Software Project Manager Jobs in Pickering, ON (NOW HIRING)

Senior Technical Project Manager – Product / Application Delivery - Contract

Location: Toronto - Yonge Subway Line

Work Model: Onsite

Type: Contract

Start: Immediate

The Opportunity

We are seeking a highly experienced, delivery-focused Technical Project Manager to take a critical software platform initiative through its final stages and successfully across the finish line.

This is not a role for someone whose primary focus is status reporting and meeting facilitation. We need a PM who will own the plan, understand the critical path, uncover dependencies, challenge assumptions, drive accountability and relentlessly follow through on commitments.

The project has a defined delivery date, and maintaining momentum is critical.

While daily reviews are part of the environment, this is not a traditional Agile engagement. The successful candidate will be comfortable using the project management approach and tools necessary to manage toward a fixed delivery date.

What You'll Do

• Take ownership of the overall project plan and delivery execution for a major software platform implementation.
• Build and maintain a clear plan covering milestones, deliverables, dependencies, owners and deadlines.
• Establish and continuously manage the project's critical path.
• Run focused daily project reviews to identify progress, blockers, dependencies and required actions.
• Ask the questions necessary to uncover issues that may not yet be visible in project status reporting.
• Understand what is blocking what, who owns each dependency, what must happen next and what could jeopardize the launch date.
• Hold internal teams, vendors and stakeholders accountable for agreed deliverables and timelines.
• Proactively identify schedule risks and intervene before they become delivery problems.
• Coordinate activities across Development, QA, Product, business stakeholders, technology leadership and external software vendors.
• Manage interdependencies between application development, testing, business readiness and launch activities.
• Maintain detailed Gantt charts, milestones, dependencies and critical-path plans as appropriate.
• Ensure decisions, actions, risks and accountabilities are clearly documented and followed through.
• Escalate issues appropriately and provide leadership with clear options and implications when decisions are required.
• Use Jira and other appropriate project management tools to maintain visibility and accountability.
• Drive the project toward completion rather than simply reporting on its progress.

What We're Looking For

• Significant experience managing software, SaaS, digital product or application development projects.
• A track record of successfully taking complex technology projects through critical delivery and launch phases.
• Strong understanding of software development, QA/testing, product delivery and technology project dependencies.
• You don't need to be a developer, but you must be technically fluent enough to ask intelligent questions, understand the answers and recognize when something could affect delivery.
• Experience managing external software development partners/vendors alongside internal teams.
• Strong project planning skills, including critical-path analysis, dependency management, Gantt charts, risk management and delivery forecasting.
• Strong working knowledge of Jira.
• Experience operating against firm delivery dates.
• Comfortable working in an environment where a pragmatic combination of project management methodologies may be more appropriate than strictly following one framework.

The Person We're Looking For

Behaviour and execution style are extremely important for this assignment.

You are someone who:

• Is exceptionally organized and has a strong sense of urgency.
• Drives accountability without creating unnecessary bureaucracy.
• Is comfortable challenging assumptions and asking difficult questions.
• Doesn't accept vague answers when a deliverable or deadline is at risk.
• Follows through relentlessly on commitments and action items.
• Anticipates problems rather than waiting for them to appear in a status report.
• Can quickly distinguish between an inconvenience and something that threatens the critical path.
• Is comfortable working with executives, technical teams, QA, product teams and external vendors.
• Knows when to escalate and when to solve an issue directly with the team.
• Is focused on outcomes and completion, not project-management theatre.
• Brings energy and momentum to a team working toward an important launch.

Relevant Background

We are particularly interested in candidates who have worked in mid-sized, product-oriented or entrepreneurial organizations and have personally driven software initiatives through delivery. HOWEVER, strong expertise, in software project management and delivery is most important.

Technology / Project Environment

• SaaS / software application development
• External software development partner
• Product and QA teams
• Automated testing/test-case development
• Jira
• AI development/productivity tooling may be used where there is a sound business or technical justification

Rate:

Rate for Incorporated Contractor is $80-100/hour ideally depending on experience. A business case for a slightly higher rate can be presented.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is not used to screen, assess, or make hiring decisions for this role. All applications are reviewed and evaluated by our recruitment team.

This posting represents a current vacancy.

Compensation details, discussions and negotiation guidance will be provided during the hiring process as appropriate.

Connecting great people with great companies for great results. SearchLabs is a leading specialist recruitment firm established to meet the recruitment needs for Information Technology and Specialized Engineering. Established in 2010, we work with the leading companies within our disciplines across North America.

At SearchLabs, we make hiring and job hunting as easy and simple as possible so you can focus on what you do best. When you partner with us, your personal career goals and objectives are dealt with and represented by experienced consultants within your field of specialty. We then match you to the best opportunities that are aligned with your goals and aspirations to result in a positive and rewarding outcome.

We recognize the importance of ethics and are committed to confidentiality in every step of the process. Whether you are looking for a permanent or contractual arrangement, we appreciate the responsibility and opportunity to represent and inform you about the marketplace and the career opportunities within.

We thank all applicants for their kind interest, however only those with relevant experience will be contacted at this time. All resumes will be considered for all other current relevant roles as well as be kept on file for future consideration. #LI-JB1