About the Role

The Project Manager leads cross-functional teams to deliver high-value, business-critical technology solutions throughout the firm. PMs are responsible for partnering with key sponsors to identify and prioritize project opportunities and collaborating with project team members to effectively manage tasks & activities. PMs leverage strong communication and organizational skills to build trust and credibility with stakeholders and are accountable for the overall health & success of projects & client relationships.

We are seeking a highly motivated individual to join the Baird Advisors aligned IT team as a Project Manager I/II. This role will play a critical part in driving a multi-year data transformation initiative, migrating the Baird Advisors Portal (BAP) platform to a modern cloud-based architecture. In addition, the Project Manager will help lead a major Salesforce initiative in close partnership with the business, while playing an important role in collaborating with key stakeholders in Baird Advisors to manage and advance their technology roadmap. The position will also support team functions such as prioritization, planning, estimation, resourcing, and execution. The ideal candidate will bring strong communication, change management, and organizational skills, along with a proven ability to lead complex initiatives with cross-functional teams. While prior experience as a Project Manager is a plus, we welcome applicants who may not have held the title but have successfully participated in and led significant change initiatives.

This is a hybrid opportunity with 2-3 days per week in office at our headquarters in Milwaukee, WI.

The Impact You'll Make

Planning and Organizing

• Organize the initiation and upfront planning of projects. Projects tend to be somewhat ambiguous/complex, where scope is not well-defined and may require the PM to drive alignment across key stakeholders.
• Build a foundation of trust, collaboration, and respect with cross-functional team members and project stakeholders.
• Partner with product owner(s) on backlog and roadmap management activities.

Delivering Outcomes

• With limited to no guidance, effectively manage project execution by leveraging a variety of tools, techniques, methodologies, and deliverables.
• Identify and manage project risks & issues with support from senior team members.
• Lead, inspire, and guide the team in achieving project objectives to ensure client satisfaction.

Communication

• Establish and understand the importance of strong, trusting relationships across Baird, including with direct stakeholders on the project and leadership sponsors.
• Deliver timely updates to key internal and external project stakeholders through various communication channels.
• With limited to no guidance, effectively manage key project sponsors, including diagnosing when leadership conversations are needed.
• Effectively facilitate project meetings and drive follow-up around action items. Project meetings should include concise agendas, clear outcomes, audience-appropriate messaging, key takeaways, etc.

Navigating Complexity

• With limited to no guidance, navigate organizational hierarchy and dynamics to drive projects forward.
• With limited to no guidance, facilitate decision-making with project team members and key stakeholders.
• Lead the project team through challenges, help remove roadblocks & impediments, and motivate team members to push past obstacles to meet client expectations and deadlines.
• With limited to no guidance, demonstrate organizational savvy by connecting dots across the firm to help achieve outcomes.

Team Leadership

• Earn the respect & trust of peers to effectively lead the project team.
• With limited to no guidance, influence outcomes without positional authority and, when appropriate, engage leader(s) to help support team needs.
• Serve as a mentor & coach to immediate peers and provide direct feedback to encourage growth.
• Seek out continuous improvement opportunities and help implement them within the project team.

Professional Knowledge and Skills

• Actively participate in the Project Manager Community of Practice (PMCoP) and develop a reputation as a subject matter expert.
• As project & team needs demand, develop working knowledge of relevant business unit, corporate resource group (CRG) department, and/or project technologies to help build credibility with team members and stakeholders.
• Seek out internal & external professional development programs, share knowledge with peers and effectively apply it on projects.

What You'll Bring to Baird

• A minimum of three to five years of IT or related experience including project and/or change management responsibilities.
• While prior experience as a Project Manager is a plus, we welcome applicants who may not have held the title but have successfully participated in and led significant change initiatives.
• Bachelor degree in Computer Science, MIS, Business Administration is preferred and equivalent experience is welcome.
• Intellectual curiosity to ask the right questions to connect the dots and drive the work forward.
• Attention to detail with exceptional organizational, time management, and problem-solving skills.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills.
• Thorough working knowledge of Microsoft Office Visio & Project are a plus.

#LI-SB1

Baird is committed to diversity and provides employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, citizenship, national origin, age, disability, military service, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, or any other status protected by law.