Project Manager II

About the Role

As a Project Manager II at NLS, you'll play an important role in delivering successful projects while collaborating with clients, internal teams, and external partners. You'll have the opportunity to independently lead small projects, strengthen your leadership skills, and contribute to solutions that make a real impact in the insurance technology industry. In this role, you'll manage projects from planning through execution, helping teams stay aligned on scope, schedules, budgets, and deliverables. You'll work closely with project stakeholders, facilitate Agile ceremonies, resolve challenges, and help keep projects moving forward.

Responsibilities

• Engage with clients and internal stakeholders to understand project needs, ask thoughtful questions, and deliver high-quality work while leveraging available tools and technology, including AI, to improve efficiency and accuracy.
• Lead, mentor, and coach project teams of 10–15 resources.
• Oversee project planning efforts to determine requirements and specifications, project scope, staffing needs, scheduling, risks, issues, and contingency plans.
• Manage day-to-day project activities including project tasks, daily stand-ups, team communications, task tracking, scope and schedule mitigation, risk management, and roadblock resolution.
• Create and regularly monitor project schedules, scope, budgets, risks/issues, and action items while implementing corrective actions to keep projects on schedule and within budget.
• Facilitate daily stand-up meetings, documenting team updates, blockers, and action items while ensuring effective communication across the team.
• Create and facilitate project meetings focused on status reporting, problem resolution, feedback, and fostering open communication throughout project planning and execution.
• Lead the issue resolution process and help drive issues through completion.
• Create and communicate project schedule, budget, and delivery updates to project stakeholders.
• Maintain and distribute project management deliverables including status reports, meeting minutes, issue logs, and other project documentation.
• Facilitate weekly project status meetings with project leads and stakeholders, including preparing PowerPoint status reports, documenting meeting notes, and tracking action items.
• Prepare for and help facilitate stakeholder meetings with NLS leadership and customer stakeholders.
• Participate in Duck Creek partner program meetings by communicating project status, risks, and reference status.
• Drive creative approaches to problem-solving while supporting timely project delivery.
• Coordinate, facilitate, and document sprint, milestone, and project reviews while implementing best practices.
• Facilitate the 360 feedback process for project resource evaluations during annual reviews.
• Support project closure activities, including decommissioning project resources, removing project distribution lists, and completing project closure documentation.
• Assist with interviewing and onboarding new Project Managers.
• Support other Project Managers and the Director of Project Management as needed.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree required, preferably in Business, Computer Information Systems, Insurance and Risk Management, or a related field.
• 1–5 years of experience managing technical projects or experience within the insurance industry.
• Experience managing small projects with teams of 10–15 or more resources; Agile project experience preferred.
• Certification in at least one Project Management-related area preferred (CSM, ACP, PMP, or equivalent).
• Experience managing project budgets and schedules.
• Experience creating, tracking, managing, and reporting project budgets.
• Experience creating, tracking, managing, and reporting project schedules.
• Experience managing and controlling project scope.
• Experience participating on Agile project teams using Scrum methodology preferred.
• Ability to independently lead customer-facing meetings.
• Strong presentation skills with exceptional organization and attention to detail.
• Intermediate knowledge of Microsoft Office 365 products, including Microsoft Project, JIRA, ADO, or other project management software.
• Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Strong customer service skills with the ability to collaborate effectively across teams.
• High attention to detail and organizational skills.
• Highest degree of honesty and integrity.
• Team player with a servant leadership mindset.
• Results-oriented with a proactive approach and commitment to continuous improvement.

About NLS

Next Level Solutions is a trusted partner in digital transformation and IT services, specializing exclusively in the property and casualty (P&C) insurance market. With unparalleled agility and cost-effective scaling, we offer cutting-edge expertise to address the industry's unique challenges and opportunities. Our finely tuned solutions, from system integration to delivering new digital capabilities, leverage both onshore and nearshore capabilities for flexible, efficient, and responsive support. This ensures seamless collaboration, improved communication, and faster turnaround times, all while maintaining high quality and cost-effectiveness, setting us apart in a world teeming with generic solutions.

Benefits

• Competitive salary package with annual bonus
• Comprehensive and inclusive health benefits
• Flexible work arrangements
• Opportunities for career growth and internal advancement
• Relaxed office environment with casual dress code
• Company-sponsored activities and team-building events
• PTO and paid company holidays
• Traditional & Roth 401(k) with a 5% company match
• Physical and mental wellness programs

Schedule

• Full-time position, typically Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–5:00 PM local time.
• Flexibility to work outside standard business hours as needed.
• Work from our office location in Springfield, MO.
• Ability to travel as needed.