Senior Project Manager - Managed Services

Job Summary

The 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.

What you will do:

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• Be a trusted consultant to your project team in all matters related to project delivery, CDW processes, and project management best practices and delivery, and work 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. Establishing and managing all communication documentation for projects and ensuring the quality and delivery of documentation to clients.

• 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.

• Ensuring the delivery of all items defined in the CDW Statement of Work and performing quality assurance throughout the project lifecycle.

• Identifying and mitigating project and political risks by collaborating with project stakeholders.

• Establishing and managing program communication plans, consolidating and executing project communication plans for all stakeholders and work streams, as well as managing procurement and delivery schedules for equipment, software, licensing, and outside services.

• Taking accountability for project results, holding all project team members accountable for their scope of work, and being fiscally responsible to the client, the project, and CDW. Documenting outcomes, lessons learned, and sharing them with colleagues to drive business process improvements within the CDW Services PMO.

• Ensures that time, expenses and invoices are accurately tracked and approved against the project in a timely manner.

• Building strong relationships with stakeholders to instill trust with our clients and using political savviness, business acumen, and relevant personnel to establish credibility.

• Demonstrating the ability to diffuse uncomfortable situations with the client and/or project team and leading teams to consistently meet project success factors and exceed client expectations.

• Inspecting delegated tasks for timely and accurate completion and coaching and mentoring Associate and Project Managers.

• Staying updated with industry best practices through research, conferences, training seminars, and participation in professional associations, and sharing this information across the Services PMO.

• Continually evaluating and refining CDW's engagement methodology, templates, tools, and supporting materials.

• Leading and facilitating both live and virtual meetings, keeping them on track, on topic, and summarizing, assigning, and publishing follow-up items in a timely manner.

• Adapting communication style and medium to the audience needs and effectively preparing and delivering difficult information. Anticipating client or project needs, communicating potential solutions, and conveying CDW experiences and positive outcomes to build client confidence and instill trust.

• Working with team members to gather information, determine possible/probable impacts to the project, document mitigation steps taken in troubleshooting, and communicate these to the team and client. Comfortably leading internal and external discussions to resolve issues, report risks, and effectively communicate with the highest levels of an organization.

• Coordinating business change management activities and demonstrating a functional acumen to support how solutions will address client goals while maintaining alignment with industry best practices.

• Mastering tools and methodologies for solution delivery excellence and mentoring Program and Project Managers on these tools, methodologies, and consultative skills to provide value to our customers.

• Possessing strong influencing skills, demonstrated experience with Agile Project Management Tools like JIRA, ADO, etc., previous experience navigating a matrix organization, and relevant certifications such as CSM, PSM, CSP, SPC, PMP, SAFe, etc.

• Bachelor's degree in business or computer related field, 5 years of CDW Services experience or 6 years' experience in project management, 3 years of experience in leading medium and large-scale projects in a professional services organization, OR

• 9 total years of Information Technology experience, to include 5 years of CDW Services experience or 6 years' experience in project management, 3 years of experience in leading medium and large-scale projects in a professional services organization.

• 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.

• PMP and/or Agile Certification(s), a plus.

• Experience using both Waterfall and Agile methods (Scrum, Kanban, etc.) to manage projects, a plus.

About us

We make technology work so people can do great things.

CDW is a leading multi-brand provider of information technology solutions to business, government, education and healthcare customers in the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada. A Fortune 500 company and member of the S&P 500 Index, CDW helps its customers to navigate an increasingly complex IT market and maximize return on their technology investments. Together, we unite. Together, we win. Together, we thrive.

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