Project Manager / Operations Specialist

Motorola Solutions•Schaumburg, IL

15h•$86,500 - $143,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Project Manager & Operations Specialist is a "hybrid" role designed for a proactive problem-solver who can navigate both high-level project strategy and the granular data that supports it. You won't just track projects; you will own their integrity. We need a detective's mindset—someone who instinctively digs into the "why" behind a discrepancy and leverages every available resource to find the "how" of the solution. The Project Manager/Specialist provides critical programmatic oversight and administrative execution for projects within Applied Technology. While the Engineering Project Lead holds primary responsibility for technical direction, the PM/Specialist ensures project health through rigorous monitoring of schedules, budgets, and process compliance.

Requirements

EVM Expertise: Proven experience with Earned Value Management .
Advanced Excel Skills: High proficiency in Excel for data analysis and financial modeling (Pivot Tables, lookup, complex formulas).
Financial Literacy: Strong experience with project accounting .
Communication Mastery: Ability to translate complex data "finds" into concise status updates for stakeholders, ensuring discrepancies are explained alongside a clear resolution plan.
Collaboration: Strong interpersonal skills to influence technical teams and ensure process compliance without having direct authority over the Engineering Lead.
Adaptability: Proven ability to remain organized and effective while managing multiple projects or shifting priorities simultaneously.
Adaptive Learning: A track record of quickly mastering internal organizational tools to become a subject matter expert with minimal oversight.
Systems Expertise: High proficiency in Microsoft Project, enterprise project accounting solutions, Excel.
Analytical Rigor: Ability to identify programmatic trends and proactively alert the Engineering Project Lead to potential schedule or budget slippage.
5+ years in a project management environment.
Must be a U.S. citizen with the ability to obtain a security clearance.

Nice To Haves

AI in Project Management: Experience leveraging AI tools and automation to streamline scheduling, enhance risk prediction, or automate routine status reporting.
Certifications: PMP Certification is highly desirable.

Responsibilities

Independent Roadblock Resolution: You don’t just report that a project is stalled, you demonstrate the ability to "find the answer" by navigating the company’s digital ecosystem. You proactively leverage internal wikis, schedules, and reports to identify the root cause and propose viable paths forward.
Data Integrity & Cross-Tool Reconciliation: You maintain a "single source of truth" by independently auditing data across platforms (e.g., MS Project, Excel tracking masters, and ERP systems). You ensure internal reporting (like month-end reports) perfectly aligns with project reality.
Programmatic Oversight & EVM: Maintain secondary responsibility for project success by applying Earned Value Management (EVM) principles to track performance against the baseline.
Project Accounting: Drive the financial integrity of the project by managing budgets, tracking actual costs versus plan, and calculating Estimated Costs to Complete (ETC).
Priority Management: Demonstrate the ability to prioritize competing demands for attention in a fast-paced environment, ensuring that critical-path tasks and urgent programmatic risks are addressed immediately, while still ensuring less urgent tasks do not fall through the crack.
Methodology Compliance: Serve as the Subject Matter Expert (SME) for the Project Management Methodology (PMM) to ensure the team adheres to all departmental quality processes.
Reporting & Governance: Prepare and distribute highly accurate project-level status reports, including EVM metrics, and drive the "Lessons Learned" process.
Process Evolution: You don't just solve a problem; you fix the system. You are expected to translate your independent "finds" into updated SOPs or templates, ensuring that once a problem is solved, the roadmap is clear for the entire team.
Detail Orientation: Extreme attention to detail is required; the candidate must ensure total accuracy in financial reporting, scheduling data, and contract documentation.