Senior Manager, Strategic Operations & Jira Solutions

Somos; United States; Remote; USD 140,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a Senior Manager for Strategic Operations & Jira Solutions to lead cross-functional teams in optimizing project management practices. This role is pivotal in ensuring effective Jira and Confluence administration while fostering a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement. The ideal candidate will possess extensive experience in agile methodologies and project management, driving alignment between strategic objectives and execution. Join a forward-thinking company that values innovation and offers generous compensation and benefits, ensuring a supportive environment for both personal and professional growth.

Benefits

100% Company Paid Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance

401(k) Savings Plan with Employer Contribution

100% Company Paid Short- and Long-Term Disability

100% Company Paid Life Insurance

Flexible Time Off

Generous Bonus Potential

Variety of Voluntary Benefits

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in project management and agile environments.
• Strong expertise in Jira and Confluence administration and reporting.

Responsibilities

• Manage Jira configurations and optimize for program management.
• Lead cross-functional teams in executing strategic initiatives.
• Provide real-time reporting on project health and outcomes.

Skills

Project Management

Agile Methodologies

Jira Administration

Confluence Administration

Cross-Functional Leadership

Critical Thinking

Communication Skills

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Information Technology

Certification in Project Management

Tools

Jira

Confluence

Smartsheet

Salesforce

Job description

The Senior Manager - Strategic Operations & Jira Solutions plays an advisory role as a servant leader for cross-functional teams of strategic initiatives fostering an environment of collaboration, engagement, and innovation. This individual will be responsible for ensuring the effective configuration and administration of Jira and Confluence, and use of these tools by cross-functional teams in supporting a lean and agile approach across strategic initiatives. Reporting directly to the Senior Director of Strategic Operations, the individual will collaborate closely with the LASSO team (Agile COE) and their Strategic Operations peers to drive alignment between business objectives and execution, facilitating the successful delivery of strategic programs. This role is integral in optimizing project management practices, through a strategic lens, ensuring transparency and strategic alignment, and providing executive-level reporting, while balancing the responsibilities of Jira administration, program management, and continuous improvement efforts.

The Senior Manager - Strategic Operations & Jira Solutions is expected to demonstrate strong project management skills (including agile project management skills), extensive Jira administration experience, strategic operations, critical thinking, and cross-functional leadership. Additionally, the Strategic Operations Senior Manager is expected to demonstrate Somos cultural attributes and behaviors in all interactions.

Support Lean and Agile Program Management:

• Align Jira and Confluence configurations with an enterprise approach and lean and agile principles to ensure efficient program execution and value delivery.
• Collaborate with LASSO (Agile COE) and Strategic Operations peers to embed agile methodologies within program management and streamline workflows across teams.
• Work with cross-functional teams to define and track program outcomes, milestones, deliverables, and dependencies in alignment with organizational goals.
• Provide real-time reporting on the health of strategic initiatives, monitoring risks, dependencies, and overall program status.

Project Management of Strategic Initiatives:

• Use agile methodologies to manage strategic initiatives, ensuring projects are delivered efficiently and aligned with high-level objectives.
• Lead cross-functional teams in planning and executing large-scale, multi-system strategic projects, including the development of detailed work plans, schedules, and resource allocation.
• Ensure clear, transparent communications regarding project progress, pivoting when necessary to maintain focus on value-driven outcomes.
• Allow a strategic lens in managing projects, demonstrate strong collaborative leadership, strategic thinking, critical thinking, and communication skills.
• Active participation, in collaboration in the development and ongoing support of the Strategic Action Plan (SAP) in conjunction with Somos Strategic Roadmap and Budget. Ensure interdepartmental alignment and prioritization in conjunction with leadership’s strategic direction.

Jira and Confluence Administration:

• Jira Administration:
• Manage Jira configurations (boards, workflows, filters) to support agile program management and facilitate the tracking of key program metrics.
• Work with cross-functional teams to implement and optimize Jira for managing strategic initiatives, ensuring the tool meets the needs of stakeholders.
• Develop executive-level reports in Jira, ensuring alignment with organizational value outcomes and providing visibility for leadership on program progress.
• Confluence Administration:
• Oversee the setup and maintenance of Confluence spaces for documentation, collaboration, and program management.
• Ensure that Confluence serves as a central hub for strategic initiative documentation, including planning, decisions, risks, and lessons learned.
• Training and Support:

• Provide training and support to end users across the organization, helping them understand how to use Jira and Confluence effectively.
• Be the subject matter expert for Jira and Confluence configurations, ensuring that stakeholders know how to access and use these tools to their full potential to drive alignment, transparency and successful execution on strategic initiatives.

Collaboration and Stakeholder Management:

• Cross-Functional Collaboration:
• Work closely with the LASSO team (Agile COE) and Strategic Operations peers to ensure alignment between agile methodologies and Jira/Confluence configurations.
• Serve as a point of contact for program managers, business leaders, and other stakeholders, gathering feedback and ensuring tools meet cross-departmental needs.
• Foster collaboration between teams, ensuring transparency and alignment with organizational goals.
• In partnership with the ELT and Strategic Operations teammates, create a relevant strategic action plan, ensuring clear content, structure, and communication.
• Executive Reporting and Strategic Alignment:
• Collaborate with the Senior Director of Strategic Operations and key stakeholders to ensure that program progress transparently reported and aligned with the strategic roadmap and business priorities.
• Provide regular updates to the Strategic Operations Team, key stakeholders, and Leadership on the status of strategic initiatives, Jira tool effectiveness, and opportunities for process improvement.

Continuous Improvement and Process Optimization:

• Process Improvement:
  • Focus on continuous improvement, strategic alignment, and project execution to drive sustainable value outcomes for the business.
  • Drive continuous improvement in the use of Jira and Confluence, ensuring that configurations evolve based on feedback from teams and changing organizational needs.
  • Identify bottlenecks and implement agile and lean principles to streamline workflows, reduce waste, and optimize efficiency.
• Governance and Risk Management:
  • Proactively allow change management skills to ensure team alignment, prioritization, and successful execution of projects.
  • Oversee governance processes and ensure that Jira and Confluence configurations adhere to best practices and organizational standards.
  • Proactively track risks and dependencies across projects, providing transparency into conflicts that fall outside of teams control and ensuring that the strategic objectives are met.

Experience:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent in Information Technology, Program Management, Strategic Planning, or related field
• 10+ years of related experience in project management/program management, change and risk management preferably in an agile environment.
• Demonstrated track record of thought leadership in the architecture and administration of Jira and Confluence.
• Proven experience leading cross-functional teams and managing strategic initiatives using agile methodologies (Scrum, Kanban).
• Extensive experience with Jira and Confluence administration and customization, including developing reports, dashboards, and workflows.

Knowledge & Skills:

• Strong understanding of agile methodologies, including lean principles, and their application in program and project management.
• Ability to configure Jira and Confluence to support complex, large-scale strategic initiatives.
• Experience working with senior leadership and stakeholders to ensure alignment between strategic priorities and execution.

Certifications:

• Jira and Confluence certifications preferred.
• PMP, Scrum Master, or Agile Project Management certifications a plus.
• Knowledge of additional Project Management tools, Smartsheet or Salesforce is beneficial.

Communication and Analytical Skills:

• Strong communication skills with the ability to engage stakeholders and teams, ensuring alignment and transparency.
• Analytical mindset with the ability to assess program performance, identify risks, and implement improvements.
• Ability to clearly present complex information to individuals and small groups

Cultural Fit:

• Ability to foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement in a fast-paced, agile environment.
• Strong alignment with the organization’s core values, including transparency, adaptability, and results-driven outcomes.

Salary and Benefits:
Somos leads the market in compensation and benefits to attract and retain top talent while providing for our team members’ current and future needs!

• Salary Range: $140,000 - $160,000
• Generous bonus potential with achievable, outcome-based goals
• 100% Company Paid Medical, Dental and Vision insurance for you and your family!
• 401(k) Savings Plan with Employer Contribution
• 100% Company Paid Short- and Long-Term Disability
• 100% Company Paid Life Insurance
• Flexible Time Off
• Plus a Variety of Voluntary Benefits

Somos does not discriminate on the basis of race, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, disability, age, or any other legally protected status.

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive list of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of this position. Aspects of this job description may change at any time, with or without notice.

This job description is not intended as and does not create an employment contract. The organization maintains its status as an at-will employer. Employees can be terminated for any reason not prohibited by law.

Employees must be able to perform the essential functions of the position satisfactorily and, if requested, reasonable accommodations will be made to enable employees with disabilities to perform the essential functions of their job, absent undue hardship.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.