Senior Project Manager (Professional Services)

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Job Description Summary:

This Senior Project Manager will lead the delivery of complex modernization projects primarily for Application Modernization and Connectivity, typically ranging from $500k to $2M in services revenue, and occasionally overseeing more complex transitions or transformations valued up to $10M. In this role, you will coordinate multi-function, multi-vendor project teams—often spanning multiple regions—to meet aggressive but achievable deadlines while driving meaningful customer outcomes.

A strong technical background in one or more focus areas—such as infrastructure modernization, application modernization, process modernization, hybrid cloud deployments, microservices architecture, or enterprise-wide DevOps—is key. You’ll leverage this expertise to define project objectives, outline detailed delivery plans, and ensure alignment with customers business goals. Throughout the project lifecycle, you will collaborate with diverse stakeholders, including consultants, software engineers, end users, sales teams, and senior leadership, while maintaining transparency, accountability, and clear communication. Experience in mainframe modernization projects, including migrating legacy applications to modern cloud-based platforms, is highly desirable. Familiarity with mainframe technologies such as COBOL, JCL, CICS, and DB2 is highly desirable and will enable effective communication with technical teams and streamline project execution.

As part of the Rocket team, you will embrace and exemplify our core values of Empathy, Humanity, Trust, and Love, ensuring a customer-centric approach in every interaction. You’ll partner with colleagues to continually refine best practices and methodologies, promoting a culture of innovation and continuous improvement. Ultimately, you will play a pivotal role in delivering high-value solutions and exceptional experiences that help customers modernize their technology landscapes and achieve strategic success.

Job Overview:

This Senior Project Manager will lead the delivery of complex modernization projects primarily for Application Modernization and Connectivity, typically ranging from $500k to $2M in services revenue, and occasionally overseeing more complex transitions or transformations valued up to $10M. In this role, you will coordinate multi-function, multi-vendor project teams—often spanning multiple regions—to meet aggressive but achievable deadlines while driving meaningful customer outcomes.

A strong technical background in one or more focus areas—such as infrastructure modernization, application modernization, process modernization, hybrid cloud deployments, microservices architecture, or enterprise-wide DevOps—is key. You’ll leverage this expertise to define project objectives, outline detailed delivery plans, and ensure alignment with customers business goals. Throughout the project lifecycle, you will collaborate with diverse stakeholders, including consultants, software engineers, end users, sales teams, and senior leadership, while maintaining transparency, accountability, and clear communication. Experience in mainframe modernization projects, including migrating legacy applications to modern cloud-based platforms, is highly desirable. Familiarity with mainframe technologies such as COBOL, JCL, CICS, and DB2 is highly desirable and will enable effective communication with technical teams and streamline project execution.

As part of the Rocket team, you will embrace and exemplify our core values of Empathy, Humanity, Trust, and Love, ensuring a customer-centric approach in every interaction. You’ll partner with colleagues to continually refine best practices and methodologies, promoting a culture of innovation and continuous improvement. Ultimately, you will play a pivotal role in delivering high-value solutions and exceptional experiences that help customers modernize their technology landscapes and achieve strategic success.

Key Responsibilities

Project Delivery Excellence & Customer Experience

• Oversee the entire project lifecycle for large, high-risk, and often multi-region initiatives—managing timelines, deliverables, and quality standards to meet aggressive yet achievable deadlines.
• Define and document clear project scope and objectives, preventing scope creep by continuously aligning all stakeholders with the project’s goals and deliverables.
• Utilize Rocket’s project management framework to optimize workflows, accelerate time to value, and ensure customer-centric outcomes.
• Coordinate requirement-gathering sessions, project kickoff meetings, status updates, and review meetings, maintaining transparency and alignment between internal teams and external clients.
• Act as the primary interface with customers, forging trust-based relationships grounded in Rocket’s core values of Empathy, Humanity, Trust, and Love.
• Monitor project risks and proactively address any challenges, conflicts, or schedule deviations to maintain project momentum and a positive customer experience.

Revenue Optimization & Portfolio Management

• Collaborate with internal and customer stakeholders to match project resources, schedules, and financial parameters with contractual requirements.
• Maintain transparent communication to set clear expectations around timelines, scope, and any potential risks affecting delivery or cost.
• Provide reliable financial forecasts to management, adjusting as necessary based on evolving project scopes and timelines.
• Collaborate closely with Sales to proactively identify and pursue additional revenue opportunities, particularly for complex, high-risk engagements, by leveraging on-the-ground insights during project delivery to align emerging customer needs with Rocket’s broader solutions portfolio.
• Lead or support early qualification and opportunity assessment for significant modernization projects, ensuring alignment with Rocket’s strategic objectives.
• Maintain a well-rounded portfolio of customer engagements, balancing priorities and resource allocations to maximize both revenue potential and customer satisfaction.

Operational Excellence & Process Transformation

• Implement and continuously improve standardized policies, procedures, and best practices that support consistent, high-quality project delivery.
• Track key performance indicators (KPIs) and analyze project data to identify trends, address inefficiencies, and enhance operational effectiveness.
• Use data-driven insights to inform decision-making, refine delivery approaches, and recommend process optimizations that reduce complexity, cost, and accelerate time-to-value.
• Establish clear governance structures and reporting processes, providing stakeholders with real-time visibility into project progress, financial health, and risk status.
• Participate in and drive continuous improvement initiatives that reinforce Rocket’s commitment to innovation, operational excellence, and delivering transformative customer outcomes.

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead project teams of internal and external resources, setting and clarifying expectations, assigning responsibilities, and ensuring cohesive team dynamics.
• Provide performance input on project contributors, offering constructive feedback and support to promote accountability, collaboration, and high-quality results.
• Foster an environment of proactive problem-solving, open communication, and mutual respect, promptly resolving conflicts and enabling teams to stay focused on project goals.
• Set the standard for professionalism and excellence by modeling diligent planning, effective communication, and a results-oriented mindset.
• Capture, analyze, and share insights from each project phase to refine best practices, drive process enhancements, and foster a high-performance environment where teams continually adapt and excel, in collaboration with Excellence Enablement.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Collaborate extensively with other Solutioning, Delivery Engineering, Sales, Product Engineering, and other internal teams to align project scope, schedules, and resources, ensuring solutions meet customer needs.
• Manage relationships at multiple levels within client organizations, from technical teams to executive sponsors, to maintain a cohesive and productive engagement.
• Facilitate seamless transitions between project phases, ensuring that deliverables, timelines, and accountabilities are clearly handed off without disrupting customer operations.
• Communicate consistently and transparently with all stakeholders on project objectives, milestones, and potential risks, reinforcing trust and partnership.
• Demonstrate deep technical and domain expertise, through experience, guiding each project’s modernization approach to deliver lasting business value for our customers.

Requirements

Education & Certifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Project Management, a related field, or equivalent experience.
• Project management certification preferred (e.g., PMP, PgMP, PRINCE2, CSM).
• Additional certifications in Agile methodologies are beneficial.

Experience

• 8+ years of progressive project management experience, preferably with enterprise-scale portfolios in a professional services organization of a software company (or equivalent related experience).
• Experience leading customers with mainframe and legacy modernization initiatives.
• Knowledge of major cloud provider infrastructure and technologies, such as AWS, Azure, GCP, Cloud Foundry, Docker, Kubernetes
• Exposure and experience with mainframe, non-x86 legacy systems with technologies such as COBOL, JCL, CICS, Db2 for z/OS, Assembler, PL/I, Rexx, flat/sequential files, GDGs, and VSAM.
• Proven track record of driving revenue growth and business transformation through project delivery in a software, SaaS, or enterprise software environment.
• Experience in cross-functional collaboration within SaaS companies, enterprise software organizations, or consulting environments, working across teams to align project goals and ensure successful delivery.

Skills & Competencies

Leadership and Collaboration

• Executive-level communication skills.
• Advanced coaching and mentoring abilities.
• Transformational leadership with a focus on operational excellence.
• Expertise in cross-functional collaboration and stakeholder management.

Project Delivery and Strategy

• Resource optimization and portfolio management.
• Advanced project planning and risk management.
• Process improvement and change management expertise.
• Focus on accelerating time-to-value through efficient delivery.

Financial and Operational Acumen

• Strong understanding of revenue recognition principles.
• Experience in financial management, budgeting, and performance monitoring.
• Ability to analyze and address complex operational challenges.

Collaboration Network

• CSE Functional Leadership Team
• Sales and Pre-Sales teams
• Support & Product Development
• Customer Success
• Customer stakeholders

Communication Requirements

• Maintain regular communication with the management of the CSE PMO, cross-functional teams, and Functional Leadership
• Provide ad-hoc updates on critical project milestones and revenue recognition status.

Information Security

Information security is everyone’s responsibility.  A fundamental principle of information security at Rocket Software is that all individuals in the organization have a responsibility for the security and protection of company information and IT Resources over which they have control, according to their role.

Diversity, Inclusion & Equity

At Rocket we are committed to an inclusive workplace environment, where every Rocketeer can thrive by bringing their full selves to work. Being a Rocketeer means you are part of our movement to continually drive inclusivity, diversity and equity in our workforce.

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Rocket Software Inc. is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. Rocket Software Inc. is also committed to compliance with all fair employment practices regarding citizenship and immigration status.

Rocket is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with physical and mental disabilities.  If you need special assistance or an accommodation while seeking employment, please call: 781-577-4321 or send an email to people@rocketsoftware.com.  We will make a determination on your request for reasonable accommodation on a case-by-case basis.

If you like wild growth and working with happy, enthusiastic over-achievers, you'll enjoy your career with us!