Program Manager

At Horizontal Digital, we hold ourselves to one key belief: You’re only as good as your worst customer experience. This mantra is what drives our digital consultancy to think beyond the easy answers and instead create websites, apps, portals and other experiences that solve customer needs for ambitious brands, in intuitive and empathetic ways. And we make this lofty standard a reality by fusing strategy, data, design and technology together to arrive at solutions that set the bar higher for everyone.

We use these values to fuel superior results:

Lock arms
We forge relationships that make our impact 1,000x stronger. This means working across departments and engaging both our clients and our communities to deliver the greatest good.

Show hustle
We’re not ones to sit on our hands and wait. Instead, we anticipate opportunities, collectively roll up our sleeves and find ways to execute the exceptional.

Embrace change
From new technologies to workplace philosophies, we welcome the unexpected and constantly anticipate what’s next.

Elevate empathy
We listen before we take action. This means understanding a variety of perspectives and holding ourselves to a higher standard of accountability.

Never settle
We motivate each other to push past the easy answers and collectively arrive at bigger, more inspiring ideas.
 
But enough about us. Let’s talk about you. 

We are looking for a Program Manager who will lead programs of work or several unrelated projects, oversee Project Managers and delivery teams executing these projects. You will support the Project Managers in delivering full lifecycle digital transformation projects from inception to implementation using agile methodologies. You will assist with the assembly of teams and the development of detailed work plans, process improvements, project estimates, financial management and resourcing using straightforward problem-solving skills. . Our highly entrepreneurial, collaborative, and dynamic environment is the perfect place for smart, motivated people to make an impact.

What you’ll do: 

• Manage, mentor, and progress their team, overseeing their work and performance.

• Constantly and consistently identify, implement, and socialize the most effective processes, tools, and systems to keep the department current with project management processes.

• Collaborate with department heads and leadership to create achievable and measurable project plans that include regular status reporting and RAID documentation.

• Oversee execution, workflow, and resourcing of projects.

• Lead and develop comprehensive resource models and risk mitigation plans in collaboration with discipline leads.

• Identify and pursue opportunities to foster cross-training to help build a strong foundation for the team.

• Serve as a program delivery lead for high visibility projects.

• Together with strategy and tech co-own the growth of the accounts under their supervision.

• Develop project plans and assumptions for new business pursuits!

• Collaborate on SOW creation (timeline, resource model & assumptions)

• Manage program revenue and accountability for actualization of sold revenue.

• Make program level decisions based on margin and revenue data.

• Project, present and commit program revenue to leadership

• Display confidence when leading a conversation with a willingness to have and share a point of view even if it's an unpopular opinion.

• Actively contribute to the development of the company's culture and standards of quality

What will be expected of your team: 

• Provide agile project management oversight for multiple projects. Activities include:

• Coaching and mentoring teams to follow Agile best practices.

• Facilitating scrum ceremonies

• Preparing capacity and velocity metrics for teams ahead of sprint planning

• Administrating task board management

• Define project objectives, scope, estimate, timeline, and level of effort.

• Forecast and communicate resourcing needs prior to project start and throughout project life cycle.

• Actively monitor the projects critical path milestones to ensure timely delivery of project objectives.

• Develop project strategies and plans, and identify the methods and tools required for the project.

• Monitor budget against plan and work with client and project team to resolve overages and underages in a timely manner.

• Coordinate and collaborate with cross-functional teams who will provide technical solutions and to resolve problems.

• Manage scope creep by coordinating and responding to new requests for changes from original specifications.

• Ensure quality through planning, execution, quality assurance, and quality control techniques.

• Identify, analyze, and mitigate risks to maximize the results and minimize the consequences.

• Facilitate issue management with the client and project teams and collaborate on response and resolution plans.

• Work closely with the end users, business analysts, technologists, and other stakeholders to understand and prioritize business goals and information needs.

• Provide solutions, leadership, and motivation to project team members.

• Provide transparent internal and external communications through status reporting.

Who you are: 

• You get it done. Grit is your middle name. You are organized, have excellent time management skills, and have spidey sense for issues before they arise.

• You are a natural leader. You are self-motivated with a high degree of initiative and follow-through. Mentoring others is something you do out of habit.

• You are eager to succeed and understand that putting in the work is the way to get where you want to be.

• You are an outstanding communicator. You can convey information to all key stakeholders in both written and verbal formats. Preparing and delivering presentations is second nature.

• You are comfortable in ambiguity and always drive to finding solutions to provide clarity.

• Excellent problem-solving and decision-making skills, and ability to maintain a balanced and positive attitude in stressful situations.  

What you bring:  

• A minimum of 5+ years agency/consultancy experience.

• 8-10 years of experience working on enterprise level projects.

• 5 years running cross functional programs.

• A minimum of 10+ years client-facing digital project management experience, using agile methodologies.

• Arabic language would be useful, but not mandatory

• Possess an in-depth understanding of project management, workflow, infrastructure, project life cycles and management methodologies and styles.

• Ability to see the big picture while also focusing on the details.

• Experience with Jira/Confluence

• Experience coaching and mentoring scrum teams and scrum masters.

• Bachelor’s degree preferred

The above description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.