Why Work at Bank First
At Bank First, we're not just a bank-we're a community. Consistently ranked among the top-performing banks in the U.S. and Wisconsin, and recognized by American Banker as one of the "Best Banks to Work For". We combine professional excellence with a culture that truly values people. When you join Bank First, you're joining a team that invests in your growth, supports your well-being, and celebrates your contributions.
Why You'll Love Working Here
Imagine a workplace where:
- Your career growth is supported through training, mentoring, and advancement opportunities
- Flexibility allows you to balance work and life without compromise
- Your contributions directly impact guests and communities you care about
- You're part of a culture built on respect, collaboration, and empowerment
At Bank First, you don't just fill a role-you make a difference. Every interaction matters, and every team member helps shape the experience our guests love.
About the Role: Project Manager
The Project Manager is responsible for planning, coordinating, and executing strategic projects across the organization. This role works closely with business units, operations, lenders, deposit teams, technology teams, vendors, and executive leadership to ensure projects are completed on time, within scope, and aligned with organizational objectives. The Project Manager serves as the primary point of coordination for system implementations, process improvements, regulatory initiatives, mergers and acquisitions, and technology enhancements.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead projects through the full project lifecycle, including planning, execution, testing, implementation, communication, and post-implementation support.
- Develop and maintain project plans, timelines, milestones, status reports, risk logs, and project documentation.
- Coordinate resources and activities across business units, operations, Information Technology, and third-party vendors to ensure project objectives are achieved.
- Serve as the primary point of coordination and communication between stakeholders, facilitating meetings, tracking action items, and providing project updates to leadership.
- Manage project scope, risks, dependencies, issues, and change requests while developing appropriate mitigation strategies.
- Coordinate system implementations, upgrades, integrations, conversions, process improvements, and strategic initiatives.
- Lead and coordinate testing efforts, including test planning, user acceptance testing (UAT), issue resolution, and implementation readiness activities.
- Support merger, acquisition, and conversion activities through planning, coordination, testing, communication, training, and execution.
- Collaborate with Risk Management, Compliance, Information Security, and business units to ensure regulatory, security, and operational requirements are met.
- Manage vendor relationships and implementation activities to ensure project deliverables, timelines, and expectations are achieved.
- Identify opportunities for process improvement and operational efficiencies that support organizational objectives and enhance the customer and employee experience.
What We're Looking For
- Two to Five or more years of project management experience, preferably within financial services or banking.
- Experience managing projects that involve multiple teams, departments, and outside vendors.
- Experience leading system implementations, process improvements, or other significant business initiatives.
- Understanding of project management principles, planning, tracking, and reporting.
- Ability to organize work, manage timelines, and keep projects moving forward.
- Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to work through challenges and find practical solutions.
- Ability to manage multiple projects and priorities at the same time.
- Strong verbal and written communication skills.
- Ability to build relationships and work effectively with employees, leadership, vendors, and business partners.
- Comfortable leading meetings, facilitating discussions, and obtaining decisions when needed.
- Experience with Microsoft Office Suite, Microsoft Teams, and project management software.
- Strong attention to detail and follow-through.
- Ability to adapt to changing priorities and business needs.
About Bank First
Headquartered in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, Bank First serves communities across Wisconsin and the Illinois Stateline region. Our growth is built on relationship-based banking-getting to know our guests personally and helping them create lasting value.
Our Culture & Vision
We foster curiosity, creativity, and responsiveness while embracing individual differences. Employees are empowered with tools to succeed and supported in their careers. Our vision is to remain the top-performing, independent provider of financial services, delivering personalized solutions and value to guests and communities alike.
Our Values
Relationship Based | Community Focused | Innovative Solutions | Value Driven
Join Bank First and build a career where your contributions matter, your growth is supported, and your work makes a difference every single day.