CompuNet is seeking a Project Manager to join our Enterprise Networking Practice, an experienced team of Architects and Engineers who require project management support in their delivery of professional services to CompuNet clients. As a specialized Project Manager, you will be responsible for the successful management of networking projects that meet client-defined objectives, deliver business outcomes, and support the long-term growth of CompuNet's Enterprise Networking services business.
Using principles of matrix management, this role will handle planning and logistics for the Enterprise Networking Practice's active projects, from set-up to closeout, and work with varying subgroups of Architects and Engineers within the team to lead work sessions, develop deliverables, complete technical configurations, and deliver strategic outcomes for CompuNet clients. Successful candidates will be flexible and adaptable in their approach to project management, initiating activities and tasks that scale and enable CompuNet's Architects and Engineers.
In large accounts, the Project Manager may also be asked to collaborate with the Account Executive and Client Program Manager who helped sponsor and/or scope a series of projects. In these cases, the Project Manager will need to communicate regularly with the Account Executive and Client Program Manager, involving them as part of the project team.
Essential Duties & Responsibilities
The Project Manager, Enterprise Networking, will report to the Senior Manager of Project Management and work closely with members of Engineering, Sales, and Service Portfolio to ensure the successful delivery of client projects. As demand for this role and the complexity of projects increases, opportunities for growth may include promotion to Senior Project Manager or another role within CompuNet's Project Management Office (PMO).
A successful Project Manager will be able to:
- Demonstrate strong organizational skills by effectively planning, coordinating, and managing multiple technical projects across multiple client environments, while working within potential resource constraints and addressing competing priorities.
- Complete recurring project management activities, including the ability to:
- Schedule, prepare for, and lead project meetings, including kickoff and cadenced status calls that ensure stakeholder alignment and produce documented outcomes.
- Collaborate with project team members to schedule client-facing meetings, using agreed-upon communication methods to ensure availability, alignment, and adequate preparation.
- Track project scope, use of budget, forecasted and confirmed schedules, and the status of deliverables against a Statement or Work (SOW) or project charter.
- Maintain steady communication flows with clients, internal teams, and subcontractors to ensure alignment and project progress.
- Proactively engage with clients to ensure they fulfill their responsibilities as outlined in the SOW and/or project plan, diplomatically holding stakeholders accountable to maintain momentum and achieve shared goals.
- Ensure project roles, responsibilities, and levels of decision-making are clearly defined and understood.
- Identify, monitor, and work to mitigate project risks and issues. Form a communication path for the escalation of risks as they are identified.
- Define project success criteria, ensuring alignment between CompuNet and the client on what deliverables and outcomes are meant to be produced from the efforts of the project team.
- Create and maintain project plans, understanding the purpose, scope, and sequence of the project, converting understanding into a consolidated timeline highlighting major milestones, deliverables, and associated dates for project activities.
- Identify and communicate inter- and intra- project dependencies and impacts.
- Conduct status meetings with project teams to document recent accomplishments and upcoming activities, track actual performance against project plans and budgets, analyze variances, and identify potential risks, issues, and resource conflicts.
- Develop status reports and participate in status meetings, proactively communicating project progress, planned activities, risks, and issues on an ongoing basis, ensuring transparency, and alignment to client expectations.
- Mitigate 'scope creep' by enforcing project boundaries agreed upon in the SOW and, when necessary, facilitate the development and approval of project change requests or amendments to the project charter.
- Conduct post-project reviews and after-action sessions to document lessons learned, refine processes, and improve future project delivery approaches.
- Ensure predictable, consistent, and high-quality project delivery across all active projects, while adhering to client specifications and industry best practice.
- Proactively engage with Architects and Engineers (on a project team) to:
- Serve as the 'point person' for all project activities, helping to manage team access needs, aligning stakeholders, and maintaining project organization to keep the schedule of work on pace.
- Assist in the creation and refinement of Statements of Work (SOWs), translating the phases, activities, and technical requirements from the SOWs into actionable project plans. Continue refining SOW and plan templates for clarity and use in future projects.
- Oversee documentation efforts by proofing, formatting, and customizing deliverables to ensure clarity, consistency, and alignment with client expectations.
- Streamline or assume responsibility for operational tasks (associated with a project), managing and/or completing these activities wherever possible.
- Cultivate a foundational understanding of enterprise networking products, terminology, and project components; aim to effectively capture and communicate technical concepts, enhancing team efficiency and credibility with clients.
- Proactively engage with Service Delivery Managers to:
- Ensure the correct setup of project tickets and hours budgets in ConnectWise.
- Report project progress at the phase level, validating kickoff and end date(s), percent complete and project health on a biweekly basis.
- Efficiently manage project budgets, expenses, and resources to meet financial targets.
- Close out project phases and initiate client invoice delivery.
- When applicable, proactively engage with Client Program Managers to:
- Complete client onboarding activities - including project and task alignment, access to client's internal systems and applications, introductions to project team members, etc.
- Request assistance in preparing for or leading project meetings.
- Contribute content used for portfolio-level reporting and executive summaries.
- Receive training and guidance on how to navigate the account.
- Resolve problems with impacts that extend beyond the immediate scope of a project.
- Develop trusted working relationships and promote team building, ultimately leading to clear expectations and a balanced workload between members of the project team.
- Demonstrate attention to detail in the customization of deliverable templates and creation of project support materials, developed in CompuNet's branding or in a client-specific brand.
- Show the value of effective project management through action; encourage consistent and meaningful utilization of project management in the delivery of client projects.
- Quickly adapt to varying project management methodologies, processes, and deliverables used within client environments.
- Work with minimal supervision - management will be provided by the Senior Manager of Project Management with support and direction from the Managing Director of Service Portfolio.
Travel Expectations
- Able to travel up to 25%.
Education & Experience
Minimum Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in a business-related field or 4+ years of work experience.
- Minimum 3 years of proven experience as a Project Manager or in a similar consulting role focused on project delivery and customer success.
- Experienced practitioner of project management methodologies, including Waterfall, Agile, Kanban, etc.
Preferred Experience
- Project Management Professional (PMP) certification or equivalent project management credentials.
- Agile project management methodology certification or training (such as CSM, PMI-ACP, AgilePM, etc.).
- Experience driving projects with a duration of 3 to 12 months, involving many stakeholders, participants, and a high degree of complexity.
- Experience working in a matrix-management model with multiple leaders, cross-functional teams, and dynamic roles.
- Familiar with ConnectWise Manage and PowerBI for project tracking and budget management.
- Career experience in a position with detailed time accounting and billable utilization requirements.
Desired Skills & Abilities
- Time Management - able to handle multiple projects simultaneously, set priorities, and meet deadlines.
- Self-Directed - able to take tasks from inception to completion with a high level of accountability.
- Critical Thinking - proactive and solution-driven, able to bring order to unstructured problems.
- Professional Communication - possesses strong verbal, written, visual (presentation), and interpersonal communication skills.
- Detail Oriented - passionate about completing tasks accurately and mitigating risk.
- Team Player - collaborates, builds trust, and develops innovative solutions within a team environment. Seeks out and embraces opportunities that provide exposure to different situations, people, industries, technologies, and perspectives.
- Multi-Tasking Skills - able to prioritize competing requests in a fast-paced environment.
- Decisive Under Pressure - responds effectively and efficiently in stressful environments, occasionally created by IT downtimes and system outages.
- Microsoft Savvy - an intermediate to advanced user of Microsoft 365 business applications for the purpose of collaborating, creating and customizing project deliverables.
- Thinks Ahead - communicates ideas to improve processes and procedures with a positive and constructive attitude.
