Technical Project Manager

Job Description: Wanted: A Tech-minded Ring-Leader Ready to Remediate!(also known as a Professional Services: Technical Project Manager) EMBARK ON YOUR JOURNEY We invite you to collaborate with Entara and further your professional journey with us as a member of our Professional Services (PS) department. As a top-tier provider of technical service delivery, Entara maintains partnerships that require our team to flex into immediate, high-priority security remediation projects. Project work ranges from remote delivery across varying time zones "dusk to dawn" to jumping on a plane, travelling the continental US to provide onsite support. These projects are essentially a rescue operation: taking environments in the aftermath of a security breach and restoring them to full operations. The incident response (IR) work we perform requires extreme care and precision to make sure that we truly cross every t and dot every i, resulting in our client's ability to get back to work. Engineers will be tasked with an outline of project deliverables, running through a checklist of requirements, and working collectively on issues that arise mid-completion. This could range from reimaging a server, to restoring backups, to rebuilding or redesigning a VMWare environment. This team accommodates for more variables than just "getting the lights on"—we also are tasked with improving an environment's resiliency to attacks and execute projects related to deploying leading security toolsets to our IR clients. We are a leading Guardicore partner and are actively increasing projects and partnerships to expand our reach. We are on the search for a technically seasoned project management professional who doesn't shy away from playing the role of an engineer turned project management lead whilst working with concurrent projects. Our ideal Technical Project Manager gets a thrill when approaching high-stake deadlines and boasts of a fanatic attachment to the details. In other words, we're looking for a commanding, creative Ring Leader --ready to coordinate team efforts to produce a crowd-pleasing spectacle full of technical feats! WHAT YOU'LL BE DOING (Otherwise known as the fine print, the list of job tasks and responsibilities.) Entara's Professional Services Technical Project Manager will be primarily dedicated to projects within our Incident Response team. Our Technical PM is the driving force behind successful, thorough, and robust project deliverables that result in progressive change and secure enhancements to our client's technical environments. Our Technical PM will be tasked with assisting Engineers in managing client expectations and timelines—acting as a liaison and lead to ensure every detail is communicated and understood by both parties. This individual will also consistently employ the ability to proactively identify roadblocks and outline a plan of action, ensuring client projects are delivered on-time, in-budget, and in excellent fashion. Our Technical Project Managers work as part of a dynamic, flexing team – ready to respond at a moment's notice and take part in a rotating, on-call rotation for Incident Response On-Call. This position will report directly to our Director of PMO and will be dedicated to external, client-facing projects. Project ManagementCoordinates multiple, external technical projects from inception to completion: Follows established Core Processes, Project Templates, and MethodologiesTakes a lead in Professional Services Stand-ups & MeetingsCollaborate on project planning, project design, preparation of deliverables, timelining, and contingency planning.Outlines goals, strategy, and execution with Entara EngineersDrive team's development of project proposals and scope documentationDevelops and sets deadlinesAssign and align necessary resources (perm or contracted) to project tasks, maximizing each engineer's unique skill setParticipate in incident response on-call rotation for incoming IR projects. Assist in the initial triage and establishment of access for project kick-off.Follows up with Engineers on a weekly, daily, or (when necessary) hourly basis to understand the progress of their assigned work and to identify potential roadblocksTracks and oversees T&M project scope and related time entries, confirming their validityMonitors and summarizes progress of project(s) to stakeholders: Entara LeadershipFinanceClient Contacts and IR PartnersSets and conducts status meetings with Client contacts, keeping them informed of progress and setting proper expectationsEmploys creative measures to keep project scope containedEnsures QA standards are being met before project deliveryConducts post-mortems to outline lessons learned and improve internal processesIdentifies and understands when it is necessary to escalate issues to higher level resourcesAddresses billing disputes, overruns, and customer services issues with meaningful resolutions, looping in additional Entara resources as necessary Problem Solving Becomes an active part of project teams, as required, to solve technical or business problems that are standing in the way of progress.Presses on to make sound judgement calls when lacking one or more desired resources or data pointsChallenges technical or business requirements to ensure that we are delivering the right solution at the right price at the right time.Leverage and employ an understanding of intermediate to advanced systems configuration, management, and maintenance in areas including the following (this is sample but not exhaustive listing of work areas and project tasks assigned to our IR focused engineers): Microsoft-related technologies: Windows Server, Exchange, SQL Server, SharePoint, Active Directory, GPO, LAPS, SCCM, MDT, etc.Virtualization technologies: VMware and Microsoft Hyper V Restore and reimage virtual servers from images and various backup solutionsRestore and rebuild ESX and Hyper-V hosts, domain controller, etc.Backup and disaster recovery solutions for both desktops and serversRemote access solutions: VPN, Remote Desktop, Citrix, etc.Diagnostic tools; review event logs, Syslogs, monitoring data, and memory dumps to troubleshoot issues.Security-enhancing solutions for systems and applications (including MFA and endpoint protection). Metrics Measuring Success Maintain billable utilization targetsMeets or exceeds deadlines for all assigned projectsKeeps projects profitable (preferably in-budget) while not skimping on qualityContribute to the team's attainment of high customer satisfaction scores on project deliveryRecord complete change details, time worked entries, and work notes in ServiceNow platform on a real-time basisIdentifies opportunities for process improvement Follow Process:Follow Entara's project process to execute project deliverables: configure, test, implement, refine, document, monitor, and transition to appropriate stakeholders.Follow Entara's Change Management Process to perform approved changes in client environmentsCommunicate internally and (as directed) externally to provide timely information regarding project status, promised follow-ups, and requested feedback on a detailed and professional basis. WHO YOU ARE: REQUIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCEYou're a knowledge seeker. Regardless of method, you have obtained and exposed yourself to knowledge centers that have qualified you to master technical project delivery and the system-engineering required to successfully recover, deploy, and enhance infrastructures. You ideally have a four-year degree in a relevant field and are working towards or have already obtained your PMP certification.You've managed projects as the assigned "PM" instead of just delivered them as an engineer. You enjoy the dynamic of wearing multiple hats and taking the lead on client-facing communication, expectations, and timelines.You've owned projects that were client-facing and have established a consultative rapport resulting in high client satisfaction levels upon project closure.You have at least 5 years of experience delivering IT projects or support working with systems and virtualization, ideally with exposure to enterprise infrastructures.You have displayed experience acting as the professional nudge. You have a tried-and-true organizational system to keep yourself (and others) on task while ensuring exceptional quality. You keep us true to our word.You wield general productivity tools such as Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Visio, and Excel to compose tasteful and informative documentation, outlines, and status reports for reference by interested parties.Ideally, you have mastered at least one tool in the PM arsenal (i.e. Microsoft Project, ServiceNow Project Portfolio) and you are familiar with popular methodologies (Agile, Waterfall, etc.). Your strength lies in picking up new tools and being able to learn on the fly—employing your past tool knowledge while addressing a new learning curve.You possess a winning combination of superb writing skills and highly-refined verbal communication skills. You can convey energy, confidence, and genuine interest over the phone just as easily as you convey competence, professionalism, and trustworthiness in person. You translate to a C-Suite audience as seamlessly as you "talk tech" with engineers. Your emails are professionally worded, pristine (grammatically speaking), and have just the right pinch of personality. In any medium, communicating clearly, effectively, and persuasively is a natural ability you are proud of.You have an approach to working hours that is more adaptable than the traditional "9-to-5". As this team responds to business critical remediation projects, we are looking for an individual who is career driven and doesn't shrink back when work requirements can regularly extend into evenings, weekends, and holidays. You are also open to getting on a plane when needed and being present at client sites when a project requires it. On the flip side, you are motivated to work hard because you are rewarded with a generous comp plan that grows with the efforts you contribute, a flexible PTO policy, and an equally inspiring team who climbs that mountain together.You are ready to be an effective remote worker and have a dedicated, private space for a home office with a private internet connection with at least 50MBPS bandwidth. Public WiFi and shared common spaces do not meet these standards. WHO YOU ARE: PERSONALITY-WISEA Mythical Character. You aren't alarmed when someone expects you to be a hero; in fact, you pride yourself on frequently delivering big just when all hope seemed lost. Your persistence is notable, and you are one of those determined souls who insists on turning "We can't" into "How can we?" If you meet a roadblock, you'll try to scale it, dodge it, or blast through it before ever admitting defeat.The Devil is in the Details. You have an angelic ability to sort through chaos and make order. Your eye and attention for details helps you uncover hidden gems, while your thorough documentation and status updates capture and convey every facet of each stone.Corporate Usain Bolt. You're capable of moving rapidly from task to task without getting rattled. Your desk is clear, your email inbox is empty, your kitchen counters aren't cluttered, and you never spend 15 minutes tearing around the house in a desperate hunt for your car keys or train pass. You are a lean, mean, well-oiled machine.A Combo Meal. Your style is winningly ambidextrous. While you are known to be a loyal teammate and never falter on your commitment to seeing others thrive, you are not a push-over. You will fight back and advocate for the best marriage of client desires and superb delivery-pushing us along the path towards perfection. If Samwise Gamgee and Monica Geller had a child, it would be you.Emotionally Mature. Through your years of experience, you've learned that occasional hiccups are inevitable and now know enough to just keep moving towards the end goal. You're calm under pressure, encourage respectful dialog, and understand that communication is the balm that can soothe the sting of conflict.WHO WE ARE Founded in 2001, Entara is an eXtended Service Provider (XSP) focused on providing cutting edge technology and cyber security solutions to companies in regulated industries. With our roots in providing service to the electronic trading market, we are known for growing with the pace of technological change and the developing security needs of our clients. We are redefining ourselves - and our industry - and creating a new class of service providers, XSPs, because we recognize that MSPs and MSSPs are no longer what our clients need. Downward pressure from both regulators and insurance providers convinced us that it was time to integrate our IT and cyber security offerings and deliver strategic, future facing solutions for our clients. In order to build, maintain, and optimize these types of solutions, we need high-performing, highly-collaborative teammates who are excited to join in this journey with us. There are several reasons why employees love being a part of the Entara team. We've been recognized as one of Chicago's Best and Brightest Companies to Work For since 2017. We are a remote-first workplace. We seek to build a team that's brought together by more than just skills, but who embrace a personal-alignment to the values that precede the work we deliver: Empathy, Excellence, Execution, and Evolution. If this sounds like you, let's connect and discover if we have the foundation to build something great together. WHAT YOU GET IN RETURN As an employee at Entara, you will have a direct impact on our operations, our clients, and your fellow EntaraCorps members. Because of that impact, you get our respect and gratitude for the role you play in making Entara the best it can be. We consider mentoring and participating in the continual learning of others to be absolutely essential for both you and your co-workers. To reflect our commitment to our employees, we offer unlimited PTO, remote-first work, 401k matching, paid parental leave, employee outings (virtual and in person), reimbursement for approved seminars, conferences, and certifications, and 100% employee premium coverage for medical, dental, life, and disability insurance….and that's just the tip of the iceberg.