Why LF Studios.
LF Studios is a leader in creating location-based experiences around the world. Each project is unique, bringing a new creative or technical challenge. One month, you might help bring a life-sized animatronic character to life. The next, you could help build an immersive museum exhibit or a themed attraction experienced by millions of guests. You’ll work alongside talented artists, engineers, sculptors, fabricators, programmers, designers, and storytellers, and collaborate with exceptional partners across the industry. You’ll learn from people who are excellent at what they do, bring your own expertise to the table, and see your work become something guests can experience firsthand.
Role summary:
The Senior Project Manager oversees the scope schedule and budget for some of LF's largest and most complex projects while working with leadership to set and maintain the standards for the PM team. Working with the handoff package prepared by the Project Strategy team at contract award, this role owns the integrated scope, budget, schedule, client communications, and change record for each project they manage. This role also works with departments throughout the company to keep design, production, finance, outside vendors and the client moving together in lockstep to assure a quality and timely delivery of the project. As the senior Project Manager, this role will coach the other PMs and Coordinators as well as help the Director of Project Delivery build consistent templates and standards for LF's project management team.
Responsibilities:
Project ownership:
- Own assigned projects from handoff and kickoff through closeout; confirm the handoff package gives clear scope, assumptions, milestones, and risks before work starts.
- Maintain the integrated plan (scope, budget, schedule, and change record), aligned to the master schedule and resource windows the Planner sets.
- Run kickoffs, weekly internal and client meetings, and closeouts; keep the project schedule current each week, send client progress reports, and capture lessons learned.
- Serve as the primary client contact: meetings, progress updates, submittals, and milestone reviews; manage requests for information, approval, and variance, and issue notices of delay.
Budget, Billing, and Change:
- Own project financial performance: budget, cost-to-complete, and gross margin, reviewed monthly with the Director.
- Issue project invoices on time, in line with contract terms and billing milestones, and give Finance timely billing information, approved changes, and project status for the monthly billing forecast.
- Write up and log change orders, coordinating quotes with design and production leads; after approval, update the budget and schedule.
Risk and recovery:
- Identify technical, financial, schedule, and operational risks early; escalate with options, a recommendation, an owner, and a date.
- Lead recovery plans when a project slips on schedule or cost, working with internal and external resources, and own the Open Items Tracker.
- Escalate decisions that affect project intent, contractual commitments, or company resources to the Director and VP.
Quality and delivery:
- Coordinate project reviews through fabrication and assembly, including intent reviews at mockup, sample, and finish milestones.
- Own purchasing and shipping dates against lead times; support Factory Acceptance Tests, client reviews, installation logistics, and project turnover, including final documentation.
Senior-level leadership:
- Coach and mentor Project Managers and Coordinators; review their plans, schedules, and client communications on request.
- Help the Director write and improve PM standards and templates: kickoff, schedule, budget, change order, risk log, and closeout.
- Lead the most complex or high-profile projects, partnering with the assigned Producer where one is added for complex oversight or R&D.
- The Senior PM owns the integrated project record and keeps each department's decisions in their own hands. Approval of material changes to strategy, staffing, spending, or contractual commitments rests with the authority LF has set, not with the Senior PM alone.
Qualifications:
Required:
- 7+ years of project management working with multidisciplinary custom fabrication projects. Experience with themed entertainment, museum exhibits, scenic fabrication, construction, or a comparable projectbased environment is preferred.
- Experience guiding or mentoring other project managers or coordinators.
- Strong command of budgets, cost-to-complete, change orders, billing milestones, and forecasting.
- Experience working with Microsoft Project or similar scheduling software.
- Comprehensive, current command of every assigned project: able to speak confidently and accurately to scope, budget, schedule, risks, and open items at any time, with clients and leadership alike.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office and project management software; able to travel occasionally for client meetings and installations.
Preferred:
- Experience with highly customized or engineered products and themed entertainment projects.
- Working knowledge of engineering drawings and production workflows.
- PMP certification or equivalent training. Success measures (first 12 months)
- Assigned projects deliver to approved scope, schedule, and budget, with exceptions and corrective plans raised early.
- Every project has a current plan, change record, risk log, and approval record that other PMs, Finance, and leadership can rely on.
- Invoices are accurate and on time, and billing is reviewed proactively with Finance.
- At least one slipping project is brought back on schedule or cost through a recovery plan.
- Other PMs and Coordinators improve through coaching, and the Senior PM contributes to the team's standards and templates.