Senior IT Project Manager – Application Development (Contract)

Locations: Hybrid in one of the following locations: Purchase, NY; NYC, NY; Garden City, NY; Morristown, NJ; Conshohocken, PA, Alpharetta, GA; Charlotte, NC; Chicago, IL

Onsite 3 days per week.

The Senior IT Project Manager is responsible for managing complex IT initiatives, with a strong focus on application development and system integration projects, using structured Waterfall methodology. This role manages projects on a day-to-day basis in alignment with established Project Management Life Cycle (PMLC) and Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) standards, ensuring successful delivery across scope, schedule, budget, quality, and risk. Important: Candidates must have a detailed resume that clearly reflects hands-on experience leading application development projects, with explicit use of Waterfall methodology. Resumes should include specific project examples demonstrating ownership of end-to-end delivery across PMLC and SDLC phases.

Responsibilities

• Perform project management duties for complex IT projects in accordance with Project Management Life Cycle (PMLC) and Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) processes, including:
• Perform day-to-day management of all project phases to ensure deliverables are completed on time and within budget.
• Coordinate all project activities with IT project team members and business owners/stakeholders.
• Track performance against project objectives and develop corrective strategies when objectives are not being met.
• Create, manage, and maintain project charters, schedules, risk management plans, communication plans, project budgets, gate reviews, and all related project documentation.
• Work with project team members and management to secure appropriate resources and funding.
• Coordinate closely with project stakeholders to define and manage project scope and schedules.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to understand business needs, processes, and data sources.
• Partner with business analysts and architects to translate business needs into clearly documented, detailed requirements and functional specifications.
• Provide regular project status updates and maintain metrics to ensure transparency into delivery progress and team performance.
• Manage external vendors and hold them accountable for scope, schedule, and delivery commitments.
• Identify, manage, and coordinate cross-project dependencies.
• Communicate with executive leadership regarding project status, risks, issues, and impacts to strategic direction.
• Ensure all projects comply with audit, governance, and regulatory requirements.
• Complete additional projects and assignments as required.

Qualifications

• B.A. or B.S. degree required.
• Project Management Professional (PMP) certification is preferred but not required.
• CPCU designation or advanced degree is a plus but not required.

Required Skills

• 8+ years of project management experience delivering complex application development and data integration projects.
• Demonstrated experience managing mid-sized to large IT integration projects independently.
• Strong, detailed knowledge of project management frameworks and software development life cycle (SDLC) methodologies.
• Proven experience applying Waterfall project delivery methodology; experience with Agile and Hybrid methodologies is also required.
• Ability to translate business requirements into actionable IT deliverables.
• Multi-disciplinary IT knowledge with proven systems deployment experience.
• Expertise across requirements definition, testing, and implementation processes.
• Experience using Project and Portfolio Management tools such as MS Project, Planview, SharePoint, or similar platforms.
• Career experience within Commercial Insurance environments is preferred.
• Strong facilitation skills with the ability to lead cross-functional discussions and drive outcomes in a matrixed environment.
• Strong vendor and stakeholder management capabilities.

Preferred Skills

• Highly detail-oriented and extremely organized.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and managerial skills.
• Excellent business planning, prioritization, and time-management abilities.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and proactively identify risks to project timelines.
• Strong written and verbal business communication skills.
• Ability to work across organizational boundaries and bring together diverse perspectives to drive solutions.
• Team-oriented mindset with the ability to work effectively with both technical and business stakeholders.