IT Project Manager

Covington & Burling LLP; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 134,000 - 168,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare insurance

Comprehensive benefits package

Hybrid work model

Job summary

Covington & Burling LLP is seeking an IT Project Manager to join the PMO in Washington, DC. The role leads project execution, defines scope, manages budget and staffing, and partners with IT and cross-functional stakeholders to deliver strategic initiatives.

The IT PMO emphasizes disciplined intake, demand management, and governance, while ensuring effective reporting and delivery standards across the IT organization.

Qualifications

• College degree strongly preferred in a related field (CS, IS, Business Admin, Finance).
• PM certification preferred (PMP, CSM, PMI-ACP).
• 5+ years of relevant experience in large firms or professional services.

Responsibilities

• Define project scope, goals, and deliverables with senior management and stakeholders.
• Estimate resources and participants; manage budgets and staffing.
• Draft budgets and approve budget changes as needed.
• Coordinate staffing with internal and external resources, including vendors.
• Communicate project expectations clearly to all team members and stakeholders.
• Maintain ongoing liaison with project stakeholders and leadership.
• Plan schedules and milestones with appropriate tools; track progress.
• Produce status reports and identify risks; propose contingency plans.
• Develop and share best practices for project execution and governance.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Budgeting

PM tooling

Communication

Risk management

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Smartsheet

MS Project

SharePoint

Job description

The IT Project Manager is part of the IT Program Management Office (PMO) that leads project execution and establishes delivery standards, process, tools, and reporting for the IT organization. The IT PMO upholds and influences gold-standard project execution by instituting discipline around intake & demand management, resource & capacity management, project & program management, and management reporting, in partnership with other Solution Delivery leads.

In addition to supporting the continuous improvement of PMO standards, the IT Project Manager plans, organizes, and implements the Firm’s technology-related projects and oversees all aspects of the project lifecycle. This role closely partners with IT and cross-functional stakeholders of all levels on project execution, responsible for managing project scope, budget, staffing (internal / third-party), and contractual deliverables to deliver against defined objectives and strategic priorities.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Defines project scope, goals, and deliverables that support business goals in collaboration with senior management and stakeholders.
• Estimates the resources and participants needed to achieve project goals.
• Drafts and submits budget proposals and recommend subsequent budget changes when necessary.
• Determines and assesses the need for additional staff and/or consultants and make the appropriate recruitments, if necessary, during the project cycle.
• Effectively communicates project expectations to team members and stakeholders in a timely and clear fashion.
• Liaises with project stakeholders on an ongoing basis.
• Sets and continually manages project expectations with IT and business leaders, team members, and other stakeholders.
• Plans and schedules project timelines and milestones using appropriate tools.
• Tracks project milestones and deliverables.
• Determines the frequency and content of project status reports, proactively identify project execution risks and issues, and troubleshoots problem areas.
• Defines project success criteria and disseminates to involved parties throughout project life cycle.
• Conducts project postmortems and creates a recommendations report to identify successful and unsuccessful project elements.
• Develops best practices and tools for project execution and management.
• Directs and manages project development from initiation to closure.
• Develops full-scale project plans and associated communications documents.
• Delegates tasks and responsibilities to appropriate personnel and tracks project-related progress.
• Identifies and resolves issues and conflicts within the project team.
• Identifies and manages project dependencies and critical path activities and milestones.
• Develops and delivers progress reports, proposals, requirements documentation, and presentations.
• Proactively manages change(s) in project scope, identify potential risks, and devises contingency plans.
• Builds, develops, and grows business relationships vital to the success of a project.
• Translates end-user requirements into pragmatic solutions.
• Uphold high standards of confidentiality, discretion, and integrity, particularly with respect to all sensitive and/or confidential firm and client information to which this position will have access.

Qualifications:

• College degree strongly preferred, ideally in Computer Science, Information Systems, Business Administration, Finance, or a related field.
• Appropriate technical certification(s) are preferred (e.g., PMP, CSM, PMI-ACP)
• 5+ years of relevant experience, ideally in a large Law Firm setting, a comparable professional services organization, or a legal information services provider.
• Demonstrated experience with project and program management disciplines, methodologies, and processes.
• Demonstrated experience managing complex technology projects and programs with multiple cross-functional stakeholders.
• Demonstrated experience with project and portfolio management tools and solutions (e.g., Smartsheet, MS Project).
• Demonstrated experience with the functioning of a program management office and governance frameworks.
• Experience with collaboration tools (e.g., MS Teams, SharePoint).
• Experience with other project management, planning and issue tracking, and software development tools.
• Demonstrated ability to serve as a change agent, leading and inspiring others to act, especially under circumstances when change is unpopular.
• Demonstrated ability to conform to shifting priorities, demands, and timelines through analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
• Ability to establish rapport and elicit cooperation from personnel across all levels, including upper management, clients, and other departments.
• Ability to professionally react to project adjustments and alterations promptly and efficiently.
• Ability to read communication styles of team members and contractors who come from a broad spectrum of disciplines.
• Ability to manage project-related disagreements and resolution of issues.
• Ability to bring a project to successful completion.
• Adept at conducting research into project-related issues and products.
• Strong capacity to learn, understand, and apply new technologies.
• Position requires access to equipment, software, or technology that is subject to U.S. export controls. To be granted access pursuant to US Export Control laws, candidate must be either (a) a United States citizen or national; (b) a person lawfully admitted for permanent residence of the United States (i.e., “Green Card” holder); or (c) an INS-approved refugee or asylum holder who has applied for naturalization within six months of the date the individual first became eligible; and if not yet naturalized, is still actively pursuing naturalization if 2 years have passed since the date of application to be granted access pursuant to US Export Control laws. Candidates will be required to submit appropriate documentation to determine whether access can be granted before proceeding further through the application process.

Status: Exempt

Workplace Type: Hybrid as needed (position requires an occasional onsite presence in our Washington, DC office)

Salary range is $134,000 – $168,000 depending on candidate location and experience.

Candidates hired for staff positions with a minimum work schedule of 30 hours per week are eligible for a comprehensive benefits package, including healthcare insurance. Learn more about benefits at Covington.

https://www.cov.com/en/careers/staff/benefits

View Covington job applicant privacy notice here:

https://www.cov.com/en/job-applicant-privacy-notice

Covington & Burling LLP is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in any aspect of employment, including hiring, salary, promotion, discipline, termination, and benefits, on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, national origin, gender, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, sexual orientation, family responsibility, disability (including physical handicap), or any other improper criterion.