Location: Chicago,IL, USA
Company Overview:
When it comes to IT solution providers, there are a lot of choices. But when it comes to providers with innovative and differentiating end-to-end service offerings, there's really only one: Zones - First Choice for IT.TM
Zones is a Global Solution Provider of end-to-end IT solutions with an unmatched supply chain. Positioned to be the IT partner you need, Zones, a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) in business for over 35 years, specializes in Digital Workplace, Cloud & Data Center, Networking, Security, and Managed/Professional/Staffing services. Operating in more than 120 countries, leveraging a robust portfolio, and utilizing the highest certification levels from key partners, including Microsoft, Apple, Cisco, Lenovo, Adobe, and more, Zones has mastered the science of building digital infrastructures that change the way business does business ensuring whatever they need, they can Consider IT Done. Follow Zones, LLC on Twitter @Zones, and LinkedIn and Facebook.
Position Overview:
The ideal candidate possesses intellectual curiosity, creativity, strong problem-solving skills, excellent communication skills, and an ability to influence business and technical leaders in a dynamic environment as well as a strong desire to contribute to Zones' continued success. This role is a management role and will oversee the daily activities of Program Managers, Project Managers, and Deployment Specialists.
This role will manage their teams to perform effectively in service of three key areas of project work for Zones's clients:
* Project Pre-sales: to ensure that offered services and project deliverables are both well-understood and feasible to execute, before SOWs are signed
* Project Onboarding: to ensure that agreed-upon services and project deliverables are set in motion appropriately, meet client objectives, and respect Zones equities
* Auditing and Analysis: to measure project outcomes, client satisfaction, team utilization, contract compliance, and all other aspects of their teams' work and iterate to improve organizational performance
This person will lead investigations into undefined areas and ambiguous requirements to define scope, requirements and measurable deliverables that can be executed on using PMO principles. They execute initiatives in partnership with senior stakeholders (Partner and Product Management, Supply Chain, Operations, IT, Finance, Sales, Client Success) to understand and prioritize initiatives that improve organization performance.
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
What you'll do as the PMO Manager:
The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Team Management:
* Oversees all aspects and delivery of multiple projects or a portfolio of projects and directly manages team of project managers
* Can lead all project activities, meetings, understand dependencies, and manage timelines
* PMO best practices
* Proactive identification, documentation and resolution management of project risks and issues
* How to make tough decisions and trade-offs between strategic and tactical issues
* Strategic analysis and evaluation of business domains, functions and business processes to recommend improvements
* Identifies strategic opportunities and defines plan and approach
* Can maintain objectivity (neutrality) in face of conflicting viewpoints and use data and evidence
* Achieve results with significant autonomy and through teamwork
* Organizes and communicates decisions, plans, goals, strategies and complex information clearly and simply to drive actions
Project Management:
* Lead and manages large or complex projects and guide additional project team members
* Directs project activities, schedules, risks and meetings, understands dependencies, and manages timelines
* Manage cohesive plans across multiple projects or work streams, ensuring coordinated approach when utilizing cross-functional resources for input, data gathering, analysis, etc.
* Coordinate engagement of partner resources and subject matter experts across multiple projects & organizational functions
* Proactive identification, documentation and resolution management of project risks and issues
* Ability to define, track and report on specific measurable outcomes for programs, projects or a portfolio of projects
* Makes tough decisions and trade-offs between strategic and tactical issues
* Drive all project requirements through demand planning tools (Kinaxis) including order processing and schedule management with Client and Internal changes.
* Accountable for project inventory and billing. Drive to manage projects by utilizing customer owned inventory model.
Diagnostics & Analytics:
* Ability to work independently with ambiguous direction, requirements or specifications and to create strategy, plans and direction from ambiguity
* Conducts root cause analysis, investigates hypothesis to determine causality or correlation and determines strategic approach to resolution
* Can create discrete measurable objectives and outcomes from limited input
* Identify workflows/procedures that require enhancement/streamlining and identify ways to make them more effective
* Build models to estimate project costs, assess resource needs, and forecast expenses over time
Communication:
* Formulate recommendations and summarize findings via well-organized presentations to senior management; effectively summarize key information (e.g. cost savings, efficiency improvements, accountability metrics, etc.)
* Can strategize with executive management on direction and approach to problem solving
Implementation:
* Manage issues and decisions to timely resolution. Communicate with senior management teams to escalate/resolve project conflicts & needs
* Formulate plans to communicate, train stakeholders, and implement approved changes for the best return on investment
* Responsible for PMO Team project turnover and start-up to project delivery stakeholders. Coordinate engagement of partner resources and subject matter experts across multiple projects & organizational functions
* Accountable for project deliverables according to project scope as documented in Statements of Work.
* Responsible for PMO Team project close out and reporting on project health and risks. Formulate and summarize findings ia well-organized presentations to senior management; effectively summarize key information (e.g. cost savings, risk, efficiency improvements, accountability metrics, etc.)
* Mentors and educates other PMO team members on best practices, methodology and project management techniques
Stakeholder Management
* Develop deep knowledge and understanding of customer and stakeholder business and needs
* Effectively identify, define, document and manage stakeholder expectations and communications to ensure customer measurable customer satisfaction
Project Management:
* Organize and conduct regular reviews to ensure sufficient progress vs. project objectives
* Set and drive agenda, roles and expectations per project to ensure all responsibilities are being met; escalate non-performance issues as appropriate
* Identify, define or refine new and existing project management processes and methodology
Diagnostics & Analytics:
* Map existing workflows and processes to highlight needed improvements
* Mine available data to quantify and illustrate impacts of current processes
* Create models to quantify expected benefits of process improvements
* Identifies broad strategic opportunities and defines plan and approach
Communication:
* Develop and distribute recurring updates indicating status vs. objectives for each project
* Where appropriate, partner to develop change management communications strategy to keep stakeholders informed of coming changes as well as performance expectations
Implementation:
* Partner with stakeholders to develop means for operationalizing change recommendations
* Install QA/QC metrics and checks to monitor success of changes vs. expectations
Key metrics that will measure and define success for this role.
* Formulate strategy, plans and measurable objectives for programs and projects
* Demonstrable improvement of Key Process Indicators (KPIs) vs. baseline measurements developed as part of each project effort
* Timely completion of project initiatives Identify and drive demonstrable improvement of Key Process Indicators (KPIs) vs. baseline measurements developed as part of each project effort
* Successful management of project scope, budget and scheduled to ensure timely completion of program and project initiatives
* Ensure that 100% of all tasks are resolved within appropriate time constraints through proper task management
* Service engagements
* Resource Utilization
* Project Status
* Risks
* Issue Mitigation
* Portfolio Status
* Timely completion of project initiatives
* Effective project communications with multiple stakeholders, teams and executive management
Management responsibilities:
* Train, lead and supervise project management staff. Carry out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization's policies and applicable laws. Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems.
What you will bring to the team:
EDUCATION/CERTIFICATION:
* Bachelor's degree required; MBA preferred
* PMP, ITIL or equivalent Certification require
REQUIRED EXPERIENCE:
* 10+ years of experience in program/ project management, process engineering or strategy within a technology or operations environment
* IT Solutions industry experience a plus
* Minimum of 3 years direct people management experience
* Leadership skills: must have experience leading a portfolio of programs, multiple projects and teams
* Ability to take ambiguous requirements, conduct investigation and develop strategy
* Problem solving skills: must be able to identify risks and develop actionable mitigation plans
* Analytical skills: must be highly analytical with experience in using objective data to drive strategic recommendations
* Communications skills: must be able to concisely explain complex issues, communicate well in writing and verbally, and be able to build strong working relationships across all levels of the organization, including remote areas
* Intellectual curiosity: must possess a desire to understand why/how things work vs. simply completing the task at hand
* Knowledge of and experience using Project Management Software
* Possesses strong Microsoft Office skills including Excel, Word, Outlook and PowerPoint
Qualified candidates can expect a salary range of $110,000 - $130,000 + Bonus.
Note: Compensation is benchmarked on local Washington area market rates. Qualified candidates in other locations can expect a salary package that may be adjusted based off applicable cost of wages in their respective location.
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Zones offers a comprehensive Benefits package
While we're committed to providing top-tier solutions, we're just as committed to supporting our own team. Our employees enjoy a variety of comprehensive benefits, including medical/dental/vision coverage, life insurance, a 401(k) plan with matching provision, paid time off, and much more. And as a Minority Business Enterprise, a Corporate Plus member of the Northwest Minority Supplier Development Council, and an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer, our community is just as diverse.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status or on the basis of disability.
At Zones, work is more than a job -with exciting careers with a global team who are client centric, have a passion for tech, who embrace change and lifelong learning in a collaborative culture. If you're interested in working on the cutting edge of IT innovation, sales, engineering, operations, administration, and more, Zones is the place for you!