Agile Project Manager
Chicago, IL

Job Description

Job Description

AGILE PROJECT MANAGER

WHO IS SPR?

SPR guides organizations through digital transformations and rejuvenations, solving real problems for real people. As a strategic digital consultancy, we focus on business outcomes for our clients, helping them make data driven decisions and increase engagement with their customers, partners and employees. We evolve existing platforms and develop new products and utilize technology to maintain operational effectiveness.

SPR offers a great environment for employees to learn, to build systems that make an impact, and to tackle exciting challenges. With our office's "Maker Space", you can explore your IoT side and develop fun projects with 3D printing and CNC machining. We operate in a fun, casual work environment and have great benefits including: competitive salary, bonuses, generous vacation time, big fitness incentives, and medical/dental/vision insurance.

By joining the SPR team, you'll be using your brain, working hard and making an impact through your projects - and you'll be rewarded for it.

POSITION DESCRIPTION

The Agile Project Manager is responsible for the day-to-day management and delivery of projects to SPR clients. They manage team resources, schedules, financials, issues, risks and project change requests to ensure successful and on-time project delivery. This role requires significant interactions with both team members and client stakeholders, as well as creating and maintaining documentation. The Agile Project Manager is also expected to contribute to process improvement initiatives as it relates to project delivery.

RESPONSIBILITIES

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

* Creates and executes project work plans
* Receives handoff of the initial project from Sales prior to kickoff
* Schedules, creates documentation and runs the internal team kickoff
* Effectively manages changing client needs and requirements throughout the engagement by creating and implementing a change management process with the client. The PM owns the creation and approval of resulting Change Orders.
* Identifies and plans resource needs throughout the project. This includes meeting with resource managers, creating and updating resource forecasts in Financial Force.
* Actively works with the team to manage work assignments and deliverables
* Reviews deliverables prepared by team before passing to client
* Works with the team to identify and communicate solutions to project issues or mitigate risks
* Monitors and communicates team velocity
* Tracks project decisions
* Watches for (and encourages team members to watch for) potential scope creep to protect the team, schedule and budget. Works with the client to come to a mutually beneficial agreement on any new requirements.
* Effectively applies methodology, coaches the team, reinforces project standards and team rules as the project requires
* Minimizes SPR's exposure and risk on project by actively maintaining a risk log and escalating as appropriate, internally at SPR and with the client
* Reviews major risks and escalates as appropriate to QRM
* Manages project re-plans or re-estimates when necessary
* Responsible for obtaining project and deliverable signoff from the client sponsor
* Ensures project closure activities are completed, including conducting a whole project lessons learned/retro session

PROJECT ACCOUNTING

* Tracks and reports team hours, expenses and project cost on a weekly basis. Shares this information with the client
* Manages project budget
* Approves team members' time and expense reports in a conscientious and timely manner

COMMUNICATION

* Facilitates team and client meetings throughout the project
* Works with the team and client to resolve and/or escalate issues/blockers in a timely fashion
* Leads regular status meetings with project team
* Effectively communicates relevant project information to PMO
* Understands how to communicate difficult/sensitive information tactfully

CLIENT MANAGEMENT

* Owns the external kickoff meeting and presentation
* Manages day-to-day client interaction
* Produces weekly status reports to show progress, impediments, decisions and budget updates
* Sets and manages client expectations
* Communicates and works with client on any variations in scope, cost and time
* Develops lasting relationships with client personnel that foster client loyalty
* Communicates effectively with clients to identify needs and evaluate alternative solutions
* Seeks opportunities to increase customer satisfaction and deepen relationships
* Builds a knowledge base of each client's business, organization and objectives

QUALIFICATIONS

* Bachelor's degree in a technical field or equivalent experience.
* 3+ years of project management experience in a technical development or consulting environment.
* Working knowledge of Agile (XP, Scrum, Lean, or Kanban) and traditional project management principles and practices with an ability to blend them together based on current project requirements.
* One or more related certifications such as Certified Scrum Master (CSM), Certified Scrum Practitioner (CSP), Professional Scrum Master (PSM), Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM), Project Management Professional (PMP), PMI-Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP).
* Demonstrable experience successfully leading varied, diverse, and possibly distributed teams.
* Ability to manage multiple projects at one time.
* Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
* Experience managing client projects in a consulting environment preferred.
* Willing to commute to client sites throughout the Chicago land area.

TECHNICAL QUALIFICATIONS

* Familiarity with software and/or hardware development lifecycles and environments is required.
* Must be able to pick up technical and business concepts quickly and understand technical issues at a sufficiently deep level to identify gaps.
* Familiarity with issue-tracking tools (i.e., Jira, ADO, Rally, Trello, etc.) is a plus.