Senior IT Project Manager

Summary

The Senior IT Project Manager is an advanced level member of the IT Program Management Office (PMO) that leads complex project execution and proficiently establishes delivery standards, process, tools, and reporting for the IT organization. The IT PMO upholds and influences gold-standard project execution by instituting discipline around intake & demand management, resource & capacity management, project & program management, and management reporting, in partnership with other Solution Delivery leads.

In addition to supporting the continuous improvement of PMO standards, the Senior IT Project Manager expertly plans, organizes, and implements the Firm's technology-related project and leads high performing project teams throughout the project lifecycle. This role creates trusted partnerships with leadership, communicates complex information in a compelling way to drive action, and demonstrates command of the project health, deliverables, scope, and budget to deliver against defined objectives and strategic priorities. This role proactively identifies a problem to solve, develops and articulates options and recommendations, and effectively adapts the project approach to a successful outcome.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Defines project scope, goals, and deliverables that support business goals in partnership with senior management and stakeholders.
• Builds and nourishes strong relationships with peers and leadership to create trusted partnerships.
• Leads high performing project teams and cultivates team accountability to ensure project. milestones and deliverables are met.
• Communicates complex information in a compelling way to drive action with a level of influence at the Director and CIO level.
• Demonstrates command of the project to synthesize complex information and articulate project needs to leadership required to mitigate risks, manage issues, and remove blockers.
• Proactively identifies a problem to solve, investigates and engages the right groups to drive to a recommendation while minimizing churn.
• Develops and articulates options and recommendations while anticipating questions from leadership and being ready with answers.
• Adapts project methodology for different project types and complexity, and expertly identifies project dependencies and critical path activities and milestones
• Thoughtfully considers every detail throughout the project lifecycle, proactively adjusts and evolves plans with the goal of nothing being missed.
• Drafts and submits budget proposals and forecasts subsequent budget changes as needed in a timely fashion.
• Establishes and manages project expectations with IT and business leaders, team members, and other stakeholders to ensure continuous alignment
• Conducts project postmortems and identify specific actions to take in the future to ensure the organization is continually learning based on experience.
• Continuously evaluates PMO process and actively seeks opportunities to develop best practices and tools for project execution and management.
• Serves as a leader and example for other PMO team members.
• Uphold high standards of confidentiality, discretion, and integrity, particularly with respect to all sensitive and/or confidential firm and client information to which this position will have access.

Requirements

Education & Credentials

• College degree strongly preferred, ideally in Computer Science, Information Systems, Business Administration, Finance, or a related field
• Appropriate technical certification(s) are preferred (e.g., PMP, CSM, PMI-ACP)

Knowledge & Experience

• 10+ years of relevant experience, ideally in a large Law Firm setting, a comparable professional services organization, or a legal information services provider
• Leadership & Team Management: Leading cross-functional teams, mentoring junior project managers, and resolving conflicts.
• End-to-End Project Execution: Successfully managing IT projects from initiation to completion, ensuring they meet Firm goals
• Risk Management: Ability to assess, mitigate, and manage risks throughout the project lifecycle.
• Budget & Financial Management: Knowledge of cost estimation, budgeting, and resource allocation.
• Stakeholder Management: Ability to manage expectations, drive alignment, and ensure clear communication across technical and non-technical teams.
• Vendor & Contract Negotiation: Working with third-party vendors, managing contracts, and ensuring service delivery.
• IT Systems & Architecture: Understanding of cloud computing, networking, databases, cybersecurity, and software development.
• Cloud & Infrastructure Management: Familiarity with legal cloud solutions, remote access security, and hybrid IT environments.
• Cybersecurity & Data Privacy: Understanding of legal data protection regulations such as GDPR, CCPA, and attorney-client privilege protection.
• Project Management Frameworks: Expertise in methodologies like Agile, Scrum, Kanban, Waterfall, and hybrid approaches.

Skills & Expectations

• Communication: Clear and effective interaction with leadership.
• Problem-Solving: Quick thinking to resolve challenges.
• Time Management: Prioritize tasks efficiently.
• Quality Assurance: Maintain high standards in deliverables.
• Continuous Improvement: Drive innovation and efficiency in project management.
• Active Listening: Possess empathy and patience to ask clarifying questions and gain full context.
• Analytical Skills: Evaluating data, risks, and project feasibility.
• Legal Knowledge: Understand compliance, security, and regulatory requirements in the legal industry.
• Adaptability: Adjust to evolving technology and legal industry demands.
• Change agent: drives transformation, ensures new processes, technologies, or cultural shifts are successfully adopted.

Work Location & Conditions

• Washington, D.C.
• Core hours of 9:00 am – 5:30 pm, Monday - Friday. Hybrid in-office as needed, which will be a combination of onsite, and remote work with occasional on-call availability

Position requires access to equipment, software, or technology that is subject to U.S. export controls. To be granted access pursuant to US Export Control laws, candidate must be either (a) a United States citizen or national; (b) a person lawfully admitted for permanent residence of the United States (i.e., "Green Card" holder); or (c) an INS-approved refugee or asylum holder who has applied for naturalization within six months of the date the individual first became eligible; and if not yet naturalized, is still actively pursuing naturalization if 2 years have passed since the date of application to be granted access pursuant to US Export Control laws. Candidates will be required to submit appropriate documentation to determine whether access can be granted before proceeding further through the application process.

Status:
Exempt

Reports To:
PMO & Demand Manager

Workplace Type:
Hybrid

Salary range of $177,000- $221,000 dependent on candidate experience.

Candidates hired for staff positions with a minimum work schedule of 30 hours per week are eligible for a comprehensive benefits package, including healthcare insurance. Learn more about benefits at Covington.

Covington & Burling LLP is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in any aspect of employment, including hiring, salary, promotion, discipline, termination, and benefits, on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, national origin, gender, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, sexual orientation, family responsibility, disability (including physical handicap), or any other improper criterion.

Covington will consider qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records for employment in accordance with applicable laws, including the California Fair Chance Act, the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Fair Chance Ordinance, the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance, and the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance.