Operations Project Manager

Operations Project ManagerSoftware Guidance & Assistance, Inc., (SGA), is searching for an Operations Project Manager for a Contract assignment with one of our premier Financial Services clients in Jersey City, NJ. Seeking a Senior Project Manager with deep expertise in Global Banking and Capital Markets. The ideal candidate will manage multiple high-impact projects (e.g., strategic change management, new business/product initiatives, process re-engineering, and control framework establishment) and lead cross-functional initiatives requiring comprehensive company knowledge and a strong understanding of key business functions. Strong quantitative, analytical, and project management capabilities are essential.ResponsibilitiesProject Management:Manage and lead assigned projects to completion with delivery of agreed objectivesEnsure that all projects follow Group Policies and Procedure including proper Project Governance and reporting to senior management & stakeholdersCreate and lead appropriate project governanceIdentify and stabilize the scope of business topics to be addressed / resolvedIdentify and obtain the buy-in from the Primary Project Stakeholders and SponsorSecure the resource plan and prioritization / funding of those resourcesLeverage expertise and problem-solving skills to propose solutions during each phase of the projectDrive the delivery effort by maintaining project lists, organizing follow up meetings, creating and distributing meeting minutesIdentify risk and dependencies that could jeopardize project execution.Ensure clear communication of goals, budget, risks, efforts involved, as well as on the progress of the projectWork closely with all functions - Front office, Operations, Finance, IT, Compliance, Legal, Risk etc. to ensure successful delivery of project objectives.Manage situations of conflict and constraints to ensure the success of the project.Business Analysis:Elicit business requirements using interviews & subject matter expertiseDocument requirements, business process descriptions, use cases, scenarios, task and workflow analysisCritically evaluate information gathered from multiple sources, reconcile conflicts, & decompose high-level information into detailsAbstract up from low-level information to a general understanding, and distinguish user requests from the true underlying needsProactively communicate and collaborate with external and internal customers to deliver the following artifacts as needed: (1) Business Requirements Documents, (2) Test & Use CasesChallenge business users on their assumptions & how they expect to successfully implement requirementContribute to the building of maximum efficiency within the Firm:Analyse the current procedures and make change proposals to improve productivity, efficiency and risk controlWork closely with the Operations and IT managers to properly measure the impact of new systems/processes on the staff's workload and determine the new staffing requirements where applicableContribute to the successful implementation of new systems:Work with various users to clearly identify business requirements from Front Office to Finance.Collaborate with IT to ensure that the system functionalities meet the user requirements.Propose procedural changes to take advantage of the new system functionalities.Facilitate the planning between IT and users to ensure all phases of the project are on track and that the appropriate level of testing is carried out.Required Skills:Bachelor's degree from accredited university with focus on Finance, Economics, Business Administration or other relevant field of study.6 8 years of relevant industry experience.Expertise in Front Office and Operations (functional or in a project capacity), with knowledge of Banking and Capital Market activities A keen focus on 'Process and Risk' awareness is a KEY CRITERIA for this position.Deep knowledge of & experience executing all project management concepts. Project planning, documentation experience, & stakeholder management is essentialExcellent level of knowledge of MS Project, Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.Business Analyst experience is valuableThe candidate: Must have an in-depth understanding of project life cycle and what each phase implies.Must have excellent communication and reporting skills Both written and oral.Must be able to professionally and efficiently manage situations of conflict and work with collaborators to arrive at a solution.Needs to demonstrate the ability to adapt and learn new processes quickly.Needs to show ability to multi-task and shift gears for various topics and perimeter during the project life cycle (i.e. Knowledge of FO Products and processes, Operations, IT, Finance etc.).Must be able to demonstrate the ability to delve into complicated situations (issues, people, processes etc.), sort out the information and propose the solution/next steps.