Director, Project & Change Management

Clearstead Advisors•Cleveland, OH

About The Position

Clearstead is seeking a Director, Project & Change Management to lead the execution and adoption of important cross-functional initiatives. This hands-on leadership role provides structure, discipline, and accountability for complex projects while helping affected employees prepare for and adopt new tools, processes, and ways of working. The Director guides initiatives from planning through implementation, adoption, stabilization, and completion, coordinating with teams, leaders, vendors, and technology partners. The role has a strong technology orientation and uses AI, automation, and digital tools to reduce administrative work, improve visibility, and streamline execution. Initially, the position operates as an individual contributor with no direct reports. The Director leads project and program management, change management and adoption, and the development of practical, scalable project and change management capabilities across Clearstead. The role works with executive sponsors, project leaders, managers, business functions, technology teams, subject matter experts, and external partners and vendors. The work environment may be an office, home office, or mixed environment based on business needs; the specific arrangement is to be confirmed. Travel requirements are to be confirmed by the hiring manager. Clearstead is a financial advisory firm serving wealthy families and leading institutions. Its services integrate investment management with financial planning, tax planning and compliance, and trust administration.

Requirements

At least 8 years of experience in project or program management, change management, technology implementation, business operations, or related work.
Demonstrated experience personally leading complex, cross-functional initiatives from planning through implementation and adoption.
Strong project management discipline and ability to manage multiple initiatives, priorities, stakeholders, and dependencies simultaneously.
Experience leading the people side of significant technology, process, or organizational change.
Experience supporting large-scale system or technology implementations.
Strong technology orientation and demonstrated ability to use AI, automation, and digital tools to increase effectiveness and efficiency.
Ability to operate at strategic and detailed levels, moving between executive-level discussions and hands-on project execution.
Strong problem-solving, organization, judgment, written communication, and verbal communication skills.
Ability to influence and create accountability across teams without relying solely on direct authority.

Nice To Haves

Experience in financial services, wealth management, or professional services.
Project management certification, such as PMP.

Responsibilities

Lead complex, cross-functional initiatives from planning through implementation, adoption, stabilization, and completion.
Translate objectives into project plans with defined scope, deliverables, milestones, owners, dependencies, risks, decisions, and measures of success.
Establish an appropriate operating cadence that creates visibility and accountability without unnecessary administrative burden.
Coordinate work across business functions, technology teams, subject matter experts, external partners, and vendors.
Monitor progress, identify risks and roadblocks, drive issues toward resolution, and escalate decisions when needed.
Provide concise updates to executive sponsors and stakeholders on progress, risks, decisions, and required actions.
Manage multiple priorities and initiatives while maintaining focus on the most important work.
Maintain accountability through implementation and stabilization, ensuring projects are completed and intended outcomes are achieved.
Lead change management for initiatives that significantly affect employees, clients, processes, technology, or ways of working.
Incorporate change management into project planning from the beginning.
Conduct stakeholder and change-impact assessments to identify affected groups, changes to work, and required support.
Develop practical change, communication, training, readiness, and adoption plans appropriate to each initiative.
Partner with executive sponsors, project leaders, managers, and functional teams to create alignment and reinforce accountability for change.
Identify resistance, readiness gaps, and adoption barriers early and develop strategies to address them.
Measure readiness and adoption, adjust approaches when outcomes are not achieved, and help embed changes into day-to-day operations.
Establish practical and scalable project and change management standards, tools, templates, and ways of working across Clearstead.
Use a technology-forward approach and continuously seek simpler, more effective ways to work.
Create consistency that improves execution and transparency while avoiding unnecessary process or bureaucracy.
Share effective practices with project owners, managers, and employees leading initiatives.
Help determine the capabilities, resources, and structure needed to support a growing project and change management function as organizational needs evolve.
Deliver initiatives with clear scope, ownership, milestones, risk management, decision tracking, and success measures.
Build practical, scalable standards that improve consistency, execution, and visibility without adding unnecessary bureaucracy.