Project Manager / Program Manager

Overview

I’m growing my business and I’d love to find someone who’s willing to be “in the trenches” growing it with me for approximately 5 hours a week (with potential for more in the future)

 

You’re someone who enjoys digging into new projects with an eye to creating an organized project plan, figuring out what’s crucial, what’s a “nice to have” and helping us map out the path there together. I’m a bit of a reluctant project planner who sees the value in creating a plan of attack, so I appreciate your patience with my resistance to creating plans, and your enthusiasm for measuring twice and cutting once, as well as blocking off the time to make creating plans a reality. I’m so grateful that you’re willing to manage the details and make them more manageable for me.

 

You’re someone who thrives on being helpful. You see a need and immediately volunteer  creative solutions, making things easier and more streamlined, offering what you can do, or even what you’d be willing to try to take on with some more guidance – I’m all in favor of your learning and us growing together. You’re also willing to take on some projects that I need to outsource and truly own them.

 

Since I often design workshops or leadership development trainings, you are willing to help me think through the flow of activities, how the day will go, and what details need to be taken care of/planned for ahead of time to organize the day. And you’re just as willing to communicate with the client about the set-up and logistics of the day: you’re willing to pitch in and make each engagement a success. Your communication, in person, over the phone or email, is professional, concise and eloquent. You understand that everything we do leaves an impression (positively or negatively) on the client, and continually strive for excellence.

 

I appreciate that you can “tell it to me straight” and I can give you feedback as well. Sometimes you honestly tell me I’m taking on too much, reminding me that it’s not sustainable and there’s not enough time to do the work and live a life of balance and fun with my family. I listen to you. When things don’t work out, I can share my disappointment with the process and/or deliverable with you and you can hear constructive criticism without getting offended. You take it in stride and together we often think up new ways to do things that are even better, more efficient and have less room for error. We can make things better together.

 

I appreciate your sense of humor too. You don’t take yourself too seriously so I don’t have to either. I’m not perfect, you’re not perfect. But let’s at least laugh together sometimes about it. And while we all love to get things off our desks and mark them “done,” I can count on you to proof it really well so we’re on top of the things we can control.

 

Thanks for having some flexibility in your schedule. I can guarantee you a certain number of hours per week/month if that’s necessary but I don’t always know on what day they’ll come. I don’t expect you to be on call 24/7 but I’d love if you could be upfront about your availability, busy times and help me to plan in advance around them.

 

Oh and of course, you’re interested in leadership development, how we work with people to be the flexible and wise leaders we need now and in the future. I believe it helps the world to grow with more developed leaders. You believe that too. Which means you also spend time on your own personal development growth as well.

 

**When applying for this job, please include in your cover letter.  “What attracted you to this job and made you want to apply?”

**Also please include your location. 

 

Skills/Knowledge you need:

• Proven experience in project/program manager or position with similar skills
• Outstanding leadership and organizational skills, proactive, takes responsibility
• Experience working in-house in corporate and/or business environments
• Know the “rules of the road” of corporate conduct and structures
• Fabulous writing and editing capabilities
• Ability to create user-friendly SOPs
• Completely at home with word/excel/power point/ google docs: Excellent knowledge and comfort creating client facing proposals & other documentation
• Quick at learning new apps and online programs we might decide to use.
• Great at research, whether on a leadership topic, finding someone’s contact details, or a new online program that might serve us better – I can count on you to be my “google ninja.”
• Excellent communication skills
• Excellent proactive problem-solving ability and independent worker

 

Not necessary but a plus:

• Knowledgeable about instructional design and facilitation
• Trained in coaching (maybe you practice it somewhat – maybe you’re still learning)
• Very familiar with Teamwork, Monday, Asana or a similar online collaborative project management tool

 

Key Activities include:

• Drafting statements of work (SOWs) for new engagements
• Project manage and staff client programs end-to-end for various discreet and ongoing programs, which may include:
• Tracking, reviewing & managing deliverables & milestones for each coaching program:
• Ensuring coach is completing various milestones on a timely / high quality basis
• Conducting mid-point and end of engagement satisfaction surveys/calls with clients
• Gathering/synthesizing coaching program themes to help share back with clients as appropriate
• Account management/relationship management for new and existing clients and coaches
• Creating SOPs for all aspects of my business and standardizing them for future ease of use.
• Support ongoing business development and marketing projects
• Coordinate and sometimes manage other external vendors and consultants
• Fully own and manage side-projects whether it’s a website addition, optimizing a new tool or helping with something that’s been on my “should do” list for 6 months already.

 

Hours/Location

• Position would primarily be remote and require excellent internet/phone connection. Also have occasional meetings in-person if local.
• Availability required during business hours with daily regularity, some flexibility due to project demands. I estimate this to be 3-5 hours/week.

 

Past Experiences

In a past life — you may have worked in-house in strategic HR management/ development, chief of staff, program management, change management, project management, consulting and/or people services, business development, and sales operations. You may have even taken time out to raise a family and now be eager to come back or be ready to transition out of corporate to join a more flexible mission-driven business. You might even be semi-retired but still keeping a hand in the work world.

 

**When applying for this job, please include in your cover letter.  “What attracted you to this job and made you want to apply?”

**Also please include your location. 

 

Compensation

$40-$50/hour negotiable based on past experience and qualifications. Option to review rates commensurate with contributions at 6-12 months in role. This is a contract role.