AI Project Manager III

Job Title: AI Project Manager III

Location: Palo Alto, CA

Duration: 6 Months

AI Project Manager

Are you a results-driven, highly organized project management professional with a passion for Artificial Intelligence (AI)? We're looking for an AI Project Manager to oversee and drive the successful execution of multiple, complex AI-related initiatives across our organization. This critical role requires a strong, critical thinker who is meticulous in their execution and adept at tracking multiple dependencies and holding various stakeholders accountable for delivery. The ideal candidate will ensure projects are delivered on time, within scope, and meet high-quality standards, leveraging established project management methodologies and organizational goal-setting frameworks.

Key Responsibilities

Project Planning and Execution

• Lead the planning, execution, and delivery of multiple concurrent AI/ML projects (e.g., tool integration, tool development and implementation, integration of AI-powered features on existing tools) from conception through deployment and post-launch monitoring.
• Develop comprehensive project plans, detailed timelines, and resource allocation strategies.
• Employ strong, critical thinking to anticipate roadblocks, evaluate risks, and proactively develop mitigation strategies and early-warning systems.
• Drive goal-oriented execution, ensuring all project activities align with strategic organizational objectives.

Tracking, Reporting, and Accountability

• Implement and maintain meticulous tracking systems for project progress, milestones, and deliverables.
• Manage complex inter-project dependencies across technical teams, business units, and external partners, clearly identifying and communicating critical paths.
• Set and assure dates are met by establishing clear deadlines, consistently monitoring performance, and holding the right parties accountable for their commitments and deliverables.
• Develop and deliver clear, concise, and accurate status reports to all levels of management and stakeholders, highlighting progress, risks, and resource needs.

Stakeholder Management and Communication

• Serve as the primary liaison between AI/ML and SWE engineers, product managers, and business stakeholders.
• Facilitate effective and timely communication, ensuring all stakeholders are aligned on scope, objectives, and progress.
• Manage stakeholder expectations, scope creep, and change requests in a disciplined manner.
• Lead a weekly update call to communicate overall progress on all projects and solicit additional resources where necessary.

Process and Standards Adherence

• Utilize and advocate for best practices in project management, specifically leveraging PMP (Project Management Professional) principles.
• Integrate and manage project alignment with organizational goals using the OKR (Objectives and Key Results) system, ensuring AI initiatives directly contribute to measurable organizational outcomes.

Required Qualifications

• 5 years of progressive experience in project management, with at least 2 years managing technical projects, ideally in the AI/ML or data science domain.
• Proven expertise in managing projects with complex, cross-functional dependencies.
• PMP (Project Management Professional) certification is strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated practical experience utilizing the OKR (Objectives and Key Results) framework for project goal-setting, tracking, and reporting.
• Exceptional organizational skills and a meticulous attention to detail.
• Outstanding communication, negotiation, and conflict-resolution skills.
• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field (e.g., Computer Science, Engineering, Business, or Project Management).

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Agile methodologies (Scrum, Kanban) tailored to AI/ML development lifecycles.
• Familiarity with common AI/ML tools, platforms, and deployment processes (e.g., cloud platforms like AWS, Azure, Google Cloud Platform).
• Masters degree or advanced certification in a related field.