Position Summary:The Project Manager leads the planning, coordination, and execution of cross-functional initiatives that improve business systems, processes, and communications. The role translates business priorities into practical project plans, aligns stakeholders, tracks progress and risks, and helps teams deliver sustainable results. Working across functions and levels of the organization, the Project Manager provides structure, communication, and follow-through from project initiation through implementation and handoff.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:- Lead assigned projects from initiation through implementation and closeout, using a consistent and practical project-management approach.
- Partner with stakeholders to define project objectives, scope, deliverables, workstreams, success measures, resources, owners, and target dates.
- Build and maintain integrated project plans that clearly identify milestones, dependencies, decisions, risks, issues, and next steps.
- Coordinate cross-functional teams and external partners to keep work aligned, remove barriers, and maintain accountability for commitments.
- Support the evaluation, selection, implementation, enhancement, and adoption of business systems and technology solutions.
- Facilitate discovery, requirements gathering, process mapping, and working sessions to identify needs and translate them into actionable solutions.
- Identify opportunities to simplify, standardize, document, and improve processes while considering the impact on employees, leaders, customers, and operations.
- Develop stakeholder communication and change-management plans in partnership with functional owners, including updates, training, launch materials, and feedback channels.
- Coordinate project readiness activities such as testing, data preparation, documentation, training, implementation support, and operational handoff.
- Monitor scope, timelines, resources, risks, and competing priorities; elevate significant issues with clear options and recommendations.
- Prepare concise dashboards, status updates, presentations, action logs, and decision records for project teams and leadership.
- Measure outcomes, gather feedback, document lessons learned, and support the transition of completed work to ongoing business owners.
Skills and Competencies:- Strong project-planning and execution skills, with the ability to turn broad goals into clear work plans and measurable outcomes.
- Ability to influence without direct authority and build alignment among leaders, technical teams, operational partners, and external vendors.
- Working knowledge of systems implementation, process improvement, change management, and stakeholder communications.
- Sound judgment in identifying risks, resolving barriers, and escalating issues with clear options and implications.
- Excellent written and verbal communication, executive reporting, meeting facilitation, and presentation skills.
- Strong cross-functional collaboration skills and the ability to build alignment among leaders, technical teams, operational partners, and external advisors.
- Strong organization, attention to detail, adaptability, and follow-through across multiple priorities.
- Discretion and sound judgment when handling confidential business and employee information.
Qualifications:- Bachelor's degree in business, project management, operations, technology, communications, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
- 5+ years of project or program management experience, including responsibility for complex, cross-functional initiatives.
- Demonstrated experience supporting system implementations, process-improvement initiatives, organizational change, and enterprise communications.
- Working knowledge of project planning, governance, risk and issue management, change control, testing, implementation, and project closeout practices.
- Proficiency with project-management, collaboration, presentation, and reporting tools.
- Experience in a multi-location, hospitality, service, or operationally complex organization is preferred.
- Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM), or another relevant professional credential is preferred.
Classification:This position is intended to support a current business project need and is expected to be temporary. The duration of the assignment may be shortened or extended based on project timing, available work, and business needs. If the current assignment concludes and an additional project or longer-term business need exists, the employee may be considered for continued employment or another opportunity. Continued employment, an extension of the assignment, or placement in another position is not guaranteed. Employment remains at will and may be ended by either the employee or KemperSports at any time, with or without cause or advance notice, subject to applicable law.
