Project Manager (Information Technology)

Penn National Insurance is looking for a Project Manager to join our team. This is a hybrid position reporting to our office in Harrisburg, PA.

This position, working under the direction of the Director of Project Management and following established project management guidelines, leads assigned project teams, delivering business solutions via planned projects and/or portions of strategic projects. Position is responsible for managing the project under the prescribed guidelines set forth by the PMO. The Project Manager is also responsible for business case development on assigned project initiatives, as well as, for developing and managing budgets and plans for those projects.

 

COMPETENCIES AND ESSENTIAL DUTIES OF THE PROJECT MANAGER

 

Coaching & Influencing

• Assists with HR recruiting, hires, organizes, directs, coaches, develops staff and assesses performance as required to maintain department performance, maintain reliability/availability commitments to the business, as well as supporting long term corporate business strategies.
• Responsible for leading project teams on projects that may cross departmental lines.

 

Facilitating Change

• Communicates any needed business changes to include what is changing, why the need, anticipated benefits; emphasizes the impact of change on performance expectations and individual, team, and organizational results.

 

Ability to Grow & Adapt

• As part of a special project, performs research, analysis, and recommendation of development methodologies, languages, tools, techniques, and products in support of the business application strategy and to deliver innovative and effective solutions for the business.
• Participates in self-development to maintain the technical currency necessary to perform the duties of the position as well as to discover and develop innovative solutions for the organization.
• Develops relationships with industry peers outside the organization.
• Participates in various IT and/or Insurance organizations outside the company.

 

Conflict Management

• Ensures Client satisfaction.  Communicates regularly with the business clients to understand IT-related needs and concerns, resolves IT-related issues, provides status updates on IT initiatives, and manages client expectations.
• Negotiates and administers vendor, outsourcer, and consultant contracts and service agreements.  Manages vendors/consultants to ensure on-time delivery of solutions and prompt rectification of problems.
• Provides direction to project team members to navigate competing priorities.

 

Strategic Planning

• Personally manages planned and/or components of strategic level projects to ensure delivery of effective on time, on budget, high quality projects/business solutions to meet the strategic needs of the company. 
• Participates as the IT representative in cross-divisional committees to develop corporate strategies/solutions for business issues.

 

Driving Execution

• Responsible for following PNI application development standards, software development methodology, and project management guidelines.
• Responsible for timely delivery and high-quality solutions from all members of the project team, including IT Staff vendors/consultants.
• Responsible for financial oversight and appropriate financial analysis of all aspects of assigned project development and implementation.
• Initiates and ensures the implementation of projects determined to be beneficial to company and that projects are completed in the determined timelines and accomplish the goals set forth in the project plan.
• Articulates the value that is to be generated by the project, track and report on the same.

 

Planning and Organizing

• Develops and presents project plans and reports status to management & project sponsors in order to gain approval/direction related to project issues.
• Communicates project status to appropriate individuals, including steering committees.
• Responsible for developing and maintaining project plans using MS Project or comparable software.
• Brings the appropriate internal resources, IT, contract resources, and vendors together to form an effective and efficient project team.

 

Performs various projects or cross-functional teams as requested or assigned by the Vice President, Enterprise Project Management, Director, Planning and Project Management or Director, Client Application Services.

 

CORPORATE CORE COMPETENCIES OF THE PROJECT MANAGER

 

Effectively Communicates and Connects

• Articulates and presents important information clearly and concisely across all levels of the organization; fostering a feedback loop around decisions made, status of initiatives, etc., to all contributors.
• Creates healthy tension by challenging ideas and assumptions that impact business results to drive improvement; embraces conflict.
• Shapes the opinions of senior individuals by presenting persuasive arguments; negotiates solutions to best meet business needs.
• Provides feedback to project team members or direct reports on an ongoing basis.
• Encourages individuals on the project to provide feedback and challenge others, justifying their reasoning.

 

Customer Focused

• Predicts broad need across customer groups based on business, industry and economic trends.
• Develops strong relationships and proactively builds new relationships through responsiveness at all levels within the organization.
• Uses customer experience to influence add-on offerings driving growth and profitability.
• Leads development of cross team, cutting edge solutions to address emerging customer needs.
• Recognizes and understands the customer needs to drive superior customer experience across the customer journey.
• Takes action to create a superior customer experience.
• Leads others to build relationships with key influencers.

 

Talent Development Mindset

• Develops learning strategies that reinforce the importance of technical and personal development.
• Supports continuing education, suggests and/or delivers training, and/or facilitates developmental experiences.
• Provides meaningful or challenging opportunities and delegates work to build others' skills; encourages teams to learn from each other and from others in the organization.
• Sets clear performance expectations; rewards and recognizes individuals and teams for high performance, and encourages others to do the same.
• Finds opportunities to individually coach others, providing specific insights and tips to enhance skills, knowledge, or work performance.
• Identifies career paths and informs training/experience needed to move into other roles.

 

Demonstrates Adaptability

• Generates numerous ideas and takes action on new approaches to address a range of departmental work areas; encourages others to generate ideas.
• Considers non-conventional ideas and approaches when developing solutions that have the potential to improve services delivered by the business.
• Launches a variety of initiatives that contribute to departmental success with cohesive purpose.
• Pursues success with tenacity and persistence, actively seeking feedback on where continuous improvement is needed and turning difficult situations into opportunities for growth.
• Advocates change initiatives and proactively develops and implements strategies to help others embrace change and overcome resistance to change. Incorporates Organizational Change Management principles.

 

Demonstrates Accountability

• Collaborates to make critical decisions that have important outcomes for the business; takes full responsibility for decisions, ensuring resulting action is taken.
• Establishes departmental expectations and reputation for accountability by driving accurate and impactful work results and rewarding demonstrated behavior of ownership and accountability.
• Anticipates department deliverables, timelines and behaviors, setting expectations and priorities, allowing team members to meet objectives and operate effectively.
• Forecasts long-term needs for the business and establishes a plan to execute.
• Addresses and communicates difficult personnel and business scenarios.

 

SPECIAL RELATIONSHIPS FOR THE PROJECT MANAGER

• Interacts with external contacts (vendors, solution providers, industry peers, Insurance/IT organizations) to ensure the delivery of effective solutions for the organization
• Forges relationships with divisional peers to collaboratively develop business solutions
• Reports via matrix management to individual project sponsors

 

QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE PROJECT MANAGER

 

Education/Credentials

• Bachelor's degree required or 4 years comparable work experience required
• Project Management certification preferred

 

Experience

• A minimum of 5 years of technical experience required
• 3 – 5 years previous project management experience required
• Property/Casualty insurance industry experience preferred

 

Technical/Professional Knowledge

• Demonstrated customer service skills
• Demonstrated verbal and written communication skills
• Demonstrated software development lifecycle management.
• Demonstrated project management skills
• Demonstrated leadership and team building skills
• Demonstrated multi-tasking skills
• Demonstrated problem solving and conflict resolution skills
• Demonstrated ability to develop and deliver effective presentations within the organization
• Demonstrated competence in planning, finance and budgeting processes/principles
• Demonstrated competence in IT technologies (hardware, software, networking, security, etc.)

 

JOB REQUIREMENTS (as required by ADA – Americans with Disabilities Act)

• This position is primarily a sedentary position that requires occasional standing and walking throughout the office environment.
• Must be able to see and effectively use a computer monitor.
• Must be able to operate a computer, keyboard, and applicable printers and other general office equipment.
• Must be able to access and enter information accurately using automated systems.
• Must be able to hear and communicate via the telephone and/or monitoring devices to both internal and external clients.
• Must be able to present information to individuals and groups.
• Must be able to interpret and apply concepts that may or may not be based upon established guidelines.
• Must be able to maintain acceptable attendance and adhere to scheduled work hours.
• Must be able to travel with overnight stays as required.