IT Project Manager

Job Summary

We are seeking an IT Project Manager for a 9-12 month contract who will be onsite at our client in the Lake Forest area of California.

This person will be responsible for managing multiple large IT projects around legacy apps, including QAD . The project manager will work with both the Functional and IT organization to deliver projects on-time, within established budget, and within approved scope. Project Manager will work with Business Partners and cross-functional teams to manage, communicate, and escalate as necessary issues and risks.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

• Manages and directs cross functional project teams on IT projects.
• Develops, coordinates, and maintains integrated project timelines for all assigned projects
• Facilitates the IT definition of project scope, goals, deliverables, project tasks and resource requirements
• Aligns with business project owner on scope of project
• Responsible for IT resource planning, IT guidance, budget estimation, and change control
• Schedules and facilitates project oversight meetings at all levels as needed to discuss issues, risks, project status, business engagement, testing, and implementation
• Works closely with program managers and functional leaders to ensure projects meet all metrics including quality, savings, budgets and schedules
• Works with resource managers and individual contributors to identify and assign the right resource at various stages of the project life cycle
• Ensures that all the technology projects follow approved procedures for Program Management, SDLC, Procurement, and Production Change Control
• Identifies and solves project issues effectively and manages risks
• Excellent vendor manager who is able to review SOWs/RFPs and gather stakeholders feedback and able to keep vendors accountable to timelines and deliverables
• Able to manage to a project budget and execute decisions that are fiscally responsible
• Coordinate and lead IT test scenarios and IT requirements testing
• Owns defect tracking and resolution. Coordinates with the business to prioritize defect resolution

Education and Experience Profile

• Bachelor’s degree in Business or Information Technology. Equivalent experience will be considered in lieu. MBA or advanced degree desired
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in a combination of areas such as operations, program/project management, finance, information technology, CRM/ Digital Commerce Platforms, ERP Systems, Application Development or IT Infrastructure. SAP experience desired. Proven project leadership experience required. Strong analytical skills required
• Project Management Certification (PMI) a plus
• Experienced in Microsoft Project to plan, track and manage complex projects
• Working knowledge of IT project finances including capitalization
• Experience with recognized Enterprise Resource Planning applications (such as SAP, QAD, JD Edwards, SAGE 100), Service Now, JIRA/Confluence and SharePoint preferred

Required Skills

QAD experience in a big PLUS !

• Ensures Accountability – Holding self and others accountable to meet commitments
• Communicates Effectively – Developing and delivering multi-mode communications that convey a clear understanding of the unique needs of different audiences
• Directs Work – Providing direction, delegating, and removing obstacles to get work done
• Situational Adaptability – Adapting approach and demeanor in real time to match the shifting demands of different situations
• Balances Stakeholders – Anticipating and balancing the needs of multiple stakeholders
• Ability to work with all levels of internal and external stakeholders and to negotiate timelines that maximize resource utilization, adhere to IT delivery commitments, and meet business timelines and objectives
• Able to work with business and IT teams to manage scope and follow procedures for amending scope when necessary
• Able to see into the future, anticipate roadblocks, plan for the unexpected, forecast project spending and timelines based on solid project plans and negotiate resource commitments when projects vary from schedule
• Able to follow-through on actions, maintains a high-do/say ratio, completes work and closes projects
• Able to manage and build rapport with a diverse work-force of local, remote, and international team members
• Able to analyze information, organize facts, separate fact from fiction, present, influence, persuade, and lead
• Able to leverage past experiences and institutional knowledge without “reinventing the wheel”
• Proficient in the use of Microsoft office computer systems and applications, with intermediate to advanced skill levels in ERP/MRP Systems, spreadsheets, word processing, presentations, Microsoft Project, and project management