Senior Project Manager

MMD Services; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

MMD Services is seeking a Senior Project/Program Manager to lead a large-scale transformation within its Loyalty & Commercial Services organization. You will drive a multi-workstream initiative, align executive stakeholders, and translate strategy into actionable programs.

You will thrive in ambiguity, build structure where needed, manage risks, dependencies, and resources, and guide teams through AI-enabled processes, automation, and modern ways of working across the enterprise.

Qualifications

• 8+ years leading complex enterprise technology or business transformation programs.
• Create structure in ambiguous environments and drive execution.
• Experience managing budgets, vendors, and multi-workstream programs.
• Hands-on with Jira and Smartsheet.

Responsibilities

• Lead a large, complex enterprise program spanning multiple business and technology workstreams.
• Define scope, priorities, roadmaps, milestones, and execution paths for evolving initiatives.
• Develop integrated program plans across dependent workstreams and teams.
• Partner with senior leaders to define success measures and execution strategy.
• Drive cross-functional alignment with internal teams, vendors, and partners.
• Identify risks, dependencies, and resource constraints with mitigation plans.
• Communicate program status and decisions to executives.
• Utilize Jira and Smartsheet to manage workstreams and timelines.

Skills

Enterprise program management

Stakeholder management

Risk management

Agile / Hybrid delivery

Executive communication

Education

PMP certification

CSM certification

Tools

Jira

Smartsheet

Job description

Our client, a global hospitality organization, is seeking a Senior Project/Program Manager to help lead a large-scale transformation within its Loyalty & Commercial Services organization.

This is an opportunity to step into a highly visible initiative that is being built and evolved across multiple business and technology workstreams. The ideal candidate is someone who thrives in complex, ambiguous environments and someone who can bring structure to moving pieces, anticipate risks, influence stakeholders, and drive a major program forward without needing significant direction.

The organization is also continuing to evolve how it operates through AI-enabled processes, automation, and new ways of working, making this an exciting opportunity for a Program Manager who is interested in helping teams adopt and operationalize emerging technology.

What You'll Do

• Lead a large, complex enterprise program spanning Loyalty, Commercial Services, technology, data, and business teams.
• Take ownership of initiatives that may not have every detail defined upfront — establishing structure, priorities, roadmaps, milestones, and clear paths to execution.
• Develop and manage integrated program plans across multiple related workstreams, dependencies, teams, and deliverables.
• Partner closely with senior business and technology leaders to define scope, priorities, success measures, and execution strategy.
• Drive cross-functional alignment across internal teams, external partners, vendors, and leadership.
• Proactively identify program risks, dependencies, resource constraints, and potential roadblocks and develop mitigation plans before they impact delivery.
• Lead conversations around tradeoffs, priorities, and critical decisions rather than simply reporting project status.
• Support the introduction and adoption of AI-enabled processes, automation, and evolving ways of working across the organization.
• Partner with technical and data teams while translating complex initiatives into clear business outcomes and actionable plans.
• Manage program-level financials, resource planning, timelines, and overall program health.
• Create clear executive-level reporting and communicate program status, risks, decisions, and recommendations to senior stakeholders.
• Establish scalable processes and governance while remaining flexible enough to operate in a fast-moving environment.
• Utilize Jira and Smartsheet to manage workstreams, dependencies, timelines, reporting, and overall program execution.

What We're Looking For

• 8+ years of experience leading complex enterprise technology, digital transformation, data, or business transformation programs.
• Demonstrated experience managing large-scale initiatives involving multiple workstreams, departments, stakeholders, and dependencies.
• Proven ability to step into an ambiguous or evolving environment and create structure from the ground up.
• Experience driving programs from strategy and planning through execution and delivery — not solely managing schedules or administrative PM activities.
• Strong risk management skills with the ability to anticipate downstream impacts and develop contingency plans.
• Excellent executive presence and the ability to confidently communicate with senior leadership, technical teams, business stakeholders, and external partners.
• Experience managing budgets, vendors, resources, timelines, and competing priorities across enterprise programs.
• Strong understanding of Agile, Waterfall, and/or hybrid delivery environments.
• Hands-on experience with Jira and Smartsheet.
• Interest in and exposure to AI, automation, data, or emerging technology initiatives; experience helping organizations implement AI-enabled processes is highly valued.
• Ability to operate independently, make sound decisions, and keep complex programs moving forward.

Preferred Background

• Experience within hospitality, loyalty, travel, retail, financial services, healthcare, or another large enterprise environment.
• Experience supporting customer loyalty, commercial, digital, data, or customer experience programs.
• Experience with data governance, AI governance, responsible AI, or enterprise data initiatives.
• PMP, CSM, or similar project/program management certification.
• Experience working within highly regulated, complex, or rapidly changing organizations.

The Profile That Will Excel

This role is best suited for a program leader rather than a traditional project coordinator. We're looking for someone who can walk into a large initiative with significant moving pieces, quickly understand the landscape, establish structure, build credibility with stakeholders, surface risks, and drive execution.

The right person will be comfortable saying, "Here's where we are, here's where we need to go, here are the risks, and here's how we're going to get there."

They should be equally comfortable working with executives, business leaders, technology and data teams, and excited about helping a global organization modernize its processes through AI, automation, and new ways of working.

MMD Services Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants are considered for all positions without regard to race, religion, color, sex, gender, sexual orientation, pregnancy, age, national origin, ancestry, physical/mental disability, medical condition, military/veteran status, genetic information, marital status, ethnicity, alienage or any other protected classification, in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws.