Senior Project Manager, PMO

About the role

The Senior Project Manager, PMO role at Churchill Downs Incorporated is pivotal in leading the most complex projects within the regulated racing and gaming sectors. This position requires a blend of project management expertise, leadership skills, technical acumen, and regulatory knowledge.

Responsibilities

• Oversee all aspects of highly complex projects with significant stakeholder visibility and engagement, ensuring adherence to CDI PMO standard operating procedures (SOPs) and best practices.
• Coach project managers and other CDI team members by offering guidance and advice on project management processes and best practices.
• Champion and serve as a role model for continuous improvement initiatives within the CDI IT PMO, enhancing processes, tools, and templates to drive efficiency and effectiveness.
• Spearhead the development and execution of comprehensive project plans that effectively navigate fixed deadlines and ambiguous scope.
• Leverage strong influencing and negotiating skills to effectively collaborate and secure resources in a matrixed environment where direct control may be limited.
• Demonstrate strong stakeholder management skills by effectively escalating issues and providing constructive feedback to leadership, ensuring alignment with project goals while confidently advocating for team needs and priorities.
• Exemplify strong conflict resolution skills by effectively mediating disputes and fostering a collaborative environment, promoting open communication and constructive feedback among team members.
• Proactively manage project risks and issues, implementing robust mitigation strategies to ensure successful project outcomes.
• Oversee project progress and provide regular updates to stakeholders, including C-suite executives, highlighting key milestones and any deviations from the project plan.
• Ensure timely delivery of services and adherence to contractual obligations with vendors to meet project objectives.
• Facilitate system testing and training sessions to ensure smooth transition of IT services into production.
• Ensure all project documentation is accurately maintained and accessible for reporting purposes.
• Travel to project locations at key points in the project lifecycle.
• Thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment with strong ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Industrial Engineering or related field. Master’s degree strongly preferred.
• Project Management Professional (PMP) certification required.
• Proven experience (minimum five to seven years) in project management, preferably within IT, gaming industry or other regulated environments.
• Minimum of five years of successfully managing complex and risky projects.
• Strong ability to gauge and understand business needs, with the ability to establish and maintain a high level of stakeholder trust and confidence through effective communication and relationship management.
• Understanding of IT infrastructure general concepts, including networking, servers, storage, and security systems.
• Experience working with regulatory bodies and implementing compliance measures within IT projects.
• Expert in utilizing project management tools and software for project resource planning, task tracking, scheduling, and reporting (e.g. MS Project, PPM Tools).
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to effectively engage with stakeholders at all levels.
• Able to navigate the ambiguous driving progress when given unclear, contradictory or inconsistent information.
• Strong propensity to take initiative, act with confidence and work under own direction with limited oversight.
• High level of emotional intelligence and self-awareness to remain tactful in contentious or politically sensitive situations.
• Adept at fostering accountability and collaboration within cross-functional project teams to successfully achieve project objectives.
• Experience getting work done through others without direct authority.
• Proven ability to manage vendor implementation timelines and contracts.
• Experience with Tempus Resource by ProSymmetry a strong plus.
• Experience leading ERP projects is a strong plus.
• Experience leading IT work efforts for Greenfield/Brownfield facilities a plus.
• Experience leveraging lean/six sigma methodologies a plus.
• Familiarity with vendor application services commonly used in gaming facilities, such as player tracking systems, slot management software, and surveillance solutions is a plus.

Qualifications

• Ability to obtain racing and/or gaming licenses as required in any jurisdiction where CDI operates.

Skills

• Project Management
• Leadership
• Technical Acumen
• Regulatory Knowledge

Benefits

• Market Competitive Pay

Pay

Market Competitive

Schedule

On-Site in Louisville, KY