Senior Project Manager

Morningstar, Inc.; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 95,275 - 139,742; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model

Wellness programs

Sabbatical program

Parental leave

Job summary

Morningstar Credit Analytics is seeking a Senior Project Manager to lead cross-functional, globally distributed initiatives across product, data, technology, and partnerships. You will own planning, sequencing, and delivery of complex programs while driving accountability and risk management.

The ideal candidate brings 5+ years in project management, PMP preferred, with experience coordinating cross-functional teams and managing contract-related workstreams in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent.
• 5+ years of project management experience; PMP or equivalent preferred.
• Hands-on experience with project management platforms such as Asana; Jira knowledge is a plus.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple complex projects concurrently, including software development, data products, or contract-driven workstreams.
• Experience coordinating cross-functional work with product, technology, legal, analytics, and business development stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Create and oversee project plans, timelines, milestones, dependencies, responsibilities, and deliverables with global teams.
• Own execution across MCA initiatives, maintaining priorities and timelines.
• Coordinate partnership, distribution, and commercial workstreams for aligned scope and deliverables.
• Drive contract-related initiatives including repapering, restructuring, and amendment coordination.
• Collaborate with Product, Data, Technology, Analytics, Legal, Compliance, Commercial, and Business Development teams on scope and requirements.
• Support onboarding and execution workstreams related to AI platforms and product launches.
• Provide regular status updates to stakeholders and escalate risks or blockers.
• Identify, monitor, and mitigate risks affecting revenue, launches, partnerships, or client delivery.
• Analyze metrics to resolve issues and keep initiatives moving at a steady pace.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, and practical problem solving.
• Drive continuous process improvement through retrospectives, documentation, and coaching.
• Partner with Morningstar Credit Analytics groups to support priorities.

Skills

Project management

Cross-functional collaboration

Stakeholder communication

Leadership

Risk management

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Asana

Jira

Job description

The Team

Morningstar Credit Analytics' Program Management team leads strategic initiatives that enable the efficiency, execution discipline, and growth of MCA. The team helps align complex, cross‑functional initiatives with MCA's business priorities, including product launches, partnerships, distribution relationships, AI platform onboarding, and contract‑related workstreams. Project managers on this team work across Morningstar Credit Analytics and Morningstar functions, including Product, Data, Technology, Analytics, Legal, Compliance, Commercial, and Business Development teams, among others.

The Role

We are hiring a Senior Project Manager who is highly collaborative, detail‑oriented, commercially aware, and self‑directed. In this role, you will manage critical MCA initiatives in a fast‑paced, highly collaborative environment, with particular focus on coordinating partnership workstreams, contract repapering and restructuring efforts, product and data delivery, and cross‑functional execution across internal and external stakeholders.

The ideal candidate brings a strong background coordinating globally distributed teams on complex business, technology, and commercial projects. Proven experience owning, planning, sequencing, and driving projects to completion is essential, as well as the ability to create accountability across teams, surface risks early, and keep high‑priority initiatives moving at a predictable pace.

Job Responsibilities

• Create and oversee project plans, timelines, milestones, dependencies, responsibilities, and deliverables, working with global teams on implementation.
• Own execution across MCA initiatives, maintaining visibility into priorities, timelines, dependencies, risks, decision points, and follow‑through.
• Coordinate partnership, distribution, and commercial workstreams, ensuring internal stakeholders remain aligned on scope, timing, deliverables, and next steps.
• Drive follow‑through on contract‑related initiatives, including repapering, restructuring, amendment coordination, stakeholder review, and implementation tracking across existing and new agreements.
• Partner with Product, Data, Technology, Analytics, Legal, Compliance, Commercial, and Business Development teams to define project scope, business requirements, technical requirements, and handoffs when needed.
• Support onboarding and execution workstreams related to AI platforms, data delivery, product enhancements, launches, and other MCA growth initiatives.
• Communicate regular project status updates across MCA stakeholder groups, including senior leadership when appropriate, and escalation decisions, risks, or blockers clearly and promptly.
• Identify, monitor, and mitigate project risks, with a focus on dependencies that could affect revenue capture, product launch timing, partnership execution, contract completion, or client delivery.
• Analyze key metrics impacting project progress and/or project team performance and work with the business to resolve issues, remove impediments, and keep initiatives moving at a steady, predictable pace.
• Cultivate a culture of team collaboration grounded in open and honest communication, clear accountability, and practical problem solving.
• Drive continuous process improvement through feedback loops, retrospectives, documentation, and coaching to help teams improve planning, execution, and transparency.
• Partner with groups across Morningstar Credit Analytics and throughout Morningstar to support MCA's product, technology, legal, analytics, partnership, and commercial priorities.

Qualifications and Requirements

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent required.
• 5+ years of project management experience; PMP or equivalent certification is strongly preferred.
• Hands‑on experience with project management platforms such as Asana; knowledge of Jira is a plus.
• A demonstrated ability to manage multiple complex projects concurrently, preferably involving software development, data products, business operations, commercial initiatives, or contract‑driven workstreams.
• Experience coordinating cross‑functional work involving product, technology, legal, compliance, analytics, commercial, and/or business development stakeholders.
• Proven success facilitating global team collaboration, including engagement with senior leadership and external partners or clients when needed.
• Strong communication, active listening, time management, problem‑solving, analytical, and follow‑through skills.
• Ability to influence decision‑making processes, create transparency around tradeoffs, and foster an environment of healthy team debate.
• Strong finance background is not required, but genuine interest in learning the MCA business, products, client relationships, and commercial priorities is.
• Comfortable navigating ambiguity in a fast‑paced environment and translating loosely defined objectives into executable plans.
• Effective at coaching teams, clarifying ownership, and providing feedback to senior stakeholders.

About Us

Morningstar DBRS is a leading provider of independent rating services and opinions for corporate and sovereign entities, financial institutions, and project and structured finance instruments globally. Rating more than 4,000 issuers and 60,000 securities, it is one of the top four credit rating agencies in the world. Morningstar DBRS empowers investor success by bringing more transparency and a much‑needed diversity of opinion in the credit rating industry. Our approach and size allow us to be nimble enough to respond to customers' needs in their local markets, but large enough to provide the necessary expertise and resources they require. Market innovators choose to work with us because of our agility, tech‑forward approach, and exceptional customer service.

Compensation and Benefits

At Morningstar we believe people are at their best when they are at their healthiest. That’s why we champion your wellness through a wide range of programs that support all stages of your personal and professional life. Below are some of the key offerings we provide:

• Financial Health
  • 100% 401(k) match up to 6% of salary
• Stock Ownership Potential
  • Company provided life insurance – 1x salary + commission
• Physical Health
  • Comprehensive health benefits (medical/dental/vision) including potential premium discounts and company‑provided HSA contributions (up to $500‑$2,000 annually) for specific plans and coverages
  • Additional medical wellness incentives – up to $300‑$600 annually
  • Company‑provided long‑ and short‑term disability insurance
• Emotional Health
  • Trust‑Based Time Off
  • 6‑week Paid Sabbatical Program
  • 6‑Week Paid Family Caregiving Leave
  • Competitive 8‑24 Week Paid Parental Leave
  • Adoption Assistance
  • Leadership Coaching & Formal Mentorship Opportunities
  • Annual Flex Stipend – $1,000 annually to cover personal education & well‑being expenses
  • Tuition Reimbursement
• Social Health
  • Charitable Matching Gifts program
  • Dollars for Doers volunteer program
  • Paid volunteering days
  • 15+ Employee Resource & Affinity Groups

Total Cash Compensation Range $95,275.00 - 139,741.66

Inclusive of annual base salary and target incentive

If you receive and accept an offer from us, we require that personal and any related investments be disclosed confidentially to our Compliance team (days vary by region). These investments will be reviewed to ensure they meet Code of Ethics requirements. If any conflicts of interest are identified, you will be required to liquidate those holdings immediately. In addition, dependent on your department and location of work, certain employee accounts must be held with an approved broker (for example all U.S. employee accounts). If this applies and your account(s) are not with an approved broker, you will be required to move your holdings to an approved broker.

Morningstar's hybrid work environment gives you the opportunity to collaborate in‑person each week as we've found that we're at our best when we're purposely together on a regular basis. In most of our locations, our hybrid work model is four days in‑office each week. A range of other benefits are also available to enhance flexibility as needs change. No matter where you are, you'll have tools and resources to engage meaningfully with your global colleagues.