Agile Project Manager / Delivery Lead, Data & Decision Intelligence

Job Description We are seeking an experienced Agile Project Manager / Delivery Lead with a strong background in leading agile delivery initiatives across multiple teams and clients, with particular emphasis on Sparkflow™, Liventus's proprietary analytics, data engineering, and AI platform — including semantic data modeling, data engineering pipelines, and AI-assisted analysis and reporting. This role is ideal for someone who blends agile delivery leadership, product thinking, and client consulting to drive successful outcomes in complex, data-driven environments. The ideal candidate is highly organized, adaptable, and an excellent communicator, with a solid understanding of modern software development practices and the unique coordination challenges of data platform delivery — where data, engineering, and business stakeholders must stay tightly aligned throughout delivery. This includes coordinating client-hosted environment access and data source availability and driving validation of business logic and metric definitions with client stakeholders before they ship into reporting. You will play a key role in evolving, coaching, and scaling agile ways of working, while remaining flexible enough to support hybrid or traditional (waterfall) delivery models when required. This role requires hands-on experience with agile planning and tracking tools such as Azure DevOps Boards or Jira, as well as the ability to identify, communicate, and help remove technical and delivery impediments, including client environment access, data source availability, and infrastructure dependencies inherent to a client-hosted platform. Experience leveraging AI-powered productivity and collaboration tools (e.g., Claude, GitHub Copilot, ChatGPT, Gamma, Fireflies, or similar) to improve team efficiency and communication is highly desirable. Key Responsibilities Partner with clients and internal teams to analyze, define, and refine business and product requirements. Lead and manage agile delivery efforts across multiple projects and stakeholders, including Sparkflow data engineering and other analytics engagements. Configure, maintain, and optimize Azure DevOps Boards (or similar agile tooling) to support backlog management, planning, and reporting. Guide teams in applying agile principles and practices (Scrum, Kanban, or hybrid approaches), focusing on continuous improvement and value delivery rather than rigid process adherence. Facilitate agile ceremonies as appropriate (e.g., planning, stand-ups, reviews, retrospectives), tailoring approaches to team and client needs. Provide delivery leadership and coaching to help teams adopt and mature agile ways of working. Partner with clients on reporting and analytics roadmap prioritization, balancing near-term delivery with longer-term platform value. Serve as a trusted client-facing partner, communicating progress, risks, dependencies, and expectations clearly and proactively. Prepare and deliver regular status updates and metrics for clients and internal stakeholders, including data quality and completeness, semantic model coverage, and report adoption, in addition to standard delivery metrics such as velocity and burndown. Identify delivery risks and roadblocks early, with particular attention to data quality, source system availability, and client environment dependencies, working collaboratively to resolve them. Educate and support clients on agile delivery concepts, tools, and best practices. Own and manage delivery scope against signed statements of work (SOWs), including identifying and escalating scope changes and supporting change order documentation. Coordinate delivery across blended onshore/offshore team members, ensuring effective handoffs, communication, and ceremony cadence across time zones. Qualifications & Experience Required: Demonstrated experience managing data analytics and data engineering projects — e.g., BI/reporting platforms, semantic or dimensional data modeling, data engineering pipelines — including coordinating data, engineering, and business stakeholders through delivery. Bachelor's degree or higher in a related field. 3-5 years’ of experience leading agile software development projects. Experience in a client consulting or professional services environment is a plus. Demonstrated success applying agile delivery techniques across different team structures and project types. Strong understanding of software development lifecycles, terminology, and technical constraints, as well as data and BI delivery lifecycles. Hands-on experience with agile project management tools such as Azure DevOps Boards or Jira. Ability to lead, influence, and collaborate with cross-functional teams, including distributed onshore/offshore teams. Experience working in hybrid or traditional project delivery environments is a plus. Familiarity with traditional project management tools (e.g., Microsoft Project) is a plus. Familiarity with modern BI/analytics platforms and semantic modeling concepts (e.g., Power BI, SQL Server/Azure SQL, Analysis Services) is a plus. Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Strong interpersonal, facilitation, and mentoring abilities. Proven ability to remain calm, analytical, and solution-focused when navigating conflict or ambiguity. Highly self-motivated, with the ability to prioritize and manage multiple initiatives simultaneously. Benefits Competitive base salary Additional compensation through flextime and bonus Business expense reimbursement 401K and Profit Sharing Medical, dental, and vision insurance Group life insurance Ongoing education Fitness program Emerging tech Northbrook office, West Loop office, or Work from home