Principal Project Manager

Microsoft Industry Solutions Delivery is a global organization hosting over 6,000 strategic sellers, industry and security experts, elite engineers, world-class data scientists and architects, consultants, and delivery specialists. Together with our partners, we help Microsoft’s most strategic customers worldwide to address their specific challenges and provide comprehensive and industry-specific solutions that meet their unique needs.

Our organisation is at the forefront of innovation, driving value across the entirety of the customers’ digital and AI transformation journey through repeatable and customized cutting-edge solutions powered by the Microsoft Cloud. We take pride in embodying Microsoft's mission of empowerment, promoting a growth mindset, inspiring excellence, and fostering a culture of inclusivity where everyone is encouraged to share their unique perspectives and be their authentic selves. By joining our team, you'll have the opportunity to contribute to life-changing innovations that impact billions of people worldwide.

We are seeking an experienced Principal Project Manager to oversee and drive the successful delivery of high-impact programs, with a focus on account delivery management, relationship development, and the execution of end-to-end project lifecycles. This role will be pivotal in managing client accounts, ensuring successful delivery of contracted solutions, and driving pre-sales and contracting efforts.

As the Project Manager you will oversee complex programs from initiation through closure, ensuring alignment with client goals, delivering within scope, and fostering strong client relationships. You will be responsible for planning, monitoring, and controlling project execution, all while managing internal and external stakeholders, identifying risks, and ensuring continuous improvement in program delivery.

This opportunity will allow you to accelerate your career growth, honing your industry and cloud and AI expertise as well as deepening your contractual and commercial acumen.  This role is flexible in that you can work up to 40% from home.

Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. As employees we come together with a growth mindset, innovate to empower others, and collaborate to realise our shared goals. Each day we build on our values of respect, integrity, and accountability to create a culture of inclusion where everyone can thrive at work and beyond.

Responsibilities

• Lead the delivery of large-scale programs, ensuring alignment with client expectations and business outcomes.
• Manage and oversee the end-to-end project lifecycle, from initiation to closure, ensuring all phases are executed efficiently and on schedule.
• Develop and implement detailed program plans, setting clear milestones, timelines, and resource allocation strategies.
• Ensure quality control and adherence to defined processes and standards across all aspects of the program delivery.
• Monitor project budgets and financials, ensuring delivery within agreed timelines and costs.
• Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with key client stakeholders, becoming the trusted advisor for program success and ongoing account growth.
• Work closely with clients to understand their business needs, ensuring high levels of customer satisfaction and facilitating successful program outcomes.
• Foster collaborative relationships with internal teams, vendors, and third-party partners to ensure alignment on program goals and timelines.
• Lead regular client reviews and status meetings to ensure transparency and manage client expectations effectively.
• Support pre-sales efforts by partnering with the sales and business development teams to define program scopes, deliverables, and timelines.
• Contribute to the development of proposals, RFP responses, and contractual agreements to ensure alignment with client needs and expectations.
• Monitor and control project performance by tracking progress against key metrics (scope, time, cost, quality), identifying and mitigating risks.
• Implement robust project management methodologies and processes to manage changes, scope adjustments, and client requests effectively.
• Manage issues and risks and escalate where necessary to ensure successful delivery and resolve blockers quickly.
• Drive continuous improvement by evaluating program delivery, client feedback, and lessons learned to refine processes and improve future program outcomes.
• Lead the program initiation process, ensuring alignment with client objectives and clear definition of deliverables and milestones.
• Ensure the program is formally closed, with proper documentation, lessons learned, and a successful handover to the client or internal teams for ongoing support.
• Ensure the transition of deliverables to the operations and support teams, with full knowledge transfer and client satisfaction in mind.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in program or project management, with a strong focus on account delivery management and relationship development.
• Proven experience leading large-scale programs across multiple disciplines and stakeholders, delivering results within scope, budget, and timeline.
• Strong background in pre-sales and contracting, with a demonstrated ability to develop proposals and negotiate contracts.
• Expertise in planning, monitoring, and controlling projects and programs, using industry-standard project management methodologies.
• Experience managing client relationships and maintaining high levels of customer satisfaction throughout the project lifecycle.
• Ability to manage and motivate cross-functional teams, ensuring effective collaboration and high performance.
• Strong communication and leadership skills, with the ability to manage executive-level relationships and communicate effectively with stakeholders.
• Familiarity with project management software and financial management tools.
• Relevant certifications including PMP (Project Management Professional), and Agile/Scrum are required.

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances.  We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please send a request via the Accommodation request form.

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