Director, Project Management

JOB SUMMARY:

The IT Project Management Director is responsible for overseeing and leading the project management function for American Textile’s Digital Transformation strategic initiatives. This role is critical in ensuring that projects are completed on time, within scope, and within budget, focusing on continuously delivering value. The Director will be responsible for creating plans for project implementation, communicating and monitoring progress, and ensuring alignment of projects with the organization's strategic goals. This position plays a pivotal role in driving organizational success through effective project execution and stakeholder collaboration.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Leadership and Management

• Provides leadership, guidance, and mentorship to the digital transformation teams regarding scope, schedule, value, and budgets.

• Completes all aspects of the project planning process, including authoring project plans and developing scope, schedule, and cost baselines.

• Oversees the allocation of resources across various projects to ensure optimal utilization and efficiency.

• Monitors, manages, prioritizes, and aligns the portfolio of Digital Transformation projects against the organization’s strategic objectives.

• Establishes a centralized project management framework, including governance, tools, templates, and reporting mechanisms for consistency across all projects.

• Collaborates with senior leadership to shape cross-functional priorities focusing on operational efficiencies, growth acceleration, and customer satisfaction.

Project Oversight and Governance

• Oversees the development of comprehensive project plans, including timelines, budgets, and resource requirements and alignment with business objectives.

• Reviews project proposals to determine funding limitations, schedules, deliverables, and milestones, ensuring successful execution and adherence to quality standards.

• Identifies potential risks and develops mitigation strategies, while managing the risk, issue, and change resolution processes to address challenges effectively.

• Interprets and communicates project requirements and changes to functional teams, following an integrated change management process to ensure alignment.

• Ensures that all projects meet the required quality standards and align with the organization's strategic objectives.

• Monitors compliance with project management standards and best practices, tracking project status, budget, and timelines through regular reporting and KPI dashboards.

• Facilitates effective working sessions with cross-functional teams to identify project requirements, impacts, and resource needs, driving collaboration and integration across programs.

• Drives projects to completion, ensuring quality delivery or making timely recommendations to terminate projects, if necessary, while adhering to budgetary guidelines.

Stakeholder Management

• Facilitates effective, concise and clear communication between project teams, stakeholders, and senior management.

• Engages with key stakeholders to understand their requirements and ensures their needs are met.

• Develops and implements project communication plans to ensure consistent, clear, and effective stakeholder engagement.

• Provides regular status updates and reports to senior management and other stakeholders.

• Collaborates with stakeholders at all levels to prioritize projects, allocate resources effectively, and manage competing priorities to ensure optimal project outcomes.

• Serves as a key advisor to senior leadership on project-related matters, providing insights and recommendations to support strategic decision-making.

• Negotiates and bids contracts with external vendors and contractors, ensuring their activities align with project specifications and performance standards. 

• Oversees project closeout activities, including archiving documentation and conducting final quality assessments to ensure project completeness and compliance.

Process Improvement

• Develops and implements project management methodologies, standards, and tools, ensuring proper documentation and clear processes for all projects.

• Identifies opportunities for process improvements and applies project management methodologies to enhance efficiency, effectiveness and project execution.

• Remains flexible and adaptable to evolving business needs and changing project scopes, adjusting strategies as necessary to ensure alignment with organizational goals.

• Continuously benchmarks project management performance and stays updated on industry best practices and emerging trends to drive improvement and excellence.

ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Business Administration, or a related field is required; master’s degree or MBA is preferred

• Minimum of 10 years of experience in project management, with at least 5 years in a leadership role

• Proven experience managing complex digital transformation projects in Consumer Packaged Goods industry 

• Experience in strategic planning and project portfolio management

• Extensive knowledge of various project management methodologies (e.g., Waterfall, Agile, Iterative)

• Proven track record of successfully managing IT projects from initiation to completion 

• Strong leadership skills with the ability to inspire and motivate a team

• Proficient in project management software and tools

• Demonstrated skills in project management monitoring, including addressing changes in scope and budget, project resourcing, and proficiency in applicable software

• Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe), Scrum Master certifications are a plus

• Project Management Professional (PMP), or Six Sigma certifications are highly desired

• Exercises sound judgment in making critical decisions.

• Ability to analyze complex information and develop and execute plans to correct identified issues

• Demonstrates strong negotiation and facilitation skills

• Ability to identify and act against project risks and gaps

• Flexible, adaptable and resourceful when managing changing timelines and multiple deliverables

• Experience working in a fast-paced, high-effort, dynamic work environment

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present complex technical information clearly and concisely to a variety of audiences, including non-technical stakeholders

• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities

• Exceptional organizational and time management skills

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

• Occasional travel to project sites as needed 

• Ability to withstand prolonged periods sitting at a desk

• Frequent use of upper extremities to perform keyboard functions and work on a computer

• Ability to occasionally stand/walk