Information technology helps drive what’s good about the world — and Ingram Micro Inc.fuels IT. A Fortune 100 company, and the largest IT distributor in the world, Ingram Micro enables the companies that make the latest and greatest IT products — and the companies that sell and use them — to do their thing as efficiently and profitably as possible. How do we do it? With our hyper-efficient supply chain logistics engine, our world-class sales, marketing and financial support organizations, and, mostly, with our people. We employ the finest people in the industry. Smart, talented, passionate, creative individuals, working as a team toward one goal: to be the best choice of IT providers in the world.
The IS Project Leader is responsible for establishing and executing all aspects of the project management function for small and/or medium scale business solutions and infrastructure projects. The Project Leader role will effectively manage and deliver solutions that involve a combination of the following attributes: project investment that is less than $1.0 million, multiple project teams, multiple technology disciplines, multiple region geographic delivery, geographically disbursed project teams, and/or a low/medium level technical complexity. The Project Leader function includes, but is not limited to: Project Leadership, Planning & Administration, Execution Integration, and Financial Control. It is expected that the end result of this position will be the delivery of an efficient and effective solution or series of solutions resulting in a competitive advantage for the company. A project is defined as a solution delivery team that is focused on delivering a single solution and is typically is an effort of focused small to medium scope.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
Project Leadership:
At the core of project management is the critical personal characteristic of leadership. It is through effective leadership that the Project Leader will execute all aspects of the project management discipline to facilitate successful delivery. While not a function per se, it is a critical aspect of this role that is woven throughout all other essential job functions. These characteristic will demonstrated through the following:
- The ability to effectively and concisely communicate with all project team members, project sponsors, project managers of other projects, supporting of IS associates, and Global IS Sr. Staff members.
- Establishing an ongoing communications dialogue with the project teams to ensure everyone never loses track on what the project is intended to deliver (Charter) and its importance to the project customer and, that project team members can clearly articulate both the mission and desired outcomes.
- Takes ownership/responsibility for finding solutions to problems and implementing, of not only those items specifically within their area, but holds project team members capable and accountable to do the same in their respective areas.
- The ability to effectively facilitate and/or mediate conflict, issues or compliance to govern rules at and across all levels of the project delivery structure, ensuring team productivity by fostering creativity, empowerment, and accountability with in the team.
Planning & Administration
- Establishes a project management function based on Ingram standard project methodologies that will be used for the overall execution of a project.
- Establishes the Project Charter in collaboration with the Executive and Project Sponsors to make sure project scope, objectives, authorized budget and business value are clearly stated to be guiding elements for a project team as they execute and successfully deliver the project.
- Collaborate with Project Sponsors to define and deploy a project governance program for regular project reviews (steering committee), project decision making and major project impact issues that would require Global IS Sr. Staff level involvement.
- Ensures that a project team is clearly defined (internal/external resources) and a project team organization chart with defined delivery roles and responsibilities and reporting structures is created and maintained throughout the duration of a project.
- Creates and maintains a detailed execution project plan complete with project task dependencies, critical path; major deliverables and delivery milestones that are used to manage the effective execution of the project; conduct schedule impact assessments, and provide for the resource reporting task classification for financial reporting.
- Publish program specific administrative processes and procedures that include but are not limited to: standard status reporting, issues, risk and opportunities management, resource onboarding and off boarding, resource time reporting, and other items require to efficiently execute a project according to establish Global IS project management methodologies and standards.
- Utilize the Global IS standard project SPS site to facilitate cross team communication, and to provide a central repository for program working papers and all deliverables (intellectual property capture).
- Establish a master project meeting calendar for standard meetings to ensure project alignment and to minimize the number of project related meetings.
Execution & Integration
- Create and deliver an effective project launch meeting to ensure all project resources, supporting resources not directly assigned to the project, project sponsors, and supporting business resources are aligned on the project charter, key project management processes and tools, sponsor expectations, deliverables, baseline business metrics to be measured post-delivery, and delivery schedule. The launch meeting is the first major execution integration activity of a project.
- Conduct regular integration meetings with teams within the project to ensure integration points and cross project dependencies remain aligned according the master project plan. These meetings will also ensure that all forthcoming major deliverables are being reviewed and approved according to deliverable processing guidelines.
- Provide oversight and input to project plan realignment options for project delivery teams should project delays or issue in one or more teams negatively impact the over master schedule.
- Actively manage and communicate regular project status to the appropriate parties; proactively manage project issues, risk and opportunities to minimize project impact,
- Conduct impact assessments (Financial and schedule) on any options identified to address unavoidable or sponsor requested changes to the master schedule and then present them for consideration and disposition.
- Orchestrate any approved master schedule changes throughout the project to ensure that the financial impact and impact to project momentum forward is minimized.
Financial Management
- Ensure the project’s time reporting system tasks are appropriately classified in the project plan and that they are reviewed by Global IS Finance for implementation within the applicable Ingram time management system.
- Ensure that all project delivery resources are properly trained on how to record their time on a weekly basis, and that they are doing so to ensure appropriate financial accounting.
- Coordinate with the Project Sponsor and Global IS Finance on establishing monthly project forecast processes and reporting and then ensure the required actions are taken to attain the accurate data to conduct forecasting.
Required Skills
JOB QUALIFICATIONS:
A Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Science and Math or related discipline with an IT emphasis is preferred.
Preferred 1 to 2 years of continuous experience in a project management role.
MENTAL AND PHYSICAL DEMANDS
A. MENTAL DEMANDS:
- Ability to work with high level of uncertainty and quickly changing priorities
- remain professional and perform above expectations in high stress situations consistently
- Strength and experience in effective dealing with both peer groups and senior executives
- ability to establish and maintain positive relationships with internal and external customers
- Excellent analytical, problem-solving and decisions making skills:
- fact (not opinion) driven. Confident and informed decisions making
- able to “sift” through the information noise
- able to prioritize and go quickly to the analysis that gives maximum value in the shortest timeframe (80 / 20 rule)
- Practical and effective: combines strong business and common senses; drives towards practical and implementable recommendations
- Positive “can-do” attitude consistently delivering above expectations
- Ability to stimulate others to change and absorb new ideas
- Non-linear problem solving
- Excellent listeners and communicators with strong personal images and poise, recognized for being honest, upfront and direct with all levels of the organization
- Strong motivators and ability to work effectively in teams and alone
- Acts independently and willingly takes on new challenges
- Contributes to the team and engages beyond daily / assigned tasks
B. PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
- Hearing sufficient to clearly hear voices alarms, bells and horns.
- Ability to distinguish color.
- Write using pen/pencil or personal computer keyboard for up to 30 minutes at a time on a daily basis.
- Ability to travel by air.
- Ability to work during various time zones globally as required
EQUIPMENT USED AND NECESSARY:
Personal computer
Computer printer
FAX
Photocopier
Telephone
Mobile device such a Blackberry
Advanced computer equipment