What I did
A leader on the project management team, the Senior Project Manager spearheads development of project management and operational best practices, maintains cross-capability relationships, and development of resources. This client-facing position leads the execution of mid and high level complexity projects ($1M+, 10+ resources) motivating cross-functional teams to achieve the highest standards of execution and quality. The SPM ensures all assigned tasks are delivered on time and budget, and according to internal processes and industry best practices. In addition to Project Manager duties, the Senior Project Manager is responsible for ownership of:
• Led execution of projects ($1M+ scopes, 10+ resources) with cross-functional teams (strategy, creative, production, etc.).
• Proactively created industry best practice recommendations for operations and PM leadership consideration to help drive the effectiveness of the department.
• Accomplished mid and high-level complexity project management and production process, led junior resources, and assisted PM leadership while managing concurrent work in and out of all phases of the project life cycle, ensuring review and approval of all team members on each round of review.
• Informed staffing plans and scopes; guided account management on the future of the client relationship based on detailed historical knowledge (notes, post mortems, burns, etc.).
• Initiated bi-weekly financial syncs which included reviews of annual/project staffing plans by way of creating annotated budget vs. actual burns reports with focus on assessment of current and projected revenue. Aligned financial leads and group account directors.
• Developed appropriate financial organization and structure for all projects and campaigns (both project and retainer models).
• Conducted detailed documentation for each project for both auditing and historical purposes; including the consistent, structured storage of all files and assets.
What I learned
How to be a thorough, attentive, and balanced project manager; tracking minutiae without losing sight of the big picture and finding the right level of granularity without being cumbersome
Even if you aren’t a “math” person, you can (and should - particularly as a PM) be a “financials” person; know your budget, forecast, and actuals inside and out and watch your scoping become scary accurate
Dream big and bite off more than you can chew
Sometimes you think you’re an art director (and even go to school for it) but deep down, you find you’re a project manager; and that’s okay 🤓
Skills
PMO Services · Project Management · Financial Reporting · Planning Budgeting & Forecasting · Contract Management · Adobe Creative Suite · Smartsheet · Microsoft Excel · Data Management · Communication · Google Workspace · Data Analysis · Database Administration · Task Management · Operational Excellence · Social Media · Attention to Detail · Workflow Management · Analytical Skills · Resource Management · Adobe InDesign · Adobe Illustrator · Calendaring · Reporting & Analysis · Process Flow Documentation · Account Management · Business Process Development · Marketing · Operations Management · Business Process Improvement · Project Delivery · Change Management · Microsoft Suite · Financial Analysis · Project Scope Development · Leadership · Adaptability · Organization Skills · Quality Management · Client Liaison · SOP Development · Timeline ManagementSkills: PMO Services · Project Management · Financial Reporting · Planning Budgeting & Forecasting · Contract Management · Adobe Creative Suite · Smartsheet · Microsoft Excel · Data Management · Communication · Google Workspace · Data Analysis · Database Administration · Task Management · Operational Excellence · Social Media · Attention to Detail · Workflow Management · Analytical Skills · Resource Management · Adobe InDesign · Adobe Illustrator · Calendaring · Reporting & Analysis · Process Flow Documentation · Account Management · Business Process Development · Marketing · Operations Management · Business Process Improvement · Project Delivery · Change Management · Microsoft Suite · Financial Analysis · Project Scope Development · Leadership · Adaptability · Organization Skills · Quality Management · Client Liaison · SOP Development · Timeline Management