Senior Project Manager #114

About the role

Core Mission

The ideal candidate is a proactive leader who acts as a blend of a technical project lead, a process architect, and an accountability manager. The core purpose is to establish and enforce a robust project management framework that ensures technical projects are delivered efficiently, on time, and within budget.

The mission is to design, implement, and lead the project management practice within the organization, focusing on technical project delivery, process optimization (especially time tracking and reporting), and resource accountability across concurrent engineering projects.

Key Responsibilities and Deliverables

Project Execution & Oversight

• Manage a concurrent portfolio of projects, typically 5-7 engagements in parallel, with a typical engagement size of 6-8 weeks.
• Oversee mid to large client deployments for Google Workspace, affiliated partner products, and assigned Google Cloud Platform (GCP) projects.
• Translate Statements of Work (SOW) into detailed project plans, defining tasks, setting dependencies, and presenting clear timelines to customers.
• Ensure projects are delivered within scope, budget, and schedule.
• Lead the baseline estimation effort and Estimated Time to Completion (ETCs) with Engineers and Change Managers based on the scoped work.
• Critically review engineer time estimates and technical decisions by comparing them against similar past projects to ensure efficiency.
• Utilize project management applications to build out project timelines, make assignments, track projects, and appropriately demonstrate project control with clients.

Process Architecture & JIRA Management

• Design, configure, and maintain the end-to-end project management workflow within JIRA (or equivalent tool) to serve all stakeholders (customers, sales, management, and Google).
• Implement and enforce a strict task management flow: Backlog, To Do (set estimate/effort), In Progress, To Review (validate time log against estimate), and Customer Approval.
• Build a Task Catalog of standard project tasks, defining estimated time and effort to standardize future project planning.
• Bring best practices methodologies to the PMO and help implement them.

Accountability & Time Tracking

• Lead and enforce the team’s time-logging discipline, specifically utilizing Tempo in JIRA and proprietary reporting tools.
• Hold engineers accountable for the quality of their work and for logging billable hours or internal development time.

Client and Internal Communication

• Serve as the primary project contact for customers in weekly or bi-weekly cadence meetings, providing regular progress reporting.
• Maintain and monitor the deployment critical path and communicate issues and risks impacting it internally and externally.
• Maintain the issues, risks, decisions, and change logs, and drive the resolution for all.
• Identify and escalate project red flags (e.g., scope drift, unresolved technical blockers, or accountability issues) to management and relevant technical experts.
• Develop and present project status and financial reporting to all client groups (external customers, Google, and internal management), and report to the PMO.
• Be an advisor to clients on best practices and managing continuous stakeholder relationships, especially as it relates to follow-on work (FOW).

What We’re Looking For

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field.
• 5+ years of industry experience managing IT deployment projects and managing Engineering teams.
• Previous experience working in a project management or project lead role within the professional services industry.
• Experience managing project activities/teams and application of structured implementation project methodologies and tools.
• Experience with cloud platforms such as GCP, Azure, or AWS.

Preferred Candidate Profile

• A candidate who has delivered Google projects before transitioning into a project management role, demonstrating a blend of practical delivery knowledge and managerial skill.
• Strong critical thinking, excellent communication, and an ability to navigate the intricacies of a technical team and external client expectations.
• Demonstrated hands-on experience and a strong record of achieving project goals are essential (PMP/Scrum certifications are not required).

Benefits

• Competitive Compensation: A package that reflects your experience and impact.
• Growth & Development: Ongoing training, certifications, and opportunities to work on cutting-edge Google Cloud projects.
• Collaboration with Google: Work directly with Google teams on strategic analytics initiatives.
• Comprehensive Benefits: Health coverage, paid time off, and relocation assistance (if applicable).
• Work Environment: Flexible remote work with premium equipment and a culture of trust and autonomy.