Freelance Project Manager

VSA Partners•Chicago, IL

About The Position

VSA Partners is seeking a freelance Project Manager to support senior-level project managers across client programs and oversee smaller or individual 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. Project Managers work to ensure projects meet internal team and client expectations, including delivery on time and on budget, and that work adheres to agreed scope, schedule, budget, and statements of work. The position interfaces with client marketing, technical, and executive stakeholders; contributes to client deliverables and statements of work; coordinates project teams and meetings; manages project documentation and reporting; and partners with Accounting and Resource Management on billing, fees, expenses, and staffing. The role also collaborates with sister agencies and may take on additional responsibilities as assigned. The position calls for 3–5 years of experience coordinating brand, marketing, campaign, and digital projects, preferably in a consulting or agency environment, and a bachelor’s degree in a related field. Some evening and weekend work may occasionally be required to meet deadlines. The estimated hourly range is $45–$75 USD.

Requirements

3–5 years of demonstrated ability 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 using project management methodology, including developing and tracking scopes of work, identifying and resolving issues, mitigating risk, developing detailed task-based project plans and specifications, performing resource allocations, 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 be organized, accurate, timely, and able to prioritize.
Adaptability, flexibility, persistence, versatility, and ability to handle multiple projects and changing priorities.
Ability to organize information, attend to detail, follow procedures accurately, maintain confidential information, and remember important information.
Ability to stay self-motivated and work independently and collaboratively.
Ability to develop and demonstrate an understanding of client businesses, needs, expectations, and requirements.
Strong knowledge of one or more of creative project management, web development processes and creative/technology solution delivery, advertising, digital marketing, print, strategy, and brand research.
Strong digital literacy with Google Suite or Microsoft Office, particularly Sheets/Excel, email, project software, and team communication tools.
Ability to interact professionally with all company levels and external parties, communicating effectively in writing and speech.

Nice To Haves

Experience managing deliverables against a media plan.

Responsibilities

Support senior-level project managers on client or program work and/or oversee and direct multiple individual projects.
Ensure projects meet or exceed internal team and client expectations, including being on time and on budget.
Interface with senior client marketing, technical, and executive management to ensure solutions are understood and address business requirements.
Contribute to the content and presentation of client deliverables, ensuring relevancy, strategy, quality, timeliness, and adherence to statements of work.
Manage project scope and the change-control process to keep work within agreed scope, schedule, and budget.
Monitor project issues and risks and work with appropriate team members to develop solutions.
Communicate project status, risks, issues, and deliverables to clients.
Contribute to, review, and manage the creation of client statements of work, ensuring accuracy and legal and financial compliance.
Collaborate with project teams on approach, 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 the team, client, and management.
Work with Accounting on project billing schedules, including reviewing invoices and tracking fees and expenses.
Develop, maintain, review, and disseminate project documentation, including status reports, invoices, change orders, timelines, budgets, and sunset reviews.
Ensure project documentation follows standard formats and internal processes and is reviewed and approved.
Work with Resource Management to ensure projects are appropriately staffed with employee and contract resources.
Partner with sister agencies, manage communications, and execute project-scope requirements within contract parameters.
Perform additional responsibilities as assigned.