Program Management Associate

Program Management Associate

If you are highly analytical, organized and detailed, yet able to extrapolate and summarize key information, as needed; have experience in leading or participating in small to medium-scale projects and business process mapping; have led or contributed to legal entity merger or acquisition-type projects, preferably, then your search ends here.

As a Project Manager in the 'Chief Administrative Office - Purchase to Pay (Tech Product Management team)’, you’d be part of a team that is responsible for the global governance and standards of all projects across its businesses and ensures complete alignment of project portfolios with strategic priorities.  In addition, the team centralizes the review and prioritization of all demand – whether new projects or modifications to existing work and provides oversight and transparency of all project activities, risks and dependencies.  We currently manage a portfolio of 150+ projects that support firmwide initiatives, business model redesigns, business process improvements, short-term pilots, enhancements and technology deployments and migrations – of which around 70% relate to the firm’s legal entity mergers & acquisitions, new onboardings and liquidations that you’d be part of.

The team is dedicated to ensuring full transparency, alignment, consistency in approach, cross-functional coordination and risk management across all portfolios/ projects. The team partners with the CAO businesses - including Global Security, Global Real  Estate, Global Supplier Services, Amenity Services, Corporate Insurance Services, Technology, Lines of Businesses, Controllers, CAO Controls, and other groups, as needed.  

The team includes dedicated full-time Program/ Project Managers responsible for full end-to-end management of a portfolio of complex, multi-functional, high-risk projects. The Portfolio Manager for CAO PMO is responsible for day-to-day management of all project and portfolio information, standards and reports; supported by Program Managers.  All Program Managers are supported by a team of Project Managers and Project Analysts/ Test Managers that support project deliverables, development of standards and lead small to medium-scale projects.

Job responsibilities:

1. Support CAO PMO Program Managers with project and portfolio deliverables, including:
   1. Lead and/ or participate in design sessions and requirements gathering sessions to capture business/ functional requirements, business rules and controls.
   2. Interface with cross-functional stakeholders to outline and confirm that their project plan actions are followed up and completed within the stipulated deadlines.
   3. Translate business requirements to functional/ technical specifications, as needed.
   4. Support test management, as required – including creating test strategies, test execution plans, test scripts, tracking execution progress, defect management (i.e., own the resolution of issues/ defects arising during testing and post-production support), managing test execution summary reporting, tracking pre-implementation readiness, providing post-deployment support, creating project documents and owning the archival for the assigned projects. Also, lead project working group/ UAT status meetings/ ad-hoc meetings, as required.
   5. Lead UAT/ Hypercare tollgates – ensuring all stakeholders approve before moving to the next project phase.
   6. Document minutes of meetings; follow up on open actions to closure; report on project status and own project plan updates for assigned projects.
   7. Support first review of project documentation/ minutes drafted by Project Analysts – for projects assigned.
   8. Contribute and summarize lessons learned across the CAO portfolio.
   9. Establish training and procedures that support project goals and stakeholder adoption.
   10. Provide analytical and logical thinking to understand and analyze complex business processes, identifying risks and defining possible solutions.
2. Lead small projects for CAO PMO – from concept through closure and guide/ support/ track actions of peers partnering with you on your projects.
3. Work closely with Program Managers to analyze existing PMO systems and make recommendations for improvement, if asked to.
4. Conduct and record business process mapping (current vs. target state) of processes, systems/ applications, controls and documents, conduct gap analysis and summarize findings to develop CAO-wide standards.
5. Participate in strategy discussions to define future state operating models.

Required Qualifications, Capabilities and skills

• You are highly analytical, organized and detailed, yet able to extrapolate and summarize key information, as needed.
• You have experience leading or participating in projects independently and confidently and can manage small projects within the established CAO PMO framework, including business process mapping and reporting (current vs. target state).
• You are able to quickly pick up subject matter and possess proficient written and verbal communication skills.
• You are highly motivated, know when to raise red flags, and are able to communicate regularly and clearly.
• You communicate clearly and consistently, listen carefully to different perspectives, follow through on commitments, and maintain humility by seeking help and owning mistakes when appropriate.
• You improve relentlessly by seeking and acting on feedback, speaking up early about risks or opportunities, learning quickly from experience, and identifying practical ways to improve project delivery, processes and stakeholder outcomes.
• You believe in doing the right thing by working collaboratively across teams, treating colleagues and stakeholders with respect, use sound judgment and data to make decisions, and uphold standards for risk, controls, conduct and integrity.
• You embrace innovation and AI by remaining open to new ideas, emerging technologies, and the responsible use of AI to improve efficiency, quality, decision-making and stakeholder outcomes, while adhering to risk, control and data protection requirements.

Preferred Qualifications, Capabilities and skills

• 6 to 9 years of experience preferred.
• Prior experience in leading or contributing to legal entity merger or acquisition-type projects or to product delivery will be an added advantage.
• Basic to intermediate level experience in MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint and project analysis. Experience in qTest, Visio, PEGA and Jira preferred.
• A team player who is willing to roll up their sleeves when needed and is able to lead and influence conversations with all parties.