Steptoe & Johnson LLP, a Washington, DC-based Am Law 100 law firm, is seeking a Senior IT Project Manager to join our IT Department.

Manage and facilitate the project management process within the Firm’s IT Department including developing and promulgating appropriate artifacts and tools, and education of the members of the project team members in the use of those tools. Assume primary responsibility for management of multiple projects within the Department including planning, executing, and evaluating projects according to timelines and budgets. Provide high-level portfolio management incorporating all relevant projects within the Department whether directly managed or not. Participate in the annual budgeting process by helping to identify and forecast appropriate resources to all anticipated projects.

Essential Functions

• Develop, manage, and maintain an appropriate project management process within the Department including all related artifacts and tools
• Provide insight into and guidance for identifying, prioritizing, authorizing, managing, and controlling multiple projects to achieve specific strategic business objectives (portfolio management)
• Assist in the budget process by helping identify potential projects, create charters, and prepare preliminary budgets for those likely to be initiated during the period in question
• Facilitate the definition of project missions, goals, tasks, and resource requirements; resolve or assist in the resolution of conflicts within and between projects or functional areas; develop methods to monitor project or area progress; provide corrective supervision as necessary
• Work with project sponsor and stakeholders to complete project charters outlining scope, goals, deliverables, required resources, budget, and timing
• Directly manage an appropriate subset of the Department’s projects:
• Manage project lifecycle from initiation through closure
• Effectively manage project scope by ensuring any changes to scope are documented and approved with project change request forms
• Manage project budget and resource allocation
• Resolve any issues and solve problems through project life cycle
• Provide general project management training, mentoring, coaching and direction setting to Department members
• Supervise any less senior project managers on staff
• Complete other duties as assigned
  

Minimum Qualifications

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s Degree
• PMI certification strongly preferred
• Minimum five years of increasingly responsible experience, including experience successfully managing various projects
• Supervisory and/or management experience in a technical project management environment
• Experience working in a team-oriented, collaborative environment
  

Skills Requirements

• Thorough understanding of project management phases, techniques and tools
• Outstanding grasp of information technology concepts and processes
• Excellent communication, leadership, problem solving, and analytic skills
• Flexibility to rapidly adapt and respond to changes in environment and priorities
• Ability to elicit cooperation from senior management and other departments
• Proficient in Windows environment including Microsoft Office and Microsoft Project
  

Success Factors

• Influencing & Leading: understand and effectively use established policies and procedures; undertake continual adjustments with stakeholders in a persuasive manner, to keep the project on course; establish trust; recognizes how Firm culture impacts the success of the project; know how to use organization to achieve objectives
• Critical Thinking & Problem Solving: recognize problems or situations that are new or without clear precedent; evaluate alternatives and find solutions using a systematic, multi-step approach; develop improvements and innovations to enhance performance.
• Collaboration: build coalitions among the various stakeholders in a project and negotiate authority to move the project forward; facilitate discussions that establish trust and resolve conflicts; build and use cross- functional relationships to accomplish work objectives
• Communication: convey goals and objectives clearly and in a compelling manner; listen effectively and clarify information as needed; ensure that project status, issues and successes are communicated to project team, stakeholders, sponsors, steering committee and all levels of management and documented appropriately; ensure open communications within project team
• Decision-Making: understand how and when to make a choice; how and when to escalate issues to higher levels; analyze the risks and future impact of decisions; make decisions and takes timely independent action in pursuit of priorities
• Responsibility & Accountability: prioritize own and team’s work; anticipate consequences of actions, potential problems, or opportunities for change; sets and meet realistic deadlines. Ensure a high level of fiscal control and accountability for project budget
  

Work Environment

• Professional services environment
• Non-smoking environment
• Must be available to work beyond regular days and hours
• Must be able to work under tight deadlines and in stressful situations
  

Steptoe & Johnson LLP is an equal opportunity employer EOE/AA/Minority/Female/Disability/Veteran. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, marital status, mental or physical disability, genetic information, or any basis proscribed by applicable statutes.