Senior Project Manager

Calculated Hire; United States; Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Calculated Hire is seeking a Senior Project Manager for Commercial Banking Operations Strategic Initiatives in Charlotte, NC. Hybrid (University Campus) arrangement for a 12-month contract, level Business Execution Consultant IV.

You will drive execution across Operations, Product, Technology, Risk, and other partners to implement AI-enabled capabilities. The role requires independent planning and execution, building structure where ambiguity exists, and influencing stakeholders without direct

Qualifications

• 5+ years in project/program management or related roles in financial services.
• Experience supporting Commercial Banking or related operations is preferred.
• Ability to lead complex initiatives from planning through execution.
• Strong written and verbal communication, including executive-ready updates.

Responsibilities

• Lead the execution of strategic, business-sponsored initiatives within Commercial Banking Operations.
• Establish project structure, timelines, milestones, governance, and accountability across complex initiatives.
• Serve as the Operations representative and voice within cross-functional project teams, product huddles, working groups, and program forums.
• Partner closely with Product, Technology, Risk & Control, and Business stakeholders to drive alignment and resolve issues.
• Translate business and technology changes into clear operational impacts, requirements, readiness activities, and execution plans.
• Drive initiatives forward independently, proactively identifying risks, dependencies, gaps, and decisions requiring escalation.
• Influence stakeholders and drive accountability without direct authority in a highly matrixed environment.
• Navigate challenging situations and competing priorities while maintaining momentum and relationships.
• Develop concise, executive-ready communications, presentations, status updates, and summaries for senior leadership.
• Provide clear visibility into project status, risks, funding considerations, dependencies, and key decisions.
• Support operational readiness and change management activities associated with new products, processes, technologies, and control frameworks.
• Coordinate proof-of-concept and implementation activities, including lessons learned and readiness for broader deployment.
• Help evaluate the impact of technology changes from both the people and process perspective, ensuring Operations is prepared for implementation.
• Manage multiple initiatives simultaneously, prioritizing work based on business needs and shifting priorities.
• Support additional Commercial Banking Operations initiatives as the broader portfolio evolves.

Skills

Project management

Stakeholder management

Change management

Excel

PowerPoint

Jira

Agile

Tools

Jira

Power BI

Tableau

Job description

Senior Project Manager – Commercial Banking Operations Strategic Initiatives

Location: Charlotte, NC

Work Arrangement: Hybrid (University Campus)

Contract Duration: 12 months, with potential for extension/conversion

Level: Business Execution Consultant IV

Position Overview

We are seeking a highly motivated Business Execution Consultant to support strategic, business-led initiatives within Commercial Banking Operations. This individual will play a critical role in driving execution across complex, highly matrixed initiatives spanning Operations, Product, Technology, Risk and other business partners.

The ideal candidate is an experienced project/program professional who can independently drive initiatives from planning through execution, build structure where ambiguity exists, influence stakeholders without direct authority, and serve as a strong representative and voice for Operations.

This role will initially support a significant, multi-year initiative within Commercial Banking Operations focused on the implementation and expansion of AI-enabled capabilities. The broader portfolio includes additional strategic initiatives impacting Commercial Banking Operations, creating an opportunity to manage multiple priorities and projects over time.

This is not an AI development or technical engineering role. Rather, the successful candidate will be responsible for understanding the business and operational impacts of new capabilities, coordinating stakeholders, driving readiness, managing execution, and ensuring initiatives translate effectively from strategy into operational implementation.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the execution of strategic, business-sponsored initiatives within Commercial Banking Operations.
• Establish project structure, timelines, milestones, governance, and accountability across complex initiatives.
• Serve as the Operations representative and voice within cross-functional project teams, product huddles, working groups, and program forums.
• Partner closely with Product, Technology, Risk & Control, and Business stakeholders to drive alignment and resolve issues.
• Translate business and technology changes into clear operational impacts, requirements, readiness activities, and execution plans.
• Drive initiatives forward independently, proactively identifying risks, dependencies, gaps, and decisions requiring escalation.
• Influence stakeholders and drive accountability without direct authority in a highly matrixed environment.
• Navigate challenging situations and competing priorities while maintaining momentum and relationships.
• Develop concise, executive-ready communications, presentations, status updates, and summaries for senior leadership.
• Provide clear visibility into project status, risks, funding considerations, dependencies, and key decisions.
• Support operational readiness and change management activities associated with new products, processes, technologies, and control frameworks.
• Coordinate proof-of-concept and implementation activities, including lessons learned and readiness for broader deployment.
• Help evaluate the impact of technology changes from both the people and process perspective, ensuring Operations is prepared for implementation.
• Manage multiple initiatives simultaneously, prioritizing work based on business needs and shifting priorities.
• Support additional Commercial Banking Operations initiatives as the broader portfolio evolves.

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in project management, program management, business execution, change management, operations, or a related discipline within financial services.
• Experience supporting Commercial Banking, Corporate Banking, Lending, Loan Operations, or related financial services functions strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to independently lead complex initiatives from planning through execution.
• Strong stakeholder management and ability to influence without authority.
• Experience operating within highly matrixed organizations and coordinating across multiple teams.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to create concise, executive-ready presentations and status updates.
• Demonstrated ability to identify issues, challenge assumptions appropriately, elevate effectively, and drive resolution.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple projects and shifting priorities.
• Ability to translate complex business, technology, and operational topics into clear and actionable plans.
• Strong proficiency with Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience within Commercial Banking Operations or a comparable Operations organization.
• Prior experience with business-led technology implementations or transformation initiatives.
• Familiarity with Jira and Agile/product development environments.
• Experience with Power BI, Tableau, or other reporting/visualization tools.
• Experience supporting operational readiness, change management, or implementation of new processes and technologies.
• Prior experience at a large financial institution

Key Success Factors

The successful candidate will be:

• Self-directed: Does not wait for instructions or responses; proactively moves work forward.
• Persistent: Can navigate difficult stakeholders, competing priorities, and delayed responses while maintaining momentum.
• Influential: Comfortable driving alignment and accountability without formal authority.
• Strategic and execution-oriented: Can understand the broader objective while staying focused on getting the work done.
• Operationally minded: Understands how business and technology changes translate into people, process, controls, and readiness.
• Executive-ready: Can synthesize complex information into clear, concise communications for senior leaders.
• Comfortable with ambiguity: Able to build structure where processes, ownership, or requirements are still evolving.
• Collaborative: Effective working across Business, Operations, Product, Technology, Risk, and Control partners.
• A strong representative for Operations: Proactively participates in working groups and ensures operational considerations are incorporated into decisions.

Ideal Candidate Profile

The strongest candidate will bring a combination of Project/Program Management + Financial Services + Commercial Banking/Operations experience. Deep subject-matter expertise in AI or the specific technology is not required; exposure to implementing technology, automation, or transformation initiatives is a plus.

This role is best suited for someone operating at a senior project/program execution level who can enter an established initiative, quickly understand the landscape, build relationships, create structure, and begin driving execution with limited oversight.