Sr. Project Manager

Sr. Project Manager

Location: Dallas, TX

Summary: Position is responsible for successful delivery of project initiatives and executes business plan projects that enable realization of the strategic objectives and tactical business plan goals.

Key Accountabilities:

• Manages IT projects from start to finish. Projects may consist of one or a combination of implementation or customizations of commercial off-the-shelf insurance software applications; mobile/web technologies, system integrations; software upgrades, Intelligent Automation (RPA) and infrastructure (hardware).
• Manages strategic and tactical projects simultaneously; often manages higher-priority projects that are more complex and/or have more challenges (compressed timeframes, urgent need, political).
• May manage proof-of-concept (POC) efforts and other non-standard project work
• Manages a project team of matrixed resources. Resolves challenges presented by resource and schedule availability in matrixed organizations (project team members, including the PM, are rarely 100% dedicated to a single project).
• Builds a project schedule in MS Project/Project Server that is effort-driven and auto-scheduled.
• Reconciles project team time cards from time card system with planned hours in project plan; investigates and resolves variances between planned and actual time reported on time cards; adjusts project task effort/duration with the project plan as necessary to maintain correct forecast of ETC.
• Maintains and reconciles the project financial forecast in the project financial accounting tool; investigates and resolves variances between forecast and actual project costs. Proactively releases excess project funds if not needed or requests additional funding when necessary due to requested baseline changes.
• Prepares an Initial Charter that describes the project scope, schedule, budget and deliverables at a high-level and defines the target date and cost to complete the project Planning phase.
• Prepares an Amended Charter that describes the committed project scope, schedule, budget and deliverables after project planning activities (detailed requirements and design) complete, adjusting estimates made in the Initial Charter as necessary due to discoveries made in Planning.
• Utilizes established Project Change Request processes to manage proactively all requests to change the approved baseline of a project.
• Accurately follows all documented PPM processes, procedures and templates.
• Anticipates, identifies, and manages project risks, issues, assumptions and decisions; escalates in an appropriate and timely manner.
• Monitors and controls the Execution (coding, testing) phases; works with QA Lead to secure all testing environments, ensures there is a test plan and strategy in place for QA testing; may act as the coordinator for UAT planning and execution activities.
• Prepares deployment (implementation) plan in collaboration with the project team; assures all necessary approvals have been obtained to migrate project solution from lower environments to production.
• Ensures appropriate preparation and execution of service transition activities from development teams to operations teams.
• Monitors and controls post-implementation acceptance of the project; manages support activities for the new solution for at least 30 business days (warranty period).
• Accurately closes project by preparing a Project Close Summary Report and completing project plan in PPM tool.
• Prepares twice-monthly project status reports for each assigned project that explain project progress.
• Meets regularly with project team(s), business sponsors/stakeholders, portfolio manager(s), PPM Delivery Manager (PMs direct manager), and monthly with AVP of PPM Delivery and Operations or as required by project workload.

Core Competencies:

• 10+ years of current project management experience delivering IT projects with a minimum budget of $350K. Experience should demonstrate increasing accountability within PM candidates career path
• Has successfully delivered multiple IT projects from start to finish.
• Experienced in effort-driven project planning techniques in MS Project.
• Demonstrates expert-levels of capability in all project management competencies, including: planning, executing, monitoring and controlling of IT projects.
• Must have experience with MS Project 2016; MS Project Server is desired but not required.
• Experience managing vendors, requesting and executing SOWs.
• Demonstrates a personal sense of urgency to complete day-to-day work. Must drive for results from self and project team members. Must know when to push back on perceived limitations and when to be flexible and accept the limitation.
• Exercises strong leadership capabilities; presents executive presence especially when delivering difficult messages to stakeholders and leaders; calm and collected under pressure; takes accountability for entire project and outcomes.
• Demonstrates strong customer focus; is responsive, consultative, collaborative and accurate in work approach. Considers project impacts and outcomes from the business (customers) perspective.
• PMP credential in good standing required
• Experience directly managing and forecasting project financials (reconciling invoices, timekeeping, etc.)
• Able to create clear, concise messaging to all organizational levels.