Technical Project Manager II

CDW - Chicago, IL

Full-time

Chicago, IL

Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods

About the position

The Technical Project Manager II at CDW will be responsible for leading technology projects from inception to completion. This role involves gathering business and system requirements, managing software design and development activities, and ensuring that projects are executed according to CDW's project management methodology. The project manager will develop and maintain the project work plan and schedule, track budgets, conduct status meetings, create status reports, track issues, and assist with change control processes. Additionally, the project manager will act as a liaison between business areas to understand their functions and serve as the primary contact for managing new project requests. In this position, the project manager will work closely with cross-functional stakeholders to clarify requirements and business objectives, ensuring that necessary commitments and approvals are acquired. They will gather and prepare supporting analysis and design documentation from a business perspective, maintaining a current understanding of project management, business relationship management, and development best practices. The project manager will facilitate requirements gathering through various methods, including focus sessions, interviews, and job shadowing, to derive a detailed understanding of business problems and objectives. The role also includes developing high-level system narratives, use cases, and storyboards, coordinating the development of detailed functional design specifications for the technical team, and working with the QA team to develop system test plans. The project manager will ensure that software quality assurance standards are met and that business goals are achieved. They will be responsible for creating detailed estimates and schedules for projects, including resource allocation, timelines, budgets, and business cases. Furthermore, the project manager will assist the Product Owner in managing the backlog and guiding the team while facilitating a healthy team dynamic regarding priorities and scope. They will also facilitate team events, such as Daily Stand-ups, Iteration Planning, Iteration Reviews, and Iteration Retrospectives, ensuring these meetings are productive and time-efficient.

Responsibilities

• Lead technology projects from conception to execution.
• Gather business and system requirements.
• Manage software design and development activities.
• Develop and maintain the project work plan and project schedule.
• Track project budgets and conduct status meetings.
• Develop status reports and track issues.
• Assist with change control processes.
• Act as a business area liaison to understand functions and manage new project requests.
• Work with cross-functional stakeholders to clarify requirements and business objectives.
• Prepare supporting analysis and design documentation from a business perspective.
• Maintain knowledge of project management and development best practices.
• Facilitate requirements gathering through focus sessions and interviews.
• Develop high-level system narratives, use cases, and storyboards.
• Coordinate the development of detailed functional design specifications.
• Work with QA to develop system test plans and ensure software quality assurance standards are met.
• Create detailed estimates and schedules for projects, including resource allocation and budgets.
• Help the Product Owner manage the backlog and guide the team.
• Facilitate team events and ensure they are productive.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Business/Economics, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• 3 years of Project Management Experience, including evaluation and estimation of high-risk initiatives.
• 3 years of experience focusing on IT technologies.
• Track record of identifying and documenting business needs.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to facilitate meetings.
• Demonstrated analytical and creative problem-solving skills.
• History of managing project teams and delegating work effectively.
• Advanced modeling techniques experience, including software, system, and data.
• Ability to influence stakeholders for positive outcomes.
• Ability to balance multiple priorities and adapt to changing business needs.

Nice-to-haves

• Project Management Certifications
• Business Process Transformation Experience