Project Manager/Business Analyst

About Fresh Gravity:

Founded in 2015 and rapidly expanding, Fresh Gravity (www.freshgravity.com) is a business and technology consulting company at the cutting-edge of digital transformation. We drive digital success for our clients by helping them adopt transformative technologies that make them nimble, adaptive and responsive to their rapidly-changing business needs. Our unparalleled digital transformation expertise combines business strategy prowess with digital technologies know-how. Our expertise includes Data Management, Artificial Intelligence, Data Science & Analytics, and API Management & Integration.

In a short time, we have crafted an exceptional team who have delivered impactful projects for some of the largest corporations in the world. We are on a mission to solve the most complex business problems for our clients using the most exciting new technologies. And we are looking for top talent to join us in our quest.

Fresh Gravity’s team members are authorities in their field, but know how to have fun, too. We’re building an inspiring, open organization you’ll take pride in. We challenge ourselves to grow – every day. We create value for our clients and partners – every day. We promise rich opportunities for you to succeed, to shine, to exceed even your own expectations.

We are thoughtful. We are engaged. We are relentless. We are Fresh Gravity.

Fresh Gravity is an equal opportunity employer.

About this position:

• Our Client Success capability is seeking a strong techno-functional project manager cum business analyst who will be responsible for driving successful project outcomes for Fresh Gravity’s clients. The role entails delivery oversight of data management solution projects with key inputs on the solution options, implementation approaches, delivery planning and execution. The candidate will have responsibility and accountability for planning and driving a project team comprised of both local, US based team members and India based team members. The person will be responsible for assisting and developing proposals for such engagements as well as negotiating delivery related actions through the life of a project. In addition, the person will be responsible for working with other Fresh Gravity stakeholders to define and refine delivery methodology artifacts and approaches, design and implement project execution best practices, develop sales and marketing collateral as well as represent Fresh Gravity at client or other public events. Someone who is looking for a niche consulting firm with an excellent culture with the desire to grow as the company grows would make a great candidate.

Requirements

Key Responsibilities Include:

Project Management:

• Lead and participate in the full delivery lifecycle of strategy and implementation projects for our clients using agile and hybrid project management approaches (e.g., experience as a Scrum Master)
• Plan workstreams, assign and track work activities, identify, report and manage/mitigate risks, manage resolution of outstanding issues and actions,
• Manage the development lifecycle using a combination of agile and waterfall delivery models including activities such as backlog grooming, sprint planning, retrospectives, test cycle definition and planning, migration and cutover planning.
• Define models to track status of activities and deliverables to facilitate quantitative reporting of the project progress
• Provide weekly status on project activities, deliverables, scope, schedule, budget, and risks/issues.

Business and Technical/Functional Analysis:

• Participate in strategy/roadmap initiatives while aligning the strategy to the business objectives, including helping establish organization constructs, development methodologies and selection of technology components (e.g., API gateways, code repository tools, data quality tools, data management/governance strategy, etc.)
• Plan, lead and manage requirements definition and solution design working sessions in addition to documenting functional use cases and architectures, business requirements, and high level business solution approaches
• Research market trends and technology articles, propose strategic direction ideas, best practices, gathering current state information through stakeholder interaction using interviews / workshops
• Communicate business requirements to architects and developers, assist in conducting feasibility assessments and identify optimal approaches to technically achieve the business requirements (e.g., Assist Sr. Technical Architects and leads on a data platform implementation)
• Define and influence direction of organization constructs and technology management methodology change with organizations (e.g., define data governance frameworks on a data governance strategy assessment project)
• Own the delivery of demos to our clients of working software built to specification and soliciting feedback to ensure satisfaction of business requirements (e.g., demonstrate data stewardship functionality on an MDM project)
• Verify the development artifacts/software are built to specification through various levels of testing

Other:

• Assist in responding to RFPs by participating in planning, scoping, solution definition and estimation
• Manage client and vendor partner relationships and activities to ensure alignment of schedule, scope, and responsibilities
• Support and contribute to an evolving project delivery methodology by designing and creating templates, accelerators and reusable artifacts

Skills and Qualification Requirements

• Bachelors or Masters (preferred) degree in a technology or project management discipline
• 6 to 8 years of project management and functional architecture experience
• Knowledge of cloud-based data ingestion and data warehouse tools is a strong plus
• Some experience with data modeling is expected
• 2+ years of experience working in a business context (technology consulting, systems integration, management consulting, working as an analyst “in industry,” etc.) – Big 5 Consulting or similar (e.g., Deloitte, Accenture, E&Y, KPMG, PwC, Slalom, etc.) background is highly desirable
• Demonstrated experience traversing from lower level details to executive level birds eye view on project progress, execution and deliverables
• Exceptional proficiency with fundamental day-to-day processes of project delivery and running a team, for example:
  • Estimating personnel requirements
  • Leading scoping exercise and work effort estimation and planning to develop comprehensive effort estimates (duration, FTE requirements, cost, execution plan of activities)
  • Assigning tasks to team members and monitoring/tracking completion of deliverables
  • Running effective client meetings (setting context, establishing goals, capturing key decisions, managing scope changes, etc.)
  • Managing scope and negotiating change requests
  • Status reporting, appropriate escalation of risks/issues
  • Strong experience and familiarity with tools, templates and accelerators of different types pertaining to different stages of a project (e.g., project retrospective tools, Jira backlog boards, Quality Strategy templates, Functional design documents, etc.)
  • Expert experience with tools like Jira and Confluence
  • Exceptional proficiency with project- and stakeholder-management theory and practices – demonstrated ability to proactively drive workstreams with minimal supervision, independently escalate and resolve issues, handle changes in technical direction, etc.
• Experience in one of more of our capabilities (API Management & Integration, AI, Data Science & Analytics or Data Management) is not required but will be good to have

Geographic Location:

• Ideally, based in the DC/Virginia/Maryland area [Optional preferences - Dallas (TX) or Raleigh (NC). Other locations are also acceptable]. Might require occasional travel if client projects are outside of the area

Benefits

In addition to a competitive package, we promise rich opportunities for you to succeed, to shine, to exceed even your own expectations. In keeping with Fresh Gravity’s challenger ethos, we have developed the 5Dimensions (5D) benefits program. This ever evolving program recognizes the multiple dimensions within each of us and seek to provide opportunities for deep development across these dimensions. Enrich Myself; Enhance My Client; Build my Company, Nurture My Family; and Better Humanity!