Freelance Technical Project Manager Jobs in California

Technical Project Manager

Project Portfolio: Digital Signage and Advancement Platforms

Location: Los Angeles, California – Hybrid

Employment: Three-year temporary/limited-term position with benefits

Work Arrangement

This is a hybrid position, not a permanent remote assignment. The successful candidate must:

• Be a California resident when employment begins.
• Reside within a commutable distance of Los Angeles.
• Work onsite at least one day per week on campus.

Job Summary

Our client is a cultural and philanthropic organization reimagining how data, software, and systems can provide visitors with a seamless and welcoming experience.

The Technical Project Manager will lead large and complex technical projects from initial concept through final implementation. The initial portfolio will include the organization’s Digital Signage Initiative and its Advancement platform.

The Digital Signage Initiative is intended to centralize and streamline the hardware and software infrastructure—including a content management system—that supports digital signage for campus visitors. The Advancement platform supports donor, fundraising, giving, and related advancement activities. Experience with CRM platforms is helpful for this portion of the portfolio.

The successful candidate must be able to manage technical teams and vendors while communicating effectively with executive leadership and other senior stakeholders. The organization’s project management environment is continuing to mature, requiring a flexible and diplomatic Project Manager who can introduce appropriate structure without relying on rigid or unnecessarily heavy processes.

Major Job Responsibilities

• Perform the full range of project management duties, including initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling, and closing projects.
• Lead projects associated with the Digital Signage Initiative.
• Manage work involving digital signage hardware, software infrastructure, and the supporting content management system.
• Lead technical projects associated with the Advancement platform supporting donors, fundraising, and giving.
• Direct highly integrated projects involving multiple technical and business disciplines with little to no supervision.
• Collaborate with software engineers, system administrators, subject-matter experts, vendors, business stakeholders, and executive leadership.
• Manage multiple simultaneous projects with complex interdependencies.
• Track, coordinate, plan, and report on technical work across multiple teams and organizations.
• Collaborate with project managers within and outside the organization.
• Facilitate discussions and negotiations to build consensus and drive recommendations.
• Develop and implement project management and communication plans and processes.
• Communicate with partners and team members throughout all phases of project delivery.
• Maintain project documentation, schedules, budget estimates, and status reports.
• Monitor project expenses and ensure adherence to approved budgets.
• Address cost overruns and other budgetary issues promptly.
• Develop and implement change-management and communication strategies to support project success.
• Identify potential project risks and develop appropriate mitigation strategies.
• Address unexpected issues through effective problem-solving and escalation procedures.
• Manage contracts and vendor relationships.
• Prepare post-project reports, including lessons learned and recommendations for future projects.
• Regularly prepare presentations and present project information to internal and external audiences.
• Engage effectively with executive-level stakeholders across multiple organizational units.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• Minimum of five years of progressive software analysis, development, and implementation experience.
• Minimum of five years of experience managing complex technical projects within the cultural heritage domain.
• Experience managing complex technical projects involving multiple teams, organizations, and stakeholder groups.
• Demonstrated experience managing contracts and vendor relationships.
• Ability to work onsite in Los Angeles at least one day per week.
• Must be a California resident when employment begins and live within a commutable distance of Los Angeles.

Relevant Portfolio Experience

The following experience is preferred:

• Digital signage technology
• Content management systems
• Projects involving both hardware and software infrastructure
• Enterprise platforms supporting donor, fundraising, giving, or advancement activities
• CRM platforms
• Complex technical implementations involving external vendors and multiple stakeholder groups

Preferred Certification

Project Management Professional certification, certified completion of a project management program, or certification currently in process is strongly preferred. PMP certification is not required.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Polished written and verbal communication skills appropriate for a wide variety of audiences.
• Ability to engage, influence, and manage cross-functional teams.
• Demonstrated knowledge of project integration, scope, schedule, cost, quality, resource, communication, risk, and procurement management.
• Ability to operate effectively in a maturing project management environment.
• Ability to translate project management concepts for different audiences without imposing rigid or unnecessarily heavy processes.
• Diplomacy, political awareness, resilience, influence, and strong relationship-building skills.
• Ability to read the room and adjust communication and project-management approaches appropriately.
• Technical knowledge sufficient to effectively lead the assigned projects.
• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple concurrent projects.
• Strong deadline management and organizational skills.
• Strong presentation skills, including communication with executive leadership, external partners, and senior management.
• Proficiency with project management tools such as Workfront and Jira.
• Strong attention to detail and problem-solving ability.
• Benefits and Perks