Sr Manager of Project Management, Zaner-Bloser

Department: Product

Reports To: VP of Product

FLSA Status: Exempt

At Zaner-Bloser, we create tools for educators that help elementary students become more joyful, creative learners and communicators. We support teachers' efforts to inspire "aha" moments-moments of discovery, accomplishment, pride, surprise, delight-that reward students and help them realize the power of learning. Our portfolio of PreK-6 resources helps students build the critical foundational skills they need for success in school. Used independently or together, Zaner-Bloser materials help educators build community and confidence in any context, creating the conditions for moments of discovery and understanding to thrive.

Position Summary:

The Sr. Manager of Project Management is responsible for managing a program of product development efforts for Zaner-Bloser, within the Highlights Education division. This will include managing a team of 3 Project Managers, defining program objectives (outcomes), deliverables and resources needed, executing on schedule, communicating status, and defining and establishing contingency plans for issues/risks along the way. This person will partner with internal/external stakeholders to prioritize the most important work to be done, mitigate risks, resolve issues, and identify, develop, and implement mechanisms to improve workflow productivity. The ideal candidate will have strong organizational skills, high EQ, high tolerance for change, an outcomes-driven mindset and ability to drive impact through influence and collaboration.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Manage Project Management team responsible for all product development initiatives
• Drive execution and continuous improvement across the product portfolio of activities
• Drive prioritization of decisions and alignment in support of the organization's strategic direction
• Drive accountability across the team towards completion
• Drive alignment and collaboration by ensuring effective communication mechanisms are in place
• Implement and drive required changes to ensure teams are high functioning
• Deliver timely communications regarding status, issues, and risks
• Drive alignment by ensuring documentation is well maintained, detailed and accurate, and project goals, scope, and decisions are well known across teams
• Ensure key initiatives have a clear set of requirements, timelines, "definition of done" and well-defined success criteria
• Accountable for proactively identifying risks and issues, prioritizing them, and creating plans to resolve in a timely manner.
• Develop project plans that identify resource and budgetary needs
• Drive Coordination with vendors and suppliers as needed
• Nurture a thriving climate in which diverse perspectives are embraced
• Ensure customer-centricity is at the core of the work

What you should show up ready to demonstrate on your first day:

• Curiosity and ability to ask appropriate probing and diagnostic questions to ensure understanding of the business, value proposition, and strategic objectives
• Ability to partner with key stakeholders and work cross-functionally to solve problems
• Knowledge and expertise required to identify and close gaps in communication, priorities, and strategic execution
• Organizational abilities to synthesize and translate complexity into action

Within your first month, you will:

• Learn the strategic goals for the Zaner-Bloser division
• Get to know our teams, operations, internal systems, tools, and processes
• Build relationships to effectively complete your work
• Understand the customer, market personas, and how the value is created by the business

Within your first year, you will:

• Define and iterate on the strategic plan to inform annual budget planning
• Actualize value through the definition, achievement, and learning associated with our expected outcomes
• Be a champion of change by evangelizing continuous improvement, agility, and driving effective change
• Work cross-functionally to solve problems, achieve results, enable effective collaboration, and optimize processes and workflows
• Maintain a cadence of communications that are timely, clear, and effective for the audience
• Nurture healthy team environments
• Be well integrated with the organization and a reliable, contributing team member
• Identify professional development goals for yourself and your team, and commit to learning for your individual growth

Supervisory Responsibilities: 3 Project Managers

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience is preferred
• Experience working as program/project manager, implementing complex, cross-functional initiatives
• PMI and/or other project management certification is a plus
• Knowledge of Agile methodologies is a plus
• Lean Six Sigma certification is a plus
• Experience in print publishing is ideal

Grading/Leveling guidelines:

• 7+ years of experience in project management
• 5+ years of experience managing projects with cross-functional teams

Qualifications:

• Extraordinary attention to detail, with ability to see big picture
• Strong Leadership skills
• Superior presentation and communication skills
• Ability to make timely and sound decisions
• Comfortable driving accountability
• Ability to build and maintain strong, trust-based relationships across the organization
• Ability to manage and breakdown complex projects
• Able to adapt and lead in situations of shifting priorities, changing requirements, and uncertainty
• Equally at ease working in the detail or at the strategic high-level
• Working knowledge of project management systems/tools, preferably Workfront and/or Monday.com
• Occasional travel may be required