Senior Program Manager, Technology PMO
Senior Program Manager, Technology PMO
Neiman Marcus Group is a relationship business that leads with love in everything we do—for our customers, associates, brand partners, and communities. Our legacy of innovating and our culture of Belonging guide our roadmap for Revolutionizing Luxury Experiences.
YOUR ROLE
The Senior Program Manager – Digital Applications has day-to-day responsibility for coordinating the management of complex Agile software development programs and projects to completion. You will coordinate and lead the activities of multiple cross-functional scrum teams to complete IT projects that support the larger NMG digital business strategy and objectives. This position is responsible for managing and organizing resources, tasks, budgets and deliverables so that a project is completed within the defined scope, quality, time and cost constraints.
In performing these roles, the Senior PM will be expected to leverage their prior knowledge and experience in blending traditional waterfall project management principles and practices with an Agile development methodology in the right proportions to fit large, complex, enterprise-level projects. They will be expected to employ an appropriate level of planning and provide the right balance of agility and predictability.
The most successful candidate will possess an exceptional customer-facing presence, where their years spent developing crystal clear communication plans appropriate for all levels of the organization will be on display. The breadth of their assignments will involve working closely with the technical team at the task level, and then being able to quickly pivot and provide summarized progress updates to the senior leadership team. Having a calm demeanor and possessing high levels of confidence when interacting directly with all levels of the organization are imperative.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
· Project Planning and Management – Define project scope and schedule while focusing on regular and timely delivery of value; organize and lead project status and working meetings; prepare and distribute progress reports; manage risks and issues; correct deviations from plans; and perform delivery planning for assigned projects
· Program Team Management – Assist in team development while holding teams accountable for their commitments, removing roadblocks to their work; leveraging organizational resources to improve capacity for project work
· Product Owner Support – Support the Product Owner in managing customer expectations for project deliverables, managing stakeholder communications, and helping to implement an effective system of project governance
· Process Management and Improvement – Define and manage a well-defined project management process and champion ongoing process improvement initiatives to implement best practices for Agile Project Management
· Program Team Building – Develop Program staffing model that ensures capable resources are in place, work with staffing team to evaluate and hire optimal candidates, promote empowerment of the team, ensure that each team member is fully engaged in the project and making a meaningful contribution, and encourage a sustainable pace with high-levels of quality for the team
· Budget Management – Ensure financial controls are in place for accurate project forecasting, ensure contract resources adhere to prescribed VMO process controls, assist IT teams in tracking project actuals using Oracle Financials, assume ownership for reporting financial tracking metrics during executive steering committee meetings
QUALIFICATIONS
· A Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Management Information Systems or a related discipline required. Prior coursework in Computer Science or Computer Engineering preferred.
· Certification as Project Management Professional (PMP), Agile Certified Practitioner (ACP), Certified Scrum Master (CSM), or one of the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) certifications is highly preferred.
· Minimum of 8 years of experience leading software development teams consisting of both onsite and offshore resources, with at least 2 years spent applying an Agile Methodology leading projects or programs in the eCommerce/Digital space.
· Strong experience with Agile Frameworks and Deployment methodologies in a customer-facing production environment. This includes working with the QA team to help develop test strategies and ensure all appropriate sign-offs are received and conform to a highly disciplined release management strategy.
· Detail-oriented, with strong organizational skills, able to work under deadlines in a changing environment, and ability to manage and prioritize multiple projects simultaneously.
· Proven leadership skills, ability to prioritize, communicate clearly, a consistent track record of delivery, and an obsession about the customer experience.
· Ability to interact and build confidence with executives, managers, subject matter experts, and product owners in matrix structure of product management team.
· Strong knowledge and understanding of business needs with the ability to establish/maintain high level of customer trust and confidence; retail experience preferred, but not required.
· Proficient in use of Microsoft Productivity Tools, Smartsheets, and Jira.
The ideal candidate will possess the following characteristics:
· Strong leadership skills with the ability to influence effectively, balancing between competing priorities while remaining flexible and creative.
· Outstanding written and verbal communication skills with the ability to work up, down and across organizational levels.
· Strong business acumen, operations and problem-solving skills, along with the ability to assess current practices, identify opportunities for improvement, build consensus and drive the implementation of related changes.
· Excellent executive presence and a track record of success working closely with the C-Suite.
INCLUSIVE BENEFITS
· Medical, Dental, and Vision Benefits, including wellness and healthy lifestyle support, for associates, spouses, domestic partners, and children
· Flexible Spending Account for eligible medical and dependent (day care) expenses
· Disability Benefits, including Short-Term Disability providing income replacement up to 26 weeks
· 16 weeks Paid Parental Leave, 2 weeks of Paid Family Leave, and Adoption Support of $10,000
· Paid Time Off, including 6 paid holidays, flexible time off for vacations and personal time, 3 volunteer days, and 7 sick days
· Retirement Savings Plan (401K) with NMG matching and $20,000 Term Life Insurance paid by NMG with additional voluntary coverage available
· Financial Solutions, including Credit Union membership, pay advances via PayActiv, tuition reimbursement, and scholarship opportunities
· NMG Associate’s Core Discount of 30% with multiple in-store opportunities for an additional 30% off across select brands
· NMG Matching Gift Program up to $2,000 to eligible non-profits, Hardship Assistance Grants up to $7,500 for Associates, and a volunteer opportunity hub through NMG’s All Heart Program
· Personal and Professional Development Opportunities with 16,000+ online learning opportunities, including NMG’s Fashion Your Future, LinkedIn Learning, MasterClass, BetterUp, Connected Leaders Academy, 9 Associate Community Networks, and additional personalized learning experiences
· NMG Discount Marketplace featuring 1,000s of products and services with over $5,000 in savings