Project Manager Operations Jobs in Laurel, MT (NOW HIRING)

Summary:
The Corporate Project Management Office (PMO) Director oversees KOA, Inc.’s centralized PMO and the Project Manager function, ensuring the company’s enterprise project portfolio directly supports strategic organizational priorities. This role optimizes and maintains the governance frameworks, methodologies, and tools that drive efficient project planning, prioritization, resource allocation, and executive reporting.

Providing both high-level strategic direction and daytoday leadership, this director keeps cross-functional teams aligned and moving toward shared business goals. This leader directly supports the execution of key corporate initiatives, champions continuous process improvement, resolves escalated portfolio risks, and fosters a culture of positivity and excellence across KOA, Inc.

This position reports to the Vice President of Enterprise Communications & Integration. It is located at the KOA corporate office in Billings, Montana. 

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Duties

20%

Portfolio Governance & PMO Leadership

• Optimize existing PMO operations to scale and enforce tight alignment between strategic corporate priorities and project execution.
• Audit and refine existing workflows to clearly define, document, and standardize Project Portfolio Management frameworks and delivery methodologies.
• Streamline enterprise prioritization and mature resource capacity planning to eliminate bottlenecks across cross-functional teams.
• Standardize governance practices, performance metrics, and executive reporting standards to drive clear organization-wide accountability.
• Advance project management maturity by systematically bridging process gaps through best-practice adoption and continuous improvement.
• Formalize and govern the use of project management tools, systems, and templates to ensure a unified approach to delivery.

35%

PMO Operations, Processes, & Continuous Improvement

• Oversee day-to-day project coordination, scheduling, documentation management, and resource allocation activities.
• Analyze project and portfolio data to identify risks, trends, and improvement opportunities with project owners, sponsors, and managers.
• Lead targeted initiatives for stakeholder satisfaction.
• Apply and adapt delivery methods across Waterfall, Agile, Kanban, and hybrid models to fit specific project needs.
• Support the professional development of the project management team.

• Strengthen crossfunctional relationships and streamline PMO communication channels across the organization.

35%

Project & Program Oversight

• Manage and oversee internal projects and programs to ensure timely delivery, scope adherence, and achievement of intended outcomes.
• Review project plans, schedules, budgets, risks, and resource allocations to support successful execution.
• Coordinate with vendors, consultants, and external partners to support project delivery.
• Impact and monitor project performance and portfolio health, identifying risks, issues, dependencies, and improvement opportunities.
• Resolve escalations and operational challenges while maintaining alignment with strategic objectives.
• Ensure consistent application of lifecycle management practices across initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, and closure.
• Support teams in meeting project goals.

10%

Stakeholder, Business, and Communication Leadership

• Build and maintain strong relationships with project sponsors, stakeholders, and crossfunctional teams.
• Present portfolio updates, performance metrics, and recommendations to leadership.
• Facilitate enterprise meetings and executive reporting to ensure cross-team alignment and collaboration with the PMO and impacted team members.
• Demonstrate strong business acumen and communication skills to support strategic planning and governance.
• Lead the definition and adoption of program, project, and governance structures that support corporate initiatives.
• Champion company values and foster continuous improvement that supports KOA’s mission and vision.

PMO Strategy & Operations:

• Support the development and adoption of PMO processes, standards, tools, and governance practices.
• Partner with sponsors, project owners, managers, and crossfunctional teams to align on PMO objectives and organizational priorities.
• Execute projects and programs using Waterfall, Agile, Kanban, or hybrid delivery models, adapting to business and departmental needs.
• Support project lifecycle management and delivery frameworks across crossfunctional and technology initiatives.
• Maintain a positive, adaptable approach in evolving delivery environments.
• Contribute to any creative and/or improvement of governance structures, templates, and reporting practices that promote transparency and value delivery from the PMO.
• Collaborate with leadership and business partners to advance PMO operations and continuous improvement aligned with KOA’s strategic goals.

Methodology Competency:

• Lead the definition and implementation of project and program management processes, tools, and standards to support consistent, successful delivery.
• Guide disciplined PMO practices, systems, and processes.
• Assist with annual planning and prioritization of projects to ensure organizational alignment.
• Direct endtoend PMO work efforts, applying best practices to track performance, risks, resources, budgets, and deliverables.
• Promote positive and effective collaboration across the organization.

Continuous Improvement:

• Regularly assess and enhance project management practices to strengthen project portfolio management maturity.
• Improve integration between business models and delivery practices to meet the changing needs of the business.

Supervision:

• Directly supervises at least one (1) FTE including coaching, task delegation, project processes, performance tracking, and professional development.  

Non-Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• This job description is not intended to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities. Other duties, responsibilities and activities may change or be assigned at any time with or without notice.

Required Education and Experience:

• 3+ years of experience with demonstrated success supporting business planning, PMO governance, executive-level communications, and coordination of multiple concurrent projects and initiatives.
• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, or related field with five or more years of experience supporting project delivery in Agile, Kanban, Waterfall, or hybrid environments; OR
• Equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• Proven ability to organize, facilitate, and support PMO meetings, governance forums, committee and/or project meetings, and project reviews, including agenda development, status reporting, meeting documentation, action item tracking, and stakeholder follow-up.
• Experience preparing and maintaining project, program, or portfolio reporting artifacts including dashboards, presentations, status reports, risk logs, and executive summaries with or in various platforms such as ClickUp.

Preferred Education and Experience:

• Master’s degree in computer science, information systems, business administration or related field with ten or more years’ experience preferred.
• Leadership experience in, and knowledge of enterprise systems, preferably in hospitality.
• Certifications such as: (are preferred)
  • Project Management Institute Certification (PMP, PgMP, PfMP, ACP, DAC, etc.)
  • Prince2 Certification (Prince2 Practitioner or Prince2 Agile)
  • Scrum Alliance (CAL, CSP, CSM, CSPO, or advanced certs)
  • Scaled Agile Framework Certification (SAFe – SA or SAFe – SPC)
  • Kanban (KCP, AKT, TKP, Kanban-EXP)
  • Other Certifications: LeSS, PSM, PSPO, PAL

Physical Demands and Working Conditions:

• Work is performed in an office environment and requires the ability to operate standard office equipment and keyboard, including lifting and carrying a laptop and other small items up to 20 pounds.
• Prolonged exposure to computer screens and artificial lighting.
• Use of repetitive motion, standing, bending, sitting, lifting, and walking short distances.
• May be expected to drive a vehicle to KOA locations, other locations as directed, and conferences which requires close and distance vision, sitting, seeing and reading signs, traffic signals, other vehicles, etc. Travel occurs in all weather conditions, including extreme heat and cold.
• Frequent in person interaction with KOA employees in various settings, where noise level is typically low to moderate, including office spaces.
• Will experience occasional interruptions and shifting priorities.