Associate Project Manager

POSITION OVERVIEW The Associate Project Manager is a member of the Procurement Center of Excellence (CoE), responsible for managing operational and process improvement projects while supporting larger cross-functional initiatives. This role partners with business stakeholders and project sponsors to plan, coordinate, execute, and implement projects that drive operational effectiveness and business outcomes. The ideal candidate is a highly organized and results-oriented project professional who can independently manage projects, coordinate activities across multiple stakeholders, and contribute to larger cross-functional initiatives. This individual combines strong project management fundamentals with a hands-on approach to execution and continuous improvement. Serving as a key point of coordination across Operations and cross-functional teams, this role helps drive project success through effective planning, communication, risk management, and stakeholder engagement. RESPONSIBILITIES Project Leadership & Delivery • Independently manage small to medium-sized operational, process improvement, and business projects from identification through implementation. • Support the senior manager and business leaders on larger, more complex cross-functional initiatives. • Develop and maintain project plans, timelines, milestones, and project artifacts. • Define project scope, deliverables, schedules, and success measures for assigned projects. • Monitor project progress and proactively identify risks, issues, dependencies, and potential roadblocks. • Coordinate resources and stakeholders to ensure projects remain on track and objectives are achieved. • Facilitate problem resolution and escalate significant risks or issues when appropriate. • Support implementation activities and help ensure successful transition and adoption of project outcomes. • Maintain accountability for project deliverables, timelines, and commitments. Execution & Project Support • Actively contributes to project execution activities to achieve business objectives and ensure successful delivery. • Prepare project deliverables, documentation, communications, presentations, enablement materials, and implementation plans. • Support teams in identifying and resolving operational challenges that may impact project scope, timelines, or business outcomes. • Partner with stakeholders to ensure action items are completed, decisions are documented, and commitments are fulfilled. • Apply a hands-on approach to delivery, helping teams translate plans into action and move initiatives efficiently from planning through execution. • Leverage AI, automation, and digital tools to streamline project processes, improve efficiency, and enhance delivery outcomes. Stakeholder & Cross-Functional Leadership • Build strong relationships across the organization to drive alignment, engagement, and execution. • Coordinate project activities across Operations, Product, IT, Finance, Sales, and other business functions. • Facilitate project meetings, working sessions, and stakeholder communications; support leadership reviews as needed. • Serve as the primary point of contact for assigned projects and initiatives. • Communicate project status, key decisions, risks, dependencies, and priorities to stakeholders and leadership. • Collaborate with stakeholders at all levels to support project objectives, resolve issues, and drive successful outcomes. Portfolio Management & Reporting • Manage multiple assigned projects simultaneously while balancing priorities, timelines, and stakeholder needs. • Prepare and maintain project status reports, project metrics, and support documentation. • Monitor project progress and identify risks, issues, dependencies, and opportunities for improvement. • Follow established Procurement CoE project management standards, processes, and tools. • Provide project stakeholders and leadership with regular updates regarding milestones, timelines, and key deliverables. • Support resource coordination and project planning activities for assigned initiatives. • Maintain accurate project records, documentation, and action logs to support successful project execution. Enablement, Continuous Improvement & Communication • Develop and maintain project templates, playbooks, standard work, and proven practices to drive consistency and execution excellence. • Partner with stakeholders to support communications, readiness activities, enablement, and adoption efforts. • Ensure stakeholders understand project objectives, timelines, impacts, decisions, and required actions. • Identify opportunities to improve project delivery and operational effectiveness through process optimization, automation, and digital solutions. • Utilize data, reporting, and AI-enabled tools to support project planning, performance monitoring, and informed decision-making. • Support and promote innovative ways of working that improve productivity, collaborat...