ServiceNow Senior Project Manager

AHEAD; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

401(k)

Paid Time Off

Parental Leave

Job summary

AHEAD is seeking a Project Manager in the Chicago area to lead strategic, multi‑team IT projects using Agile/Scrum and traditional methods. You will guide teams, manage risk, and optimize delivery while maintaining client satisfaction and transparent communication across stakeholders.

Responsibilities include planning, executing, and closing projects, coordinating resources, and ensuring on-time, on-budget delivery. AHEAD emphasizes inclusive culture and comprehensive benefits in the USA.

Qualifications

• Strong ability to independently manage medium to high risk projects.
• Knowledgeable of Agile and Waterfall methodologies and PMBOK basics.
• Proven experience with project budgets and timelines.
• Excellent communication with clients and internal teams.
• Comfort with using PM software to track progress and scope.

Responsibilities

• Guide project teams and client organizations on Agile/Scrum practices to delight clients.
• Lead self-organization and fill gaps in Agile/Scrum frameworks.
• Assess Scrum maturity and coach teams toward higher levels of maturity.
• Remove impediments by coordinating with the right resources.
• Foster a trusting environment focused on problem-solving and accountability.
• Facilitate work discussions, decisions, and conflict resolution.
• Improve transparency and radiate information to stakeholders.
• Support Product Sponsor grooming and backlog maintenance.
• Manage resources, budgets, and timelines across project segments.
• Coordinate with vendor/subcontractor tasks when applicable.
• Close projects with documentation, handover, and post-implementation review.

Skills

Agile Scrum practices

Team leadership

Project coordination

Risk management

Stakeholder communication

Budget management

Facilitation

Conflict resolution

Problem-solving

Client interface

Tools

Salesforce

FinancialForce

CRM tools

Job description

AHEAD builds platforms for digital business. By weaving together advances in cloud infrastructure, automation and analytics, and software delivery, we help enterprises deliver on the promise of digital transformation. At AHEAD, we prioritize creating a culture of belonging, where all perspectives and voices are represented, valued, respected, and heard. We create spaces to empower everyone to speak up, make change, and drive the culture at AHEAD. We are an equal opportunity employer, and do not discriminate based on an individual's race, national origin, color, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, marital status, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law, whether actual or perceived. We embrace all candidates that will contribute to the diversification and enrichment of ideas and perspectives at AHEAD.

The Project Manager is responsible for management of assigned technical projects. The Project Manager executes day-to-day management of assigned project segments. In addition, the Project Manager manages the group of projects as a whole, providing a single point of knowledge and control for the aggregate effort.

Responsibilities

• Guiding various project teams and Client organizations on how to use Agile/Scrum practices and values to delight AHEADs Clients
• Guides assigned project team on how to get the most of out self-organization
• Guides assigned project teams on self-organizing to fill in the intentional gaps left in the Agile/Scrum frameworks
• Assesses the Scrum maturity of the project team and organization and coaching the team to higher levels of maturity, at a pace that is sustainable and comfortable for the project team and Client organization
• Removes impediments and/or guides the team to remove impediments by finding the right personnel to remove the impediment
• Builds a trusting environment where problems can be raised without fear of blame, retribution, or being judged, with an emphasis on healing and problem-solving
• Facilitates getting work done without coercion, assigning, or dictating the work
• Facilitates discussion, decision making, and conflict resolution
• Assisting with internal and external communication, improving transparency, and radiating information
• Supporting and educating the Product Sponsor, especially on grooming and maintaining the product backlog
• Providing all support to the team using a servant leadership style whenever possible, and leading by example
• Perform analysis of utilization of resources for projects in execution and measuring for future resource allocation needs
• Establish and drive ongoing development and tracking of additional services revenue opportunities within the client's environment
• Understands client needs and matches them to relevant services or products; manages client expectations
• Understands and communicates goals and critical success factors for the project; sells ideas persuasively and paces the communications properly (Communication).
• Plan and coordinate all aspects of technical projects from initiation through deliver
• Ensure service delivery success and Client satisfaction through effective project management
• Manage project initiation activities, which include the identification of contractual obligations, client needs and goals, existing situations, and necessary contacts. Gain access to existing information as needed
• Develop, define, and execute project plans, project scope, activities, schedules, budgets and deliverables
• Identify needed resources for projects while defining and assigning major project roles
• Coordinate activities and tasks among project team members, other internal departments, and client or vendor/subcontractor organizations as needed to meet project goals, and ensures project completion is on schedule, within budget constraints, and of the appropriate quality standards for the project scope
• Assign and monitor work of project team, providing technical and analytical support and direction
• Interface with clients on technical matters as needed
• Manage project risks, issues/problems, and activity progress to ensure project goals (e.g., deadline, scope and quality) are achieved
• Assist with problem resolution or risk mitigation as needed
• Manage the integration of vendor/subcontractor tasks as well as track and review vendor/subcontractor deliverables, if appropriate for the project
• Conduct project closure activities to formalize and communicate the project acceptance, handover documentation, and ongoing activities. This includes completing a post-implementation review to identify areas of improvement
• Identify project management coordination process gaps or areas for improvement. Recommends and implements solutions
• Utilize Ahead systems (Salesforce, financialforce, etc....) to maintain updated project information

Qualifications

• Strong ability to independently manage medium to high risk, high complexity, and high client visibility projects
• Knowledgeable of project management standards, processes, procedures and guidelines using both Agile and Waterfall methodologies
• Knowledgeable of industry project management best practices (i.e., Project Management Body of Knowledge - PMBOK)
• Knowledgeable of the company's products and services
• Solid understanding of various types of IT project methodologies and life cycles (e.g., conversions, incremental, rapid delivery, classic or traditional waterfall phases of analysis, design, development, testing, and implementation) and the correct project application
• Excellent analysis, problem-solving, team, conflict management, and time management skills
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Possess advanced skills in the use of project management software
• Demonstrate ability to manage project budgets and timelines
• Must be adept with the use of negotiation techniques to reach agreement when there are widely-differing viewpoints
• Effectively facilitate interaction with executive level clients
• Able to consistently set clear expectations, manage team performance, and build high morale among team members
• Successfully maintain confidentiality and carry out assignments that are sensitive in nature

The compensation range indicated in this posting reflects the On-Target Earnings ("OTE") for this role, which includes a base salary and any applicable target bonus amount. This OTE range may vary based on the candidate's relevant experience, qualifications, and geographic location.

Why AHEAD:Through our daily work and internal groups like Moving Women AHEAD and RISE AHEAD, we value and benefit from diversity of people, ideas, experience, and everything in between.We fuel growth by stacking our office with top-notch technologies in a multi-million-dollar lab, by encouraging cross department training and development, sponsoring certifications and credentials for continued learning.

USA Employment Benefits include:

• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• 401(k)
• Paid company holidays
• Paid time off
• Paid parental and caregiver leave
• Plus more! See benefits for additional details.

Use of AI:We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, assessing responses, or to capture recordings and create transcriptions or summaries during interviews. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans.If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please refer to the Candidate Privacy Notice or contact us at .You may opt-out of the review or analysis of your application and resume by AI tools by using the General Application. Please include the role you wish to apply for in the Additional Information field. You may also choose to opt-out of recording and transcription at any time, including after joining an interview. Candidates will not be penalized for choosing to opt-out.