market demands, and geographic location.

When applying, please be sure to include a cover letter with your salary expectations for this role. We thank all applicants for their interest in this opportunity, however only qualified candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. NO EMAILS OR PHONE CALLS PLEASE.

We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, gender identity, marital or veteran status, or any other protected class.

Job Questions:

1. This position will be based in our New York City Office. Are you willing and able to commute to our office for this position?
2. If you are not currently living in the tri-state area, are you willing and able to relocate at your own expense for this position?
3. Do you have the legal right to work in the United States?
4. Will you now or in the future require visa sponsorship to continue work in the United States?
5. What are your salary expectations for this role? (NOTE: We are NOT asking for your current salary or salary history)
6. How did you hear about this position? Where did you first see this role posted?
7. Do you have experience working as a project manager or project lead? If yes, what types of projects did you work on?
8. What project management methodologies have you worked with (e.g. waterfall, agile, scrum, Kanban, lean) and how do you determine which one to use?
9. What tactics do you like to use to gain stakeholder consensus?