Freelance Project Manager

VSA Partners•Chicago, IL

3d•$45 - $75

About The Position

The Project Manager supports senior-level project managers across one or more clients or programs and may independently oversee smaller projects. The role is responsible for the overall health of projects, including day-to-day communications, financial management, resourcing, risk mitigation, and internal and external relationships. The Project Manager works to ensure projects meet internal team and client expectations, are delivered on time and within budget, and stay within agreed scope, schedule, and budget. The role collaborates with client stakeholders and internal teams to plan and deliver project work, manage documentation and finances, and address risks and issues. Some evening and weekend work may occasionally be required to meet deadlines.

Requirements

3–5 years of demonstrated experience coordinating brand, marketing, campaign, and digital projects, preferably in a consulting or agency environment.
Bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in project management, advertising/marketing, or a related field.
Experience with project management methodology, including developing and tracking scopes of work, identifying and resolving issues, mitigating risk, creating detailed task-based project plans and specifications, allocating resources, and leading team meetings.
Experience with project life cycles, print and digital production processes, and delivering solutions with creative and engineering components, advertising projects, brand strategy, and research projects.
Strong organizational and time management skills.
Strong team-player skills and ability to assist with facilitating teams and clients.
Ability to stay organized, accurate, and timely, and to prioritize work.
Adaptability, flexibility, persistence, versatility, and ability to handle multiple projects and changing priorities.
Ability to organize information, pay attention to detail, follow procedures accurately, maintain confidential information, and remember important information.
Ability to stay self-motivated and work independently and collaboratively.
Ability to understand and demonstrate knowledge of a client’s business, needs, expectations, and requirements.
Strong knowledge of one or more of the following: creative project management; web development processes and delivery of solutions with creative and technology components; advertising; digital marketing; print; strategy; or brand research.
Strong digital literacy with Google Suite or MS Office, particularly Sheets/Excel, email, project management software, and team communication software such as Workamajig, Smartsheet, Jira, Slack, or DoneDone.
Ability to interact professionally with people at all company levels and external parties, with effective written and spoken communication.

Nice To Haves

Experience managing deliverables against a media plan.

Responsibilities

Support senior-level project managers on client accounts or programs, and/or oversee and direct individual projects.
Ensure projects meet or exceed internal team and client expectations, including delivery on time and on budget.
Interface with senior client marketing, technical, and executive stakeholders to ensure solutions are understood and address business requirements.
Contribute to the content and presentation of client deliverables, ensuring relevance, strategy, quality, timeliness, and adherence to statements of work.
Manage project scope and change control to ensure execution according to agreed scope, schedule, and budget.
Monitor and raise awareness of project issues and risks, and work with team members to develop solutions.
Communicate project status, risks, issues, and deliverables to clients.
Contribute to, review, and manage client statements of work, ensuring accuracy and legal and financial compliance.
Collaborate with project teams to establish approaches, deliverables, schedules, and tools, and ensure accurate project financial management.
Coordinate project team activities, schedule and facilitate project meetings, communicate action steps, and deliver weekly status reports to teams, clients, and management.
Work with Accounting on project billing schedules, invoice reviews, and tracking fees and expenses.
Develop, maintain, review, and distribute project documentation, including status reports, invoices, change orders, timelines, budgets, and sunset reviews.
Ensure project documentation follows standard formats and internal processes and receives required review and approval.
Work with Resource Management to ensure appropriate staffing, including employee and contract resources.
Partner with sister agencies, manage communications, and execute project scope requirements within contract parameters.
Perform additional responsibilities as assigned.