Senior IT Project Manager

Job Description Job Title: Senior IT Project Manager Job Type: Full-Time/Contract (6 Months) Location: Downtown Houston, 77002 Schedule: Mon-Fri (40-Hours/Week) May Have to Work Weekends. Pay: $60-$68/Hour Job Overview Smarter HR Solutions is currently seeking experienced and skilled individuals to fill a Senior IT Project Manager role for our IT client. The primary purpose of the Senior IT Project Manager role is to lead, oversee and ensure the successful delivery and management of single or multiple enterprise projects. The Senior IT Project Manager must do this within scope, to a certain quality, and within time and cost constraints. These factors may be clearly defined or may require dynamic change management to deliver business value. The Senior IT Project Manager will be responsible for the creation, organization, execution, and completion of specific projects. This includes managing relevant employees, setting deadlines, communicating with management about the state of the project, preparing reports for upper management regarding the status of the projects, ensuring projects stay on track and on budget, and adjusting if necessary to meet new requirements and scope changes. Primary Responsibilities Review project proposals or plans to determine a time frame, funding limitations, procedures for accomplishing projects, staffing requirements and the assignment of available departmental resources to various project phases. Identify and schedule project deliverables, milestones, and required activities and tasks. Provide leadership and motivation to project team members throughout the project life cycle and confer with project staff to outline a work plan. Act as a coach to junior project managers, executives and others who need assistance and advice regarding project management practices. Establish a work plan and staffing for project activities, iterations or phases, and arrange for recruitment or assignment of project personnel. Analyze project proposals to determine a time frame, funding limitations and appropriate processes for accomplishing projects. Review/approve the work plan of an external service provider or consultancy contracted to execute the project. Implement a project communication plan. Conduct risk assessment and mitigation. Monitor project activities, ensuring the currency, quality and integrity of information, while providing consistency in content and "look and feel" across the organization. Ensure that project goals are in line with business objectives. Ensure that project goals are achieved. Assign duties and responsibilities to project personnel and define the scope of their authority. Direct and coordinate the activities of project personnel to ensure projects progress on schedule and within budget. Review status reports prepared by project personnel and modify schedules or plans as required. Establish standards and procedures for project reporting and documentation. Benchmark project management performance continuously to identify the potential for improvements and increase capability in project and portfolio management. Manage the Relationship with the Client and all Stakeholders Analyze PMO policies regarding Customer Service and Efficiency recommending policy changes and process improvements as needed. Work onsite as needed. Requirements Education Bachelor's degree in business information systems (IS), computer science or a related field, or equivalent IT experience. Program manager training and certification desirable. Certifications PMP Certification from the Project Management Institute or equivalent certification is desirable Experience Seven or more years of progressively responsible IT experience, with sensitivity and commitment to business problem solving Five years of successfully managing complex and risky projects Five or more years of Business Unit or Business Unit-facing experience, with sensitivity and commitment to business problem solving Experience in leading diverse teams Experience and ability in using "soft skills" or "people skills" Knowledge and Skills Distinctive blend of business, IT, financial and communication skills. This blend is vital because this is a highly visible position with substantial impact. Ability to adapt to new circumstances in a changing business environment. Good understanding of current and emerging technologies, and of how other enterprises are using them to drive digital business. Knowledge of project management methodology and experience or familiarity with major, defined program management approaches (for example, that of the Project Management Institute or PRINCE2 and agile approaches). Significant knowledge of project planning/scheduling tools (for example, Microsoft Project and Open Workbench), with a solid track record of practical application. Exceptional verbal and written communication skills; expertise in setting and managing customer expectations. Effective influencing and negotiating skills in an environment in which this role may not directly control resources. Strong knowledge and understanding of business needs, with the ability to establish and maintain a high level of customer trust and confidence. Ability to support a tactical resource plan by mapping future demand to forecast project completions in the project portfolio. Additional Requirements Applicants for this position will be subject to a criminal background check that includes being fingerprinted. This applies to any position with network access to Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) or access to an area where CJIS is received, maintained, or stored either manually or electronically (i.e., custodian, maintenance). Automatic Disqualification: Convictions, probation, or deferred adjudication for any Felony, and any Class A Misdemeanor Convictions, probation, or deferred adjudication for a Class B Misdemeanor, if within the previous 10 years Open arrest for any criminal offense (Felony or Misdemeanor) Family Violence conviction Work Environment: The primary work area is a typical office environment with reasonable climate control. This job operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets and fax machines. Physical Demands: Light exertion- must be able to lift at least 20 lbs. and/or move boxes and equipment as needed. Subject to kneeling, crouching, handling, climbing, walking, sitting, twisting, and reaching are needed to perform the essential functions