Lead Project & Program Manager (Hybrid)

Wolters Kluwer•Chicago, IL

1d•$107,500 - $188,400•Hybrid

About The Position

The Lead Project & Program Manager independently leads and manages a business or product portfolio consisting of multiple technical and/or business projects that support strategic objectives. The role is accountable for delivering business outcomes and measurable value for the organization and its customers within a defined roadmap, through effective management of scope, timelines, and budgets. It coordinates cross-functional teams, oversees program execution, and manages stakeholders, applying a strong understanding of portfolio goals and team dynamics. The position leads related projects across departments, aligns execution with business strategy, and establishes communication and governance practices for portfolio discussions and decisions. It advises leaders, applies program and change-management practices, and manages risks, issues, resources, quality, compliance, documentation, and financial oversight. The role also provides work direction and guidance to project team members and coaches less experienced project and program managers. This is a hybrid role requiring at least eight in-office days per month. Candidates must live within commuting distance of the New York City or Chicago office. Domestic travel of up to 10% annually may be required. Compensation is $107,500–$188,400 USD, and the role is eligible for a bonus.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in business, Project Management, or a related field, or equivalent.
At least 7 years of project management experience, or equivalent.
Knowledge of project and program management principles and methodologies, including waterfall and Agile.
Proven process-management skills, including organizing people and activities and developing efficient workflows.
Proven planning skills, including scoping milestones, breaking work into tasks, scheduling multiple connected and independent projects, and anticipating and adjusting for roadblocks.
Communication skills, including adjusting detail and messaging for executives and team members.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Power BI.
Experience with Microsoft Teams.
Ability to use tools and processes that enable remote connection to internal systems.
Proficiency with project management software, including SF Milestones and Smartsheet.
Ability to manage and control schedules independently and produce detailed, accurate documentation.
Ability to lead and facilitate communication, oversee budgets and financial reports, and manage complex stakeholder dynamics.
Proficiency with advanced project management tools and with risk, change, and quality management.
Business-domain knowledge of products, services, and processes, and technical knowledge of applications and programs supporting the portfolio.
English proficiency.
Ability to adapt to change and help teams and executive stakeholders move through the change curve.
Ability to resolve conflicts and thrive in a fast-paced, self-managing, team-based, dynamic environment.
Ability to travel domestically up to 10% annually, as business needs require.
Must be located within commuting distance of the New York City or Chicago office and meet the hybrid expectation of at least eight in-office days per month.

Nice To Haves

Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.
Agile Certified Practitioner (ACP) certification.

Responsibilities

Oversee multiple related projects within the portfolio and align their outcomes with business strategy, objectives, and priorities.
Lead cross-departmental technical and business projects and initiatives; mitigate risks, resolve issues, and manage complexity.
Develop communication plans and present program status and outcomes to stakeholders through presentations, reports, dashboards, and update forums.
Advise leaders and contribute expert knowledge and perspective to encourage adoption of new approaches.
Implement program- and change-management best practices.
Build and manage relationships with stakeholders and cross-functional teams; communicate expectations, escalations, critical risks, issues, and action plans.
Interpret business and technical challenges and recommend practices to improve products, services, and processes.
Use analytical methods and tools to solve complex problems and identify innovative solutions.
Deliver multi-phase projects from concept through implementation, including milestone plans, schedules, estimates, resource plans, routines, and risk and issue artifacts.
Assign work, review efforts, and guide team members through project phases.
Monitor project milestones and metrics, and adjust execution to maintain alignment with business outcomes, time, cost, and quality objectives.
Ensure project artifacts, including charters and change requests, are completed and stored appropriately; close projects by releasing resources, documenting lessons learned, and issuing final status updates.
Identify and remove roadblocks, conduct risk analysis, develop mitigation plans, manage changes, and use appropriate escalation paths.
Establish and facilitate portfolio governance, including Steering Committees and executive updates, and adjust the governance framework as needed.
Influence project direction and resource allocation across departments; coordinate cross-functional teams, establish program RACI, and manage resources.
Ensure quality and compliance across deliverables.
Prepare presentations and reports and maintain accurate documentation.
Manage project budgets, work with leadership to monitor ROI against forecast, and ensure financial targets are met.
Coach and mentor less experienced project and program managers.