AddressThe CDW Senior Project Manager is a trusted consultant, providing project management expertise across multiple technology stacks and services. Projects are typically of medium to high complexity and incorporate mainstream, legacy and emerging technologies. The Senior Project Manager may independently manage projects where they mentor junior team members, or they may work within a large program under the guidance of Program Managers. The successful candidate balances scope, schedules, budget and understands how to leverage PMO tools and templates to drive successful business outcomes for the customer. This position works with mixed teams consisting of CDW engineers, CDW sales, other members of CDW cross functional business areas, customer staff and third party consultants. The CDW Senior Project Manager is a project advocate and relationship builder. They drive successful engagements through concise communication, negotiation, crucial conversations and leadership presence.
Key Areas of Responsibility
- Use experience, skillset and methodologies to understand the client’s end goals and provide a consultative approach to ensure that the solution provided is appropriate for the client’s desired overall outcome and strategy. The Senior Project Manager uses those skills at a deeper level to align business outcomes with overall solutions with clear direction and guidance.
- The projects are largely based on SailPoint but other tools may be used such as CyberArk and Ping. CDW builds and supports identity and access management solutions that are highly integrated with the customer’s environment.
- Plan, execute and deliver projects and programs that span one or multiple technical practices according to strict deadlines and within budget.
- This includes clearly defining the work within workstreams and facilitating estimations project plans and work breakdown structures for all phases of projects.
- Be a trusted consultant to your project team in all matters related to project delivery, CDW processes, and project management best practices and delivery.
- Creates and maintains presence with all project stakeholders, including C-Level executives, acting as a CDW steward for quality. Dedicated to meeting or exceeding stakeholder expectations. Identifies success criteria and ensures that it is met by involving the stakeholders in key decisions and linking project outcomes to strategic business initiatives.
- Negotiates project changes around cost, scope and effort to agreeable results with a sense of urgency. Understands the broader context of client relationships when negotiating. Seeks input/collaborates with Sales and Service Managers when necessary. Identifies outside influences that will impact projects and negotiates with those parties.
- Works with team members to gather information and determine possible/probable impacts to the project, documents mitigation steps taken in troubleshooting and communicates these to the team and client.
- Independently manages medium to large sized projects requiring complex cross functional collaboration and management, adhering to CDW’s project management processes and methodologies. Has the ability to manage one to two Associate Project Managers or Project Managers during the course of medium to large complexity projects.
- Accountable for project profitability. Track project budgets and resources and manage actuals vs. Planned hours against the resource allocation and budget. Timely reporting of project financials and budgets to stakeholders. Ties project outcomes to clients’ business strategies helping to generate additional new business.
- Ensures that time, expenses and invoices are accurately tracked and approved against the project in a timely manner.
- Validates initial project scope and estimates. Understands and articulates the impact of project changes on the project. Influences and makes project recommendations at executive stakeholder level. Sets strategy for minimizing impact and risk to the client due to project changes.
- Ensures all items defined in CDW Statement of Work are delivered and performs quality assurance throughout the lifecycle of the project.
- Identifies and successfully mitigates project and political risks by effectively working with project stakeholders as risks are identified.
- Establishes and owns program communication plan. Consolidates, manages, and executes project communication plans into program communications plans for all stakeholders and work streams.
- Manages equipment, software, licensing and outside services procurement and delivery schedules.
- Documents outcomes, lessons learned and shares appropriately with colleagues. Leverage expertise to help drive business process improvements within the CDW Services PMO.
- Takes accountability for project results and holds all project team members accountable for their scope of work. Is fiscally responsible to the client, the project and to CDW.
- Instills trust with our clients by building strong relationships with stakeholders.
- Uses political savviness, business acumen, and relevant personnel along with CDW experience to establish credibility.
- Demonstrates ability to diffuse uncomfortable situations with client and/or project team.
- Leads teams to consistently meet project success factors and exceed client expectations.
- Inspects delegated tasks to insure timely and accurate completion. Coach and mentor Associate and Project Managers.
- Stays abreast of industry best practices through research, conferences, training seminars and participation in professional associations. Shares information across the Services PMO.
- Continually evaluates and refines CDW’s engagement methodology, templates, tools and supporting materials.
- Establishes and owns all communication documentation (communication plans, schedules/timelines, status reports, quality plan, closure summary, budget, risk plan, etc.) for projects. Manages the quality and delivery of documentation to clients.
- Clear and concise communication. Leads and facilitates both live and virtual meetings. Keeps meetings on track, on topic and summarizes, assigns, and publishes follow up items in a timely manner.
- Adapts communication style and medium to the audience needs. Recognizes when communication efforts are ineffective and adapts tactics and/or medium as necessary.
- Effectively prepares and delivers difficult information. Can credibly communicate complex topics to stakeholders and build consensus.
- Anticipates client or project needs, communicates potential solutions. Conveys CDW experiences and positive outcomes to build client confidence and instill trust.
- Works with team members to gather information and determine possible/probable impacts to the project, documents mitigation steps taken in troubleshooting and communicates these to the team and client.
- Are comfortable leading internal and external discussions to resolve issues, report risks and can effectively communicate with the highest levels of an organization.
- Coordinate business change management activities.
- Demonstrate a functional acumen to support how solutions will address client goals while maintaining alignment with industry best practices.
- Master tools and methodologies for solution delivery excellence.
- Mentor Program and Project Managers on tools, methodologies, and consultative skills to provide value to our customers.
- Strong influencing skills
- Demonstrated experience with Agile Project Management Tools - JIRA, ADO, etc.
- Previous experience navigating a matrix organization.
- Relevant Certifications (e.g., CSM, PSM, CSP, SPC, PMP, SAFe, etc.)
Education and/or Experience Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in business or computer related field or equivalent experience.
- 6 or more years’ experience in project management OR 5 years of CDW Services experience.
- Must have experience supporting IAM projects. CDW builds and supports IAM solutions that are highly integrated with the customer's environment.
- Three or more years of experience in leading medium and large-scale projects in a professional services organization.
- Ability to work weekends and/or off hours as necessary to meet clients' needs.
Required Qualifications
- Project management or agile consulting experience as it pertains to advising clients of delivery best practices across multiple technology stacks (e.g., Cloud, Security, Infrastructure)
- Ability to support presales activities and look for new sales opportunities to help the client achieve organizational goals while growing CDW’s portfolio of work.
- Participate productively in virtual teams in order to improve Project Management processes.
- Experience project managing projects with several technologies.
- Demonstrated ability to take accountability for projects and their results, be fiscally responsible and lead teams to meet project success factors.
- Working knowledge of one or more formal project management methodologies. Proficiency with tools such as Microsoft Project/Office.
- Excellent written, presentation, and verbal communication skills, including demonstrated experience presenting technology recommendations from a business perspective. Credibly communicates complex topics to stakeholders. Anticipates client or project needs and communicate potential solutions.
- Applies discretion when dealing with sensitive/confidential information.
- This position may require the ability to travel an average of 25%.
- Ability to understand, remember, and apply oral and/or written instructions or other information. Ability to organize thoughts and ideas into understandable terminology. Ability to multi-task, organize and prioritize. Ability to apply common sense in performing job. Ability to understand and follow basic instructions and guidelines.
Preferred Qualifications
- PMP and/or Agile certification(s)
- Understands ITIL Framework
