Senior Project Manager (Contract)

Job Title: Senior Project Manager

Location: Valparaiso, IN

Work Model: Hybrid – Onsite Tuesday–Thursday | Remote Monday & Friday

Rate: $75–$80/hr (W-2)

Contract Length: March 16, 2026 – June 30, 2026 (Strong Possibility of Extension)

Employment Type: W-2 Only – U.S. Citizens Only (No Visa Sponsorship)

Position

We are seeking an experienced Senior Project Manager to lead complex cross-functional initiatives across IT and business operations. This role will oversee large-scale projects involving internal teams, external vendors, and multiple cost components, ensuring successful delivery within scope, budget, and schedule.

The ideal candidate brings strong experience managing enterprise-level projects using both Agile and Waterfall methodologies, along with demonstrated success in stakeholder engagement, financial oversight, and organizational change management. This role requires the ability to lead diverse project teams, communicate effectively with executive sponsors, and drive results in a fast-paced, matrixed environment.

Key Responsibilities

Project Leadership & Delivery

• Lead complex projects across IT and business teams from initiation through final delivery.
• Manage project scope, schedule, cost, quality, and resource allocation to ensure successful outcomes.
• Develop project plans, timelines, and estimates while aligning execution with organizational goals.
• Oversee project execution across the full lifecycle including requirements, development, testing, and deployment.
  
  

Financial & Resource Management

• Manage project budgets consisting of labor and non-labor cost components.
• Forecast project costs, monitor financial performance, and ensure budget adherence.
• Conduct resource capacity planning and coordinate team assignments.
• Provide cost and performance oversight to technical leadership and stakeholders.
  
  

Risk, Issue & Dependency Management

• Identify and manage project risks, issues, and dependencies.
• Monitor project critical path and implement mitigation strategies when needed.
• Ensure risks and potential project impacts are communicated proactively to leadership.
  
  

Stakeholder & Executive Engagement

• Build and maintain strong relationships with executive sponsors and key stakeholders.
• Provide clear, concise status reporting related to scope, budget, schedule, and risks.
• Facilitate alignment across multiple departments, vendors, and service providers.
• Coordinate interactions between internal teams, customers, and third-party technology providers.
  
  

Process & Change Management

• Apply project management best practices including Waterfall, Agile, and SDLC methodologies.
• Support change management initiatives to ensure successful adoption of project deliverables.
• Conduct business process analysis and mapping to improve operational outcomes.
• Ensure adherence to PMO standards, governance processes, and technical guidelines.
  
  

Communication & Documentation

• Develop clear project documentation including plans, reports, and executive presentations.
• Create visual materials such as diagrams, charts, and process maps to simplify complex concepts.
• Provide consistent project updates and compliance reporting to leadership teams.
  
  

Required Qualifications

• 7 years of experience in project management roles leading large, complex initiatives.
• Experience managing projects involving cross-functional IT and business teams.
• Demonstrated experience managing large project budgets with labor and non-labor cost components.
• Strong knowledge of project management methodologies including Waterfall, Agile, and SDLC.
• Proven leadership ability with experience coaching and guiding diverse project teams.
• Strong stakeholder management skills with the ability to engage executive sponsors.
• Experience with project cost management, forecasting, and resource capacity planning.
• Strong business process analysis and process mapping skills.
• Experience implementing change management approaches to support project delivery.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
  
  

Preferred Qualifications

• Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.
• Agile certifications such as Professional Scrum Master (PSM) or Professional Scrum Product Owner (PSPO).
• ITIL v3 or v4 certification.
• Experience working within the energy or utilities industry.
  
  

Success in This Role

Successful Candidates Will Demonstrate

• Delivery of complex projects on time and within budget
• Strong stakeholder alignment across IT and business functions
• Clear executive-level communication and reporting
• Effective leadership of cross-functional teams
• Proactive management of project risks, issues, and dependencies