This position establishes and directs efforts of project work-team and related resources as required to successfully plan, develop, test and implement projects.Will assume leadership role for assigned projects and coordinate all phases of operational implementation of project deliverables using established PMI project management methodologies.

Day in the Life:

• Leads and manages the project implementation lifecycle to deliver multiple projects and initiatives.

• Delivers effective, accurate, and consistent communication to project teams, management, external clients, and vendors. Leads project teams.

• Facilitates and leads project resources through the work breakdown process to define tasks, durations, effort, and dependencies to establish a solid implementation schedule.

• Partners with technology leaders to understand interdependencies and lead time to identify project resources and develop a comprehensive schedule.

• Drives and coordinates cross-functional project team members from multiple disciplines, assigns individual responsibilities, and leads team meetings to ensure delivery objectives are met.

• Maintains project documentation; ensures project documents are complete, current, and appropriately stored.

• Prepare and distribute project reports and communications; communicates with technology team, project sponsors, stakeholders, functional area managers and/or consultants regarding status of specific tasks.

• Ensure various integration elements of assigned projects are properly coordinated including: project plan development, project plan execution, and overall change control; Develop highly technical, detailed project plan including all work required to successfully complete both internal and client facing projects.

• Act as the primary liaison and manage expectations of key sponsors and client executive staff related to timing, functionality and business objectives needed to support a successful go live.

• Assume responsibility, manages conflict within the group and provides final approval for entire project on behalf of all stakeholders; Troubleshoot project issues and escalate them to upper management if necessary.

• Leads lesson learned exercises and participates in root cause analysis discussions.

• Ensure that project information is communicated in a timely manner through communication planning, information distribution, performance reporting and administrative closure.

• Collaborate effectively with other project managers, various subcontracting partners, external consulting organizations, customer resources, contractor and other 3rd party providers ensuring the quality standards for the project are met.

• Facilitate project meetings including project kick off and specification meetings.

• Travel to client locations to meet and discuss specifications, business objectives, and project options; facilitate meeting with key client personnel including IT for network connectivity and file mapping.

• Maintain interaction with credit unions, MasterCard, VISA and other processors, software vendors and ATM networks for the purpose of coordinating products/projects.

• Maintain thorough understanding of payment processing card industry, card processing systems and subsystems, and/or related in-house applications, and a primary understanding of system parameters, regional ATM networks

• Perform other duties as assigned

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in related field and/or equivalent combination experience and education is required.

• 3 years of project management experience require.

• 3 years in a client facing role require.

• 3 years in the financial services industry with card processing and payment solutions preferred.

• Client facing project leadership and card processing experience preferred. 

• Working knowledge Microsoft Office applications such as Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Visio and Project.

• Working knowledge of various project methodologies.

• Working knowledge of Enterprise Project Management tools.

• Working knowledge of debit and credit card processing and supporting financial technology products.

• Proven facilitation, organizational, prioritization, decision-making and conflict resolution skills; ability to track and control activities in a fast paced environment while managing multiple projects and tasks and multiple organizations.

• Ability to communicate effectively in both verbal and written formats and give presentations utilizing various audiovisual support aids.

• Possess strong leadership, interpersonal, and problem solving skills; ability to negotiate with and influence others across all organizational levels; ability to influence senior level executives to make appropriate business decision.s

• Ability to exercise discretion and good judgment in making decisions.

• Ability to travel as needed, 25%.