Project Manager (Consultant)

We are seeking an experienced Project Management Tool Implementation Lead to oversee the selection, implementation, and adoption of an enterprise project and program management platform. This individual will work closely with cross-functional stakeholders to define requirements, evaluate vendors, develop governance frameworks, and drive organizational change management throughout the project lifecycle.

The ideal candidate has a proven track record leading enterprise-wide project management tool implementations within complex, highly regulated environments and possesses strong stakeholder management, process design, and project governance expertise.

Key Responsibilities

Project Planning & Tool Selection

• Partner with the Program Management Team to assess organizational needs and define future-state project management processes.
• Map project and program management workflows, including intake processes, approvals, governance checkpoints, and reporting requirements.
• Develop requirements and evaluation criteria for RFI/RFP processes.
• Evaluate project management solutions with consideration for Microsoft 365 integration, governance, auditability, resource management, reporting capabilities, and scalability.
• Coordinate vendor interactions, demonstrations, proposal reviews, evaluations, and contract discussions.
• Define implementation roadmaps, milestones, and adoption strategies.
• Establish governance models, roles, and responsibilities for project managers, sponsors, administrators, and decision-makers.

Project Execution & Governance

• Lead the implementation of the selected project management platform across the organization.
• Design and document project lifecycle standards, workflows, templates, and reporting frameworks.
• Monitor project timelines, budget, scope, and deliverables.
• Provide regular status reporting and executive-level updates.
• Facilitate stakeholder engagement and change management activities to support adoption.

Risk & Quality Management

• Maintain project risk and issue registers and proactively manage mitigation activities.
• Identify, assess, monitor, escalate, and report project risks throughout the implementation lifecycle.
• Track project KPIs, adoption metrics, success measures, and benefits realization.
• Develop standardized procedures and quality controls to ensure consistent tool usage and governance compliance.

Testing & Deployment

• Coordinate user acceptance testing (UAT), validation activities, and deployment planning.
• Ensure solution configuration aligns with organizational processes, controls, and reporting standards.
• Collaborate with vendors on go-live readiness, deployment checklists, and post-implementation support activities.

Required Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Project Management, Business Administration, Information Systems, or a related field.
• Advanced degree preferred.
• Equivalent experience may be considered in lieu of advanced education.

Experience

• Minimum 7 years of project management experience, including stakeholder engagement and cross-functional coordination.
• Experience working within highly regulated industries, financial institutions, or similar environments preferred.
• Proven success leading at least one to three enterprise-wide project management platform implementations.
• Experience evaluating and implementing tools such as:
  • ClickUp
  • ServiceNow Strategic Portfolio Management (SPM)
  • Microsoft Project
  • Similar enterprise project and portfolio management platforms

Required Skills

Technical & Functional Skills

• Strong knowledge of project management methodologies and governance frameworks.
• Experience designing workflows and mapping business processes.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, including:
  • Microsoft Word
  • Excel
  • PowerPoint
  • Microsoft Project
• Ability to establish KPIs, dashboards, reporting frameworks, and performance measurements.
• Experience with vendor management and procurement processes.

Preferred Certifications

• PMP (Project Management Professional)
• PRINCE2
• Agile Practitioner
• Certified Scrum Master (CSM)

Professional Competencies

• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Ability to translate business requirements into scalable operational processes.
• Demonstrated success leading projects from concept through implementation and operational transition.
• Strong planning, organizational, and time management skills.
• Comfortable managing multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Detail-oriented with a focus on quality, governance, and accuracy.
• Ability to build consensus across diverse teams and organizational levels.

Expected Deliverables

During the engagement, the Project Management Tool Implementation Lead will be responsible for delivering:

Process & Requirements Documentation

• Current-state and future-state workflow/process maps.
• Technical and business requirements documentation.

Vendor Selection Artifacts

• Request for Information (RFI) and Request for Proposal (RFP) documentation.
• Vendor evaluation framework.
• Vendor comparison matrix.
• Recommendation report with scoring methodology.
• Business case and cost-benefit analysis.
• Procurement evaluation report.

Project Governance & Reporting

• Executive status reports.
• Project Board presentations and meeting minutes.
• KPI and adoption dashboards.
• Benefits realization tracking reports.
• Risk and issue management reports.

Framework Development

• Comprehensive project and program management framework, including:
  • Governance structure
  • Project lifecycle methodology
  • Templates and standards
  • Workflows and approval processes
  • Reporting standards
  • Roles and responsibilities
  • Tool administration procedures

Implementation & Transition

• UAT strategy and test plans.
• Go-live and deployment plans.
• Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
• Knowledge transfer documentation.
• Operational support transition materials.
• Lessons learned report.
• Final project closure and acceptance documentation.

Core Values & Leadership Expectations

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

Professionalism

• Ability to manage complex projects involving multiple stakeholders, vendors, contracts, and competing priorities.
• Strong project governance, documentation, and delivery discipline.
• High-quality execution under tight deadlines while maintaining attention to detail.

Planning & Organizing

• Ability to create practical implementation plans and proactively address risks and constraints.
• Effective prioritization, resource allocation, and progress monitoring.

Accountability

• Ownership of project outcomes, timelines, and deliverables.
• Commitment to quality, governance standards, and transparent communication.
• Proactive problem-solving and continuous improvement mindset.

Ideal Candidate: An experienced Project Manager who has successfully led enterprise PMO or project management platform implementations, thrives in highly regulated environments, and can drive both technology adoption and organizational change.