Project Manager

Job Title: Project Manager III

Location: Sacramento, CA, 94203

Duration: 12 Months Contract (Good possibilities of extension)

Job Description:

• Experienced Senior IT Project Manager & Scrum Master to join our Enterprise Technology Finance team. This strategic role will lead business-as-usual (BAU) operations, manage incident resolution, deliver small to medium Finance IT projects, and drive Agile transformation within a dynamic, cross-functional environment. You will partner with Finance, Enterprise Technology, and external service providers to implement solutions that enhance operational efficiency, reduce recurring issues, eliminate non-value-added work, improve global service delivery, and enable data-driven financial decision-making.

Key Highlights:

• Manage end-to-end Finance IT projects and day-to-day BAU operations
• Oversee incident management, root cause analysis, and timely resolution of production issues
• Provide executive summaries and escalate issues promptly to leadership
• Ensure the team is focused on the right priorities and eliminate non-value-added work
• Reduce recurring issues, inefficiencies, and waste through process optimization
• Lead Agile ceremonies and ensure quality in user stories
• Maintain data integrity for reporting in Azure DevOps (ADO)
• Expertise in PeopleSoft Financials, Oracle Cloud Applications, and SDLC

Key Responsibilities:

1. BAU Operations & Incident Management

• Oversee day-to-day Finance IT operations, ensuring stability and performance of critical systems.
• Manage incident response, including triage, RCA, and resolution to minimize business disruption.
• Provide timely executive summaries of major incidents and escalate critical issues to leadership.
• Identify and eliminate non-value-added work, recurring issues, and inefficiencies through process optimization and automation.
• Track and report on incident trends, implementing preventive measures and continuous improvement.

2. Strategic Project Leadership

• Own end-to-end delivery of Finance IT initiatives, from planning through deployment, ensuring alignment with business priorities and technology strategy.
• Drive Agile ceremonies (daily stand-ups, sprint planning, retrospectives) and foster a culture of continuous improvement.
• Ensure the team is working on the right priorities, balancing BAU and project commitments effectively.
• Lead cross-functional teams and external vendors to manage dependencies, mitigate risks, and deliver high-quality outcomes on time and within budget.

3. Governance & Delivery Excellence

• Develop and maintain comprehensive project plans, including WBS, sprint schedules, and dashboards.
• Ensure PMO rigor through standardized documentation, governance, and compliance with enterprise frameworks.
• Maintain audit-ready documentation in centralized repositories (Azure DevOps, SharePoint).

4. Risk & Issue Management

• Proactively identify and resolve risks, issues, and blockers to maintain project momentum.
• Implement scalable solutions that support critical timelines and evolving business needs.

5. Reporting & Insights

• Deliver executive-level reporting through KPIs, dashboards, and concise summaries.
• Ensure data quality and integrity for reporting in ADO and other systems.

Required Experience & Qualifications:

• 10 years of experience managing BAU and complex IT projects, ideally within Finance or Enterprise Applications.
• Deep expertise in SDLC methodologies (Waterfall, Agile, Hybrid) and ability to tailor approaches for project needs.
• Hands-on experience with PeopleSoft Financials and Oracle Cloud Fusion Applications.
• Proven success in Agile delivery and Scrum leadership across distributed teams.
• Strong track record of managing external vendors and application service providers.
• Strong stakeholder management, communication, and influencing skills.
• Ability to navigate ambiguity, drive consensus, and lead through influence.
• Demonstrated sound judgment and strong critical analytical skills for effective decision-making.
• Certifications: PMP and Agile/Scrum Master (CSM, SAFe, or equivalent) strongly preferred.
• Proficiency in ServiceNow, Azure DevOps, MS Project, Excel, PowerPoint, Power BI, SharePoint, Teams.