Senior Project Manager

Description This position is based at our Corporate Headquarters in Oak Ridge, TN. Job Summary: The Senior Project Manager is responsible for leading and directing projects from inception to execution and closure. The Senior Project Manager will collaborate and develop working relationships across the organization and is primarily responsible for managing and advancing technology focused projects and programs. Essential Functions and Responsibilities : Defines the scope of assigned corporate and IT projects in collaboration with stakeholders to determine the best business and technology investments for addressing organizational processes and concerns. Responsible for managing all software, certificates, and system upgrades and releases to ensure maximum operational performance of all credit union systems. Keeps the VP of Project Management informed of all project updates, scheduled changes, and potential impacts to ensure appropriate resource allocation. Partners with key stakeholders to identify impacts of releases/upgrades and coordinates testing and documentation ahead of scheduled changes. Works collaboratively with SVP/Chief Technology Officer and AVP Core Systems to document all versions and/or related release dates. Creates documentation to address business requirements based on the viewpoints of each department in the workplace. Translates business requirements into project scope; prepares project and technology plans; participates with budget discussions as needed; creates detailed work plans that identify and sequence all required for successful project completion. This includes identified risks to the project with mitigation steps, and establishing action plans in the event of project failure. Determines the resources required to complete the project; acts as business and IT liaison to assess stakeholder resource allocation and impact to service areas; collaborates with stakeholders to recruit, interview and select staff with the appropriate skills for the project activities; and ensures that all project team members receive an appropriate orientation to the project. This includes planning and managing the scope, schedule, costs, resources, quality, communications and risks of the project, including but not limited to a focus on information technology integration and alignment on CU projects. The Senior Project Manager leverages change‑management principles and practices to guide project outcomes and oversee upgrade schedules, ensuring teams remain informed, aligned, and operating at maximum effectiveness. Develops schedules for project completion that effectively allocates the resources to the activities; reviews the project schedule with necessary staff that will be affected by the project activities; directs project activities; revises the schedule as required; cooperates and collaborates with other employees in the spirit of teamwork. Determines the objectives and measures upon which the project will be evaluated at its completion; monitors the progress of the project and makes adjustments as necessary to ensure the successful completion of the project; reviews the quality of the work completed with the project team on a regular basis to ensure that it meets the project standards; evaluates the outcomes of the project as established during the planning phase and provide timely updates on projects to the VP Project Management and Executive Leadership. Maintains recurring meetings with the SVP/Chief Technology Officer to review the status of systems and software and ensure appropriate documentation and schedules are created to support this key function of the organization. Reviews the project schedule with necessary staff that will be affected by the project activities; revises the schedule as required; ensures the project deliverables are on time and at the required level of quality; executes the project according to the project plan; manages staff and tasks within project scope. Performs other job-related duties as assigned. Experience : Minimum 5 years of progressive project management experience, including leading complex, cross‑functional, or enterprise‑level initiatives is required. Experience working closely with executive leadership, technical teams, and business stakeholders to align project objectives and resolve issues is required. Experience preparing and delivering project updates, dashboards, and executive‑level presentations is required. Experience documenting business requirements and converting them into actionable project plans while ensuring cross‑departmental alignment is preferred. Demonstrated ability to evaluate vendor products, manage vendor relationships, and ensure successful integration of third‑party technologies is preferred. Education : Bachelors degree in Business Administration, Information Technology, or in a related field, OR an equivalent combination of education, relevant work experience, or military experience is required. PMP certification, or an equivalent, is required. Other skills required: Must have a track record of building strong, effective teams of people with complementary skills. Must possess strong collaborative problem solving skills and strong project management skills.   Must have high proficiency with Microsoft 365. Must have high proficiency with industry-standard project management software such as ClickUp, Smartsheet, Responsive, or equivalent. Excellent written and verbal communication skills required with the ability to effectively interact with all levels of the organization. Must possess strong data analysis skills. Must have ability to prioritize demands from multiple projects. Must have ability to conduct training, communicate at panel discussions, and make professional presentations, including but not limited to Board and C-Level presentations.