Technology Project Management Specialist

For more than 85 years, American Family Insurance has built its reputation on sound principles. We strive to provide you industry-leading service, exceptional claims experience and products that build long-term relationships. This is accomplished by treating policyholders fairly in a helpful and caring way and making it easy and convenient to work with us. We know our customers like family.

The Technology Project Management Specialist successfully leads and manages multiple medium to large I/S technology projects of medium complexity that has complex resource or work interdependencies. Delivers projects on time, within budget, and in accordance with pre-defined specifications following corporate and I/S standards. Ensures effective integration and communication between multiple projects, and quality project deliverables.

**Project Management (60%)** * Leverages available project management software tools, methods, and divisional resources to help plan and manage the project. * Manages Project Scope and Project Integration to ensure that the various elements of the project are properly coordinated and to create a quality product by including all of the work required, only the work required, and by controlling scope changes (including initiation, scope planning and definition, and scope verification and change control). Ensures effective integration and communication between multiple projects. Develops and maintains overall project plan elements. * Manages Project Time and Cost to ensure timely completion of projects within acceptable budget tolerances. Works with delivery manager to administer project budget. Identifies change control procedures and defines appropriate performance measures. Integrates cost changes within the overall change control system, evaluates cost performance and estimate at completion. This includes activity definition and sequencing, activity duration estimating, schedule development and control, resources planning, cost estimating and budgeting, and cost control. * Manages Project Quality. Ensures that the product meets functional and technical requirements and satisfies client's needs. Proactively looks for defects by monitoring specific project results and project processes. Implements quality improvements and makes process adjustments to ensure quality improvement efforts. * Manages Project Communications. This includes communications planning, information distribution, performance reporting, and administrative closure. Ensures quality project information distribution. Conducts project performance reporting and project administrative closeout. Communicates effectively with the project team, managers and client project managers. * Manages Project Risk. Ensures appropriate risk identification and control. This includes risk identification, risk quantification, risk response development, and risk response control. Develops and manages risk management plans, contingency plans, and a risk reduction action plan. Initiates risk contingency plans and risk reduction action plans as appropriate. **Collaborative and Team-Based Environment (25%)** * Follows and promotes divisional and corporate project management standards and guidelines. Recommends improvements to the Division's project delivery methods, tools, standards, guidelines, and curriculum. Proactively shares project delivery best practices and lessons learned with other project managers. Promotes project management to the Division. * As a project manager, works collaboratively with peers of interdependent projects to facilitate cross project resource requirements, synchronize shared technical environments, coordinate production of deliverables, and co-manage inter-project risks, issues, and changes. * Motivates team members, communicates expectations and holds team members accountable for meeting project expectations. * Works with and holds supplier project leaders accountable for their sections of the overall work plan, including members from other divisions of American Family, vendors, and consultants. * Works closely with their delivery manager to agree on mutual accountabilities and establish project budget. Takes accountability for the project's deliverables; and manages overall work plan. * Proactively manages the customer's expectations, being focused on enabling the customer to be successful. Works with project's clients to fully understand their problem/frustrations/concerns showing professionalism and empathy. * Works with others within I/S and with external stakeholders to ensure optimal service to clients. Shares information and knowledge with others on team to better resolve project-oriented problems and build client knowledge. * Understands American Family's business mission, vision, values and project objectives, corporate culture and structure to support work initiatives. **Project Resource/Procurement Management (15%)** * Manages Project's resources. This includes staff acquisition, and team development. Employs quality leadership to achieve quality teamwork. Develops role and responsibility assignments. Assures that timely and accurate time reporting data is available for regular status and performance metrics reporting. * May assist delivery manager during procurement process. Integrates contract administration within the broader context of the project plan, quality control processes, and the overall project performance reporting systems.

* Demonstrated experience providing customer-driven solutions, support or service * Basic knowledge and understanding of information technology products and services, and associated risks and mitigation techniques. * Demonstrated experience communicating technical concepts clearly and concisely both orally and in writing. * Demonstrated experience in leading medium sized technology projects (minimum of 5,000 hours). * Demonstrated experience leading technology projects using project management processes, tools, methodologies, practices and techniques.