Senior Project Manager, Professional Services

We are seeking an experienced and strategic Senior Project Manager to lead the planning, execution, and delivery of complex, high-impact IT initiatives across the organization. In this role, you will own end-to-end project delivery, drive cross-functional alignment, manage executive stakeholder relationships, and set the standard for project management excellence within the IT department. You will serve as a key contributor to the IT strategic roadmap while mentoring junior project managers and enforcing governance and best practices across the portfolio. Key Responsibilities Project Leadership and Delivery * Own and drive the full project lifecycle from initiation through closure, including scope definition, scheduling, resource planning, and risk management. * Lead delivery of multiple concurrent, high-complexity IT projects with a wide range of budgets. * Develop comprehensive project plans, milestones, and interdependency maps; proactively identify and resolve blockers before they impact delivery. * Serve as the final escalation point for project-level issues, driving resolution without escalating to leadership except in exceptional circumstances.   Executive Stakeholder Management * Build and maintain trusted relationships with C-suite executives, VP-level business owners, and IT leadership. * Lead executive steering committee meetings; prepare and present concise status reports, risk summaries, and decision documents for senior audiences. * Translate complex technical project details into clear business impact narratives for non-technical stakeholders.   Budget and Financial Oversight * Partner with Finance and Procurement to manage vendor contracts, statements of work, and purchase orders. * Identify and execute cost optimization opportunities without compromising project scope or quality.   Vendor and Third-Party Management * Lead RFP processes and vendor selection for project-related professional services and technology solutions. * Manage vendor performance against contractual deliverables and SLAs; escalate and resolve disputes as needed. * Negotiate contract modifications and scope changes in coordination with Procurement and Legal.   Portfolio and Program Management * Maintain a holistic view of the IT project portfolio; identify resource conflicts, schedule dependencies, and risk accumulation across projects. * Contribute to IT roadmap planning by providing delivery capacity estimates, risk assessments, and prioritization input to IT leadership. * Drive cross-project coordination to ensure alignment with organizational strategy and IT architecture standards.   Governance, Standards, and Continuous Improvement * Define, implement, and enforce project management governance standards, templates, and processes across the IT PMO. * Evaluate and evolve the organization's use of project management tooling, including Smartsheet, to maximize efficiency, automation, and reporting quality. * Champion and lead continuous improvement initiatives within IT; measurably reduce delivery risk and increase team throughput over time. * Own post-project reviews and ensure lessons learned are documented and operationalized.   Team Leadership and Mentoring * Mentor and coach junior project managers and project coordinators; provide regular feedback and support their professional development. * Model best-in-class project management behaviors and set the performance standard for the team. * Collaborate with IT leadership to evaluate team capacity and make recommendations on staffing and workload balancing.   Change Management * Develop and execute change management plans for projects with significant organizational impact, including communications, training, and adoption tracking. * Partner with HR and business unit leads to ensure smooth transitions for technology implementations affecting end users.   Required Qualifications * 7 to 10+ years of end-to-end project management experience, with at least 5 years in an IT environment. * Demonstrated track record of successfully delivering complex, large-scale IT projects on time and within budget. * Active PMP certification (Project Management Professional) or PRINCE2 Practitioner; equivalent certification considered with demonstrated experience. * Expert-level proficiency in project management tooling, including Smartsheet (project tracking, reporting, dashboards, and automation workflows). * Proven ability to manage project budgets of $500K or greater, including forecasting, variance analysis, and financial reporting. * Strong experience managing vendor relationships, contracts, and third-party deliverables. * Demonstrated experience presenting to and managing relationships with VP- and C-suite-level stakeholders. * Deep understanding of IT systems, infrastructure, and the software development lifecycle. * Mastery of project management methodologies including Agile, Waterfall, and hybrid frameworks; ability to select and apply the right approach based on project context. * Exceptional organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills with strong attention to detail. * Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to adapt messaging for technical and non-technical audiences.   Preferred Qualifications * Experience in IT service management frameworks, including ITIL; ITIL Foundation certification is a plus. * PMI-ACP, SAFe, or equivalent Agile certification. * Background in program or portfolio management with responsibility for managing multiple concurrent projects. * Experience leading change management for enterprise technology implementations. * Technical background in networking, cloud infrastructure, or enterprise software development. * Familiarity with Microsoft Project, Azure DevOps, Jira, or similar enterprise project and work management tools. * Experience working within a formal PMO structure or contributing to PMO maturity initiatives.   Core Competencies * Strategic Thinking: Connects project execution to broader organizational goals and anticipates downstream impact. * Leadership and Influence: Leads cross-functional teams and influences outcomes without direct authority. * Risk and Issue Management: Identifies, quantifies, and proactively mitigates risk at both the project and portfolio level. * Executive Communication: Communicates clearly and credibly at all levels of the organization. * Accountability: Takes ownership of outcomes and holds teams to commitments. * Adaptability: Thrives in fast-paced, ambiguous environments and adjusts approach as priorities evolve.

Why project44?   At project44, we believe in better.   We challenge the status quo because we know a better supply chain isn’t just possible—it’s essential. Better for our customers. Better for their business. Better for the world.   With our Decision Intelligence Platform, Movement, we’re redefining how global supply chains operate. By transforming fragmented logistics data into real-time, AI-powered insights, we empower companies to connect instantly, see clearly, act decisively, and automate intelligently. Our Supply Chain AI enhances visibility, drives smarter execution, and unlocks next-gen applications that keep businesses moving forward.   Headquartered in Chicago, IL with a 2nd HQ in Bengaluru, India we are powered by a diverse global team that is tackling the toughest logistics challenges with innovation, urgency, and purpose. AI at project44 We expect every project44 team member, regardless of role or function, to actively leverage AI in their day-to-day work. Whether you're building product, serving customers, managing people, or running operations, AI is a tool you're expected to use with intent, curiosity, and judgment. We don't expect everyone to be a data scientist. We do expect everyone to be an intelligent user of AI: able to identify where it adds value, direct it effectively, evaluate outputs critically, and govern it responsibly. We invest in our team's AI fluency because we believe it's a competitive advantage for every person at project44, not just our engineers. If you’re driven to solve meaningful problems, leverage AI to scale rapidly, drive impact daily, and be part of a high-performance team – we should talk.  What you’ll be working on:   * Manage several engagements concurrently, potentially between 10 – 15 clients depending on project size     * Deliver our software solutions in time and on budget, being on top of project status and always driving issue resolution forward     * Manage various multi-national projects simultaneously and engage cross-functionally with stakeholders such as product management, engineering or network resources to achieve your project missions     * Manage financial metrics and enable pre-sales activities to support account expansion plans     * Present solutions effectively to diverse stakeholder groups and to engage effectively with senior executives of large enterprises on both technical and business topics     * Adhere to project44’s company standards, guidelines, policies and procedures  .   Requirements & Skills:   * 5-8 years of experience in a customer facing role or at an enterprise SaaS company. * Experience in the field of freight forwarding and supply chain management strongly preferred     * Proven track record of working for internally operating clients with a cross-functional and geographically dispersed team     * Must have excellent English, proficiency in French, Spanish or German are nice to have.    * Strong communication and problem-solving skills, customer focus and results orientation     * In-depth knowledge and experience implementing Enterprise software applications such as ERP, CRM or SCM     * Monitoring projects progress and oversee project contributors, ensuring that scope, planning, milestones, budgets and overall goals are met     * Strong client service and/or management consulting experience     * Strong communication and problem-solving skills, customer focus, attention to detail and results orientation     * Willingness to work during customer’s operating hours outside of standard office hours.  In-office Commitment: This position requires a commitment to contribute to our collaborative culture by working in-office 5 days weekly.  Shift Time: 5:00 PM - 2:00 AM IST (with flexibility)  Diversity & Inclusion    At project44, we're designing the future of how the world moves and is connected through trade and global supply chains. As we work to deliver a truly world-class product and experience, we are also intentionally building teams that reflect the unique communities we serve. We’re focused on creating a company where all team members can bring their authentic selves to work every day.    We’re building a company that every one of us at project44 is proud to work for, and our journey of becoming a more diverse, equitable and inclusive organization, where all have a sense of belonging, is shaped through the actions of our leadership, global teams and individual team members. We are resolute in our belief that each team member has an equal responsibility to mold and uphold our culture.    project44 is an equal opportunity employer seeking to enrich our work environment by creating opportunities for individuals of all backgrounds and experiences to thrive. If you share our values and our passion for helping the way the world moves, we’d love to review your application!    For any needed accommodations during the hiring process, please email recruiting@project44.com [recruiting@project44.com]. Even if you don’t meet 100% of the above job description you should still seriously consider applying. Studies show that you can still be considered for a role if you meet just 50% of the role’s requirements.  About project44    Since 2014, project44 has been transforming the way one of the largest, most important global industries does business. As transportation and logistics continues to evolve and customer expectations around delivery become more demanding, industry technology must rise to the occasion. In just a few short years, we’ve created a digital infrastructure that eliminates the inefficiencies caused by dated technology and manual processes. Our Advanced Visibility Platform is used by the world’s leading brands to track shipments, collaborate with supply chain partners, drive operational efficiencies, and create outstanding customer experiences.