Project Portfolio Manager Jobs in Waunakee, WI (NOW HIRING)

Title: Sr Strategic Project Manager

Location: Madison, WI or Cedar Rapids (Hybrid/Remote)

Duration: 08 Months

IDEAL CANDIDATE PROFILE

The ideal candidate is a seasoned Technology Project Manager whose strengths include business analysis, project initiation, planning, and mobilization. This individual is skilled at working through ambiguity, defining business needs, facilitating stakeholder alignment, developing business cases, assessing solution options, identifying resource requirements, and preparing initiatives for approval and delivery.

The candidate must also be a well-rounded project delivery leader with experience managing complex technology projects through execution, implementation, operational transition, and closeout. The individual should be comfortable moving between front-end analytical work and hands-on project delivery as program priorities evolve.

JOB SUMMARY

Responsible for the successful initiation, planning, development, administration, risk management, implementation, control, and closure of one or more large, complex technology projects across multiple business units through the Program and Project Management department.

This position will initially emphasize the front-end activities needed to translate business needs and strategic priorities into well-defined, executable projects. These activities may include business analysis, requirements discovery, business case development, solution evaluation, stakeholder alignment, governance preparation, resource planning, and project mobilization.

The successful candidate must also have demonstrated experience managing technology projects through execution, implementation, transition, and closeout. Based on program priorities and business needs, this individual may be assigned to lead approved projects through the full project lifecycle. The ideal candidate combines strong analytical and project startup capabilities with the project management experience necessary to successfully deliver complex business and technology solutions.

Project Execution and Delivery

• Understands and utilizes Alliant Energy project management methodologies and processes, based on Project Management Institute standards, to achieve scope, schedule, cost, quality, and business outcome objectives.

• May assume responsibility for managing approved projects from initiation through execution, monitoring and controlling, implementation, operational transition, and closeout.

• Leads cross-functional teams consisting of business, technology, project management, vendor, and other resources to deliver agreed-upon project outcomes.

• Establishes and manages project scope, costs, resources, performance measures, timelines, technical objectives, risks, issues, dependencies, and deliverables.

• Monitors project performance and takes appropriate action to address variances, barriers, resource constraints, delivery risks, or changes in business priorities.

• Facilitates timely project decisions and issue resolution. Escalates matters through the appropriate governance channels when decisions, risks, or issues cannot be resolved within the project team.

• Manages project dependencies and maintains awareness of the broader program and project portfolio to identify scheduling, resource, technology, and business impacts.

• Develops and executes communication and stakeholder management plans, including project status, risk, issue, financial, milestone, and progress reporting in the agreed-upon format, frequency, level of detail, and audience.

• Ensures project decisions, requirements, assumptions, risks, changes, and approvals are appropriately documented and traceable throughout the project lifecycle.

Financial, Vendor, and Contract Management

• Develops and manages project budgets, forecasts, financial performance, and cost estimates in accordance with applicable financial practices and controls.

• May perform cost-benefit and financial analyses to assess project feasibility and support investment decisions.

• Manages applicable project contracts in conjunction with sourcing personnel.

• Prepares or supports Requests for Proposals, evaluates vendor responses, participates in negotiations, interprets contract language, and manages vendor performance and project finances.

• Ensures vendor work is completed in accordance with contract requirements, project specifications, quality expectations, and approved schedules.

Change, Readiness, and Operational Transition

• Partners with business owners, operational teams, organizational change management resources, and technology teams to assess change impacts and implementation readiness.

• Ensures that communication, stakeholder engagement, training, adoption, and operational readiness needs are identified and incorporated into project plans.

• Ensures training needs are addressed for project team members, impacted stakeholders, and users of the implemented solution.

• Supports the development of transition plans that clearly define operational ownership, support responsibilities, process changes, documentation requirements, and post-implementation activities.

• Provides business consulting and organizational change management support within the context of program and project management to help achieve strategic objectives and expected business outcomes.

Project Closeout and Continuous Improvement

• Upon project completion, ensures operational teams are prepared to support the implemented solution and that an orderly transition of project deliverables occurs.

• Ensures project and financial activities are appropriately completed, including closing applicable work orders, addressing related financial charges, reassigning project resources, and organizing required documentation.

• Confirms that outstanding risks, issues, decisions, support needs, and follow-up activities have defined owners and appropriate transition plans.

• Facilitates project closeout, lessons learned, and post-implementation review activities.

• May provide support for the maintenance and continuous improvement of Program and Project Management department tools, templates, standards, methodologies, and processes.

• Provides guidance and mentoring to project team members and others in the effective use of project management, business analysis, organizational change management, and project mobilization practices.

SUPERVISION

Performs work under the direct supervision of a manager or director.

QUALIFICATIONS

The requirements listed below are representative of the experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform this position.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree preferred.

Certification

• Project Management Professional certification required.

Required Experience

• Five or more years of project management experience managing medium-to-large, complex projects.

• Demonstrated experience managing technology, software implementation, enterprise application, or technology-enabled business projects.

• Demonstrated experience leading projects through initiation, planning, execution, implementation, transition, and closeout.

• Experience working with cross-functional teams that include business, technology, project management, vendor, and operational stakeholders.

Preferred Experience

• Experience performing or leading business analysis, requirements discovery, business case development, feasibility assessment, solution evaluation, or project initiation activities.

• Experience establishing new projects through chartering, resource planning, governance preparation, scheduling, risk assessment, and mobilization.

• Experience developing executive-level recommendations, decision materials, project status reports, and presentations.

• Experience supporting enterprise work and asset management, utility operations, ERP, EAM, or other large-scale business and technology initiatives.

• Experience managing vendor-delivered solutions, contracts, Requests for Proposals, and third-party project resources.

• Experience working in a matrixed environment in which project resources report to multiple business or functional areas.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Strong business analysis skills, including the ability to identify business needs, facilitate requirements discussions, assess alternatives, and translate strategic objectives into executable initiatives.

• Strong project initiation, planning, and mobilization skills, with the ability to establish the foundation necessary for successful project delivery.

• Ability to transition effectively between strategic analysis, front-end project development, detailed planning, and hands-on project execution.

• Ability to analyze and solve moderately complex business, technology, resource, and project delivery problems and implement effective solutions.

• Ability to organize large and complex project plans and maintain complete, accurate, and effective project documentation.

• Demonstrated ability to plan and carry out responsibilities with a minimum of direction.

• Demonstrated leadership, facilitation, collaboration, negotiation, and team-building skills.

• Ability to establish and apply meaningful performance measures, success criteria, and project controls.

• Ability to manage competing priorities, ambiguity, dependencies, resource constraints, risks, and changing business needs.

• Demonstrated ability to communicate complex business and technology information clearly to project teams, business leaders, technology leaders, governance groups, and executive stakeholders.