New York - Senior Global Project Manager

Winston & Strawn's Project Management Office (PMO) has a wide scope of responsibilities, including all initiatives across the firm's global departments and practices.

This senior role partners with both staff and attorney stakeholders to scope, plan, and manage high complexity projects on a global scale - including but not limited to: business process improvements, office openings, large lateral group onboarding and technology product implementations. It is responsible for the creation and delivery of project plans that support business solutions and to meet the firm's evolving needs by improving current processes. In addition, this role serves as the liaison between the customer community and the technical teams, ensuring that documented requirements are implemented to the project stakeholder's satisfaction.

The PMO has regular engagement with top firm leadership and is expected to play a meaningful role in executing on business and technology initiatives that impact the firm's clients, the firm's competitiveness, and the quality of working environment for all employees. Therefore, each project manager on this lean team is critical and is expected to meaningfully define and drive progress, not just passively establish and document meetings.

Position responsibilities

• Partner with project sponsors or subject matter experts to identify and document a project's business requirements with a focus on increasing business effectiveness and efficiencies, including development of project feasibility and cost-benefit analyses.
• Lead and facilitate project meetings ensuring effective and timely communication across the project team, especially among project stakeholders and PMO leadership.
• Prepare project charters and project plans and deliver projects within allocated time and resource targets to satisfy the defined scope and quality.
• Identify risks, manage scope changes and resource constraints, and develop mitigation strategies as needed.
• Drive decision-making and escalation among project stakeholders, PMO leadership, and firm leadership, when appropriate.
• Continuously improve upon existing project management methodology. Assist with the expansion of the firm's project management methodology, best practices, and tools
• Prepare recommendations for technological and business solutions based on project requirements.
• Develop and maintain project objective(s), scope, and work plan related to software development, implementations of new or modified applications, and business processes.
• Communicate with project teams and management regarding the status of all ongoing projects including project issues and accomplishments. Ensure completion of project deliverables based on identified requirements and approved timeline.
• Work closely with the Quality Assurance Manager and Business Analyst roles to monitor and track defects (including gaps from stakeholder requirements or ease of use) identified during testing through resolution.
• Coordinate project rollout to the user community, including communications, documentation, reference guides and demonstrations.
• Understand integrations between all applications/systems maintained by the firm.
• Research and analyze new technologies. Maintain professional and technical knowledge by attending educational workshops, reviewing professional publications, and establishing personal networks.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Experience, skills, and qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Project Management, or a related field required.
• 7+ years of project management experience required, including at least 4 years in a dedicated project management role and experience within a law firm or other professional services environment, preferably in a global organization.
• Must live within a commutable distance to the applicable firm office with the ability to come into the office 3-4 days per week.
• Advanced knowledge of project management methodologies and tools.
• Strong leadership, prioritization, and organization skills.
• Ability to develop and maintain ongoing relationship with firm leadership, customers, stakeholders, and project sponsors.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills. Ability to present detailed or complicated information in an understandable way to firm attorneys and staff.
• Strong information gathering and problem solving skills. Demonstrated ability to apply critical thinking to complex situations.
• Experience working with and collaborating among interdisciplinary teams to identify and solve complex business problems.
• Skilled in conveying business requirements to the appropriate business leaders and/or IS team members and, where necessary, with vendors.
• Capable of overseeing technical creation and implementation of business solutions.
• Experience with testing to ensure completion of project deliverables.
• Experience in information systems and/or applying technology solutions to business processes.
• Experience with non-US operations especially in Europe and Asia are beneficial.