Program Manager - Prairie Consulting Services

Program / Project Manager
Work Location: Chicago, IL
Work Model: Hybrid
Anchor Days: Tuesday – Thursday 
Hours: 8am – 5pm CST

Required Experience
• Undergraduate degree 
• Minimum of 3-5 years of experience in Program / Project Management.
• Understanding of Agile practices and managing in an agile environment is preferred.
• Experience with Agile Lifecycle Management tools (ADO is preferred).
• Candidate should be proficient in MS Office, MS Project and SharePoint.
• Experience with ADO, Confluence and Miro is a plus.

Responsibilities:
• Working with the Product and Technical Managers creates the quarterly and yearly roadmap and tracks the milestones.
• Develops project plans with milestones/deliverables.
• Collaborate with Infrastructure /Application Teams to determine best methods to meet project objectives.
• Complies with NT standards and procedures on project management processes.
• Responsible to follow NT Project Management standards, gating processes, reporting, etc.
• Reports changes in project timelines, resources, or budget.
• Report risks and issues during the life of projects and create mitigation plans to remove any obstacles.
• May take part in program/project audits.
• May provide coaching to Jr. Project or Project Coordinators.
• Strategic in developing, implementing and administering IT programs within functional areas.
• Manages quality assurance, resolution of issues, status reviews and reporting, development of standards, change control, customer support, and compliance with all policies and procedures.
• Responsible for project documentation, project schedule, meeting agendas, minutes, status reporting, etc.

Qualifications
• Strong analytical, communication and technical skills.
• Candidate must have strong project management skills, and should understand various project methodologies, processes and standards. Has expertise in managing all phases of technology infrastructure projects from concept through implementation and maintenance to closure.
• Responsible for structuring a project, performing the detailed planning, and managing project execution and completion of moderate to large projects using a prescribed methodology.
• Experience with Agile/SDLC and Waterfall/IPLC Methodology.
• Defines the phase deliverables, tracks milestones, evaluates risks and recommends contingency plans.
• Ability to manage, prioritize and deliver on changing stakeholder expectations.
• Ability to create release goals, and create and maintain release plans that meet stakeholder needs.
• Advanced interpersonal skills – able to establish strong working relationships and promote bi-directional communication within and across teams.
• Strong leadership and organizational skills with excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to apply advanced principles, theories and experiences, and contribute to the development of innovative ideas and practices.
• Ability to effectively facilitate discussions at various levels and suggest alternative approaches.
• Ability to effectively manage challenging situations through negotiation and conflict resolution.
• Ability to demonstrate and build transparency and provide visibility to stakeholders.
• Ability to develop and grow trust across the team and stakeholders.
• Understanding of all facets of the software development life cycle including planning, development, quality assurance, change management and release management.
• Candidate should be proficient in MS Office, MS Project and SharePoint.