Project Manager

Job Title: Project Manager
Industry: Retail / Apparel & Footwear
Location: Hybrid in Beaverton, OR (WFH on Fridays)
Duration: ~7 months – W2 Contract

Position Overview

The nature of the work is focused on defining and scaling tools, processes, and governance models that drive organizational excellence in program and project management. This role manages complex projects with a duration of typically 12 months or less, budgets up to $1M, multiple cross-functional business partners, and a regional scope. The role requires strong judgment, executive presence, and the ability to operate effectively across a portfolio of initiatives.

Recruiter Insights

• Hybrid work model (4 days onsite, 1 day remote – Fridays)

• Contract role covering maternity leave (~7 months)

• Opportunity to support a high-visibility project with a critical go-live timeline in August

• Work within a collaborative, cross-functional team environment (~20 team members)

• Exposure to portfolio-level work and broader business initiatives

Key Qualifications

Project Manager Qualifications:

• 8-10 years’ experience required in a project management position.
• PMP certification heavily preferred.
• Agile certifications (CSPO, CSM) nice to have, not a requirement.
• Solid understanding of program/project management
• Ability to drive an initiative
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to create communication artifacts (using Keynote, Microsoft Suite, etc.)
• Ability to communicate effectively via decks, presentations, etc.
• Great at building and maintaining relationships
• Ability to lead with curiosity and ask questions if needed; shows an eagerness to learn
• Ability to ruthlessly prioritize their work and the communications coming into them
• Strong skills in assessing risk, priority, and impact
• Works well under pressure.

Skills that would make a candidate stand out:
• Airtable experience
• Experience in a merchandising, planning, etc. role
• Portfolio management experience

Responsibilities

Program & Project Leadership:
• Lead end-to-end project and program execution while maintaining clear visibility into where the work sits within the Project Management lifecycle. Proactively identify critical next steps, tradeoffs, and decision points to keep work moving forward with speed and clarity. Demonstrate intrinsic motivation and initiative by identifying opportunities to improve outcomes, reduce risk, and increase organizational effectiveness without direct oversight.

Executive Communication & Alignment:
• Communicate with clarity and confidence at an executive level, including concise storytelling, structured presentations, and data-informed recommendations. Translate complex project and portfolio information into clear insights tied to organizational goals, strategic priorities, and business outcomes. Ensure work is consistently aligned to broader enterprise objectives and value creation.

Portfolio & Risk Management:
• Apply portfolio management principles to balance priorities, capacity, risk, and value across multiple initiatives. Identify, assess, and prioritize risk holistically across business functions and the broader program or portfolio—not just individual projects. Structure and maintain program governance forums that surface risks early and ensure mitigation occurs at the appropriate decision-making level.

Project Scope Management:
• Partner with project sponsors and stakeholders to define business benefits, measurable outcomes, business requirements, and project scope. Manage change control processes, clearly articulating impacts to scope, timeline, cost, quality, and organizational priorities.

Project Time Management:
• Define integrated project schedules, manage task assignments, and track progress against milestones. Anticipate dependencies, constraints, and critical path risks, adjusting plans as needed to maintain momentum.

Project Cost Management:
• Facilitate level-of-effort estimation and develop asset acquisition requirements. Track and report actuals versus forecasts; elevate variances, risks, and tradeoffs with transparency.

Project Quality & Methodology:
• Provide guidance and direction on project management methodology and best practices, ensuring alignment with Nike’s standard project methodology. Define and manage project strategies, assign clear ownership, and ensure actions are driven to closure with quality.

Education

• Degree heavily preferred