Senior Project Manager

NFF Inc•Oakton, VA

11d•$125,000 - $145,000

About The Position

NFF is seeking a practical, hands-on Program Manager to drive delivery and lead our PMO for one of its premier DC customers. This role involves owning end-to-end execution on key initiatives while also setting the standard for how work is planned, governed, and reported across teams. NFF specializes in next-generation IT infrastructure including networks, data centers, cloud migrations, IT security, collaboration and mobility, and full/part-time staff augmentation services. They are a Cisco Gold Partner with a Customer Experience Specialization and have maintained this partnership since 2008. NFF is a District of Columbia (DC) Certified Business Enterprise (CBE) and a SBA Certified Small Business headquartered in downtown Washington, DC, with ISO 9001:2015 certifications.

Requirements

5-7 years in program delivery and PMO leadership.
Proven experience delivering large-scale transformation programs in complex environments.
Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, IT, or related field.
Strong commercial acumen, structured and outcomes driven.
PMP certification highly preferred.
Exceptional stakeholder management and communication skills.
Experience working in an academic environment or managing projects related to higher education preferred.
Strong understanding of project management methodologies and tools.
Ability to lead and motivate project teams, fostering a collaborative environment.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills to interact with leadership.
Ability to develop comprehensive project plans, manage budgets, timelines, and resources.
Strong analytical skills to identify and mitigate risks.
Ability to work with diverse groups, including faculty, students, and administrative staff.

Nice To Haves

Background in Financial Services, Higher Ed, or Public Sector strongly preferred.
PMP certification highly preferred.
Experience working in an academic environment or managing projects related to higher education preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead end-to-end delivery of complex programs and projects, keeping scope, budget, and timelines on track. Spot risks and dependencies early and drive resolution.
Establish and run the Program Management Office (PMO), defining governance, reporting standards, and delivery practices. Oversee planning, resource management, and performance tracking.
Serve as the central point of contact for initiative leads, PMs, field staff, clients, and vendors, ensuring clear communication and documented meetings. Partner across teams to maintain momentum.
Deliver clear, consolidated reporting on status, risks, financials, and outcomes, providing high-quality insights to support executive decision-making.
Set up governance forums and processes, continuously uplifting delivery capability and PMO maturity across the organization.
Set up and manage projects in PM tools such as ServiceNow, Microsoft Project, Asana, Jira, or Smartsheets, tracking progress, spend, and documentation.
Build strong relationships with senior leaders and cross-functional teams, acting as a trusted advisor to the Program Director and executive stakeholders.
Build and sustain collaborative relationships with IT staff, departments, customers, partners, and key stakeholders in administrative and academic units. Maintain currency on current and future business needs, university-wide technology initiatives, and leading-edge project management practices.
Establish the foundation for each project, working with sponsors to create robust, comprehensive project charters and baseline reports. Manage communications with project stakeholders and internal project teams.
Drive continuous improvement, overseeing accurate, well-communicated scope, and the creation of actionable schedules and budgets for each project. Report risks that may affect work progress and recommend mitigation strategies.
Manage the productivity and effectiveness of projects with varying complexities. Create meaningful status reports, and maintain accurate tracking logs that organize budget, time, scope, and communication details.
Timely identify and proactively resolve issues, creating strategies for risk mitigation and contingency planning, and escalating disruptions and dependencies to departmental leadership, as necessary.
Own project management methodology, applying tools, service management frameworks, and technology strategy to all projects. Utilize pertinent change control processes, developing project progress and compliance reports, and present regular updates by participating in project team meetings.
Aid the cultivation of an inclusive environment and a culture of trust and transparency, sharing information broadly, openly, and deliberately. Build and maintain collaborative relationships with diverse groups of peers, team members, and leadership. Actively embody College values and behaviors (e.g., accountability, ethics, best-in-class customer service).
Collaborate with team members and management, implementing effective solutions to support the Project Management Office’s vision. Maintain currency with technology, standards, and best practices. Support process improvement efforts within the team and across the IT organization.
Oversee the development, implementation, and operational excellence of project management office technology utilities and platforms that support project intake, day-to-day management of request and project work, and status/performance telemetry dashboards for stakeholder reporting. Platforms may include project management specific modules and workflow functionality of enterprise IT service management offerings, such as TeamDyamix, ServiceNow, or similar and stand-alone software/service utilities such as Microsoft Project, Asana, Jira, Smartsheets or similar.