Spruce Infotech
Technical Project Manager
Spruce Infotech, Chicago, Illinois, United States, 60290
We are seeking a skilled and dynamic Technical Project Manager (TPM) to join our team on a contract basis, with a focus on overseeing the migration of on-premises applications to Microsoft Azure. The TPM will serve as the bridge between business stakeholders, the technical team, and Azure cloud architects to ensure a smooth, efficient, and timely migration. You will be responsible for working with the Product Owner and defining product vision and requirements, managing backlogs, and working closely with developers to drive the successful transition of an on-prem application to the cloud while ensuring that business objectives and timelines are met.
Key Responsibilities
• Lead Cloud Migration Efforts: Own the roadmap for the migration of on-premises applications to Azure, translating business goals into actionable technical requirements and deliverables.
• Backlog Management: Develop, prioritize, and manage the product backlog for the migration team, ensuring alignment with business priorities and Azure best practices.
• Stakeholder Communication: Act as the primary point of contact between business stakeholders, technical teams, and Azure architects. Clearly communicate technical requirements, migration plans, and timelines.
• Facilitate Agile Processes: Participate in Agile ceremonies (sprint planning, daily stand-ups, retrospectives) to track progress and help the team overcome any blockers.
• Requirements Gathering & Documentation: Gather detailed functional and non-functional requirements for each phase of the migration, document user stories, acceptance criteria, and detailed use cases.
• Risk Identification & Mitigation: Identify potential risks and blockers early, propose solutions, and work with teams to develop mitigation strategies to keep migration efforts on track.
• Testing & Quality Assurance Oversight: Ensure thorough testing and validation of all migrated applications to meet performance, security, and compliance standards.
• Drive Continuous Improvement: Work with the team to iterate on processes, tools, and workflows, ensuring efficiency and quality throughout the migration effort.
• Cost Management: Work closely with finance and cloud engineers to track, manage, and optimize cloud costs, ensuring adherence to budget while meeting performance requirements.
• End-to-End Product Lifecycle Management: Oversee the lifecycle of the migration effort, from planning and development to post-migration monitoring and optimization.
• Monitor KPIs and Success Metrics: Define and track key performance indicators (KPIs) and success metrics to ensure migration efforts meet business and technical requirements.
Qualifications & Experience
• Proven Experience: 5+ years of experience as a Product Owner, Technical Product Owner, Cloud Architect, or related role, preferably with experience in cloud migrations or cloud-native applications.
• Cloud Knowledge: Strong understanding of Microsoft Azure services and architecture, cloud migration strategies, and cloud-native solutions (e.g., PaaS, IaaS).
• Technical Acumen: Solid understanding of software development, system architecture, and application deployment. Familiarity with CI/CD, microservices, containerization (Docker, Kubernetes), and DevOps practices is a plus.
• Agile & Scrum Experience: Proven experience working in Agile teams. Certification as a Product Owner (e.g., CSPO, PSPO) is highly desirable.
• Strong Communication Skills: Ability to translate technical information to business stakeholders and vice versa. Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Problem-Solving & Analytical Skills: Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to analyze and synthesize complex requirements and challenges into actionable solutions.
• Stakeholder Management: Experience working with cross-functional teams, managing stakeholder expectations, and aligning diverse teams towards common goals.
• Cost Management & FinOps Awareness: Understanding of cloud cost management and optimization practices, ability to work closely with finance and engineering to ensure cost-effective migration.
• Tools & Technologies: Proficiency in Jira, Confluence, Azure DevOps, or similar tools for backlog management and project tracking. Familiarity with Azure migration tools and services (Azure Migrate, Azure Site Recovery) is a plus.
Preferred Qualifications
• Azure Certification: Azure certifications (e.g., Azure Fundamentals, Azure Solutions Architect Expert) are a strong plus.
• Experience with Large-Scale Migrations: Proven experience managing large-scale, complex cloud migrations, preferably from on-premises to Azure.
• Domain Knowledge: Experience in industries such as finance, retail, or healthcare, where security, compliance, and performance are critical.
Key Responsibilities
• Lead Cloud Migration Efforts: Own the roadmap for the migration of on-premises applications to Azure, translating business goals into actionable technical requirements and deliverables.
• Backlog Management: Develop, prioritize, and manage the product backlog for the migration team, ensuring alignment with business priorities and Azure best practices.
• Stakeholder Communication: Act as the primary point of contact between business stakeholders, technical teams, and Azure architects. Clearly communicate technical requirements, migration plans, and timelines.
• Facilitate Agile Processes: Participate in Agile ceremonies (sprint planning, daily stand-ups, retrospectives) to track progress and help the team overcome any blockers.
• Requirements Gathering & Documentation: Gather detailed functional and non-functional requirements for each phase of the migration, document user stories, acceptance criteria, and detailed use cases.
• Risk Identification & Mitigation: Identify potential risks and blockers early, propose solutions, and work with teams to develop mitigation strategies to keep migration efforts on track.
• Testing & Quality Assurance Oversight: Ensure thorough testing and validation of all migrated applications to meet performance, security, and compliance standards.
• Drive Continuous Improvement: Work with the team to iterate on processes, tools, and workflows, ensuring efficiency and quality throughout the migration effort.
• Cost Management: Work closely with finance and cloud engineers to track, manage, and optimize cloud costs, ensuring adherence to budget while meeting performance requirements.
• End-to-End Product Lifecycle Management: Oversee the lifecycle of the migration effort, from planning and development to post-migration monitoring and optimization.
• Monitor KPIs and Success Metrics: Define and track key performance indicators (KPIs) and success metrics to ensure migration efforts meet business and technical requirements.
Qualifications & Experience
• Proven Experience: 5+ years of experience as a Product Owner, Technical Product Owner, Cloud Architect, or related role, preferably with experience in cloud migrations or cloud-native applications.
• Cloud Knowledge: Strong understanding of Microsoft Azure services and architecture, cloud migration strategies, and cloud-native solutions (e.g., PaaS, IaaS).
• Technical Acumen: Solid understanding of software development, system architecture, and application deployment. Familiarity with CI/CD, microservices, containerization (Docker, Kubernetes), and DevOps practices is a plus.
• Agile & Scrum Experience: Proven experience working in Agile teams. Certification as a Product Owner (e.g., CSPO, PSPO) is highly desirable.
• Strong Communication Skills: Ability to translate technical information to business stakeholders and vice versa. Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Problem-Solving & Analytical Skills: Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to analyze and synthesize complex requirements and challenges into actionable solutions.
• Stakeholder Management: Experience working with cross-functional teams, managing stakeholder expectations, and aligning diverse teams towards common goals.
• Cost Management & FinOps Awareness: Understanding of cloud cost management and optimization practices, ability to work closely with finance and engineering to ensure cost-effective migration.
• Tools & Technologies: Proficiency in Jira, Confluence, Azure DevOps, or similar tools for backlog management and project tracking. Familiarity with Azure migration tools and services (Azure Migrate, Azure Site Recovery) is a plus.
Preferred Qualifications
• Azure Certification: Azure certifications (e.g., Azure Fundamentals, Azure Solutions Architect Expert) are a strong plus.
• Experience with Large-Scale Migrations: Proven experience managing large-scale, complex cloud migrations, preferably from on-premises to Azure.
• Domain Knowledge: Experience in industries such as finance, retail, or healthcare, where security, compliance, and performance are critical.