Junior Project Manager

Job Title: Junior Project Manager

Work Location: Requires on-site presence 3 days per week for the first 4 weeks. Thereafter, 3 onsite days per month in Springfield, IL, with up to 3 additional onsite days per month as requested.

Position Overview

The Junior Project Manager supports software and infrastructure projects through endtoend planning, coordination, and execution. The role requires foundational project management and technical knowledge, plus strong collaboration with crossfunctional teams, stakeholders, vendors, and leadership.

Responsibilities include translating business needs into project plans, maintaining alignment and communication, tracking progress, and managing risks, dependencies, scope, schedule, and quality. The ideal candidate is proactive, organized, adaptable, and able to bring structure and clarity to a fastpaced environment while working independently with guidance.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain project plans, schedules, milestones, RAID items, and project documentation while supporting execution across the full SDLC.
• Coordinate work across development, QA, infrastructure, security, operations, and vendor teams to ensure timely, aligned delivery.
• Facilitate Agile ceremonies including daily standups, sprint planning, backlog refinement, demos, and retrospectives.
• Track progress, risks, issues, and dependencies using JIRA and other project management tools; escalate timely when needed.
• Support technical initiatives involving Microsoft Server environments, SQL Server, ASP.NET applications, and IIS by coordinating patches, upgrades, database changes, deployments, and release activities.
• Align application, infrastructure, and release stakeholders to ensure smooth and compliant production deployments.
• Identify and analyze project risks, technical blockers, capacity constraints, and system impacts; partner with SMEs to develop mitigation and resolution plans.
• Communicate clearly and consistently with stakeholders at all levels, providing structured updates on scope, timelines, deliverables, risks, and decisions.
• Prepare and maintain status reports, dashboards, decision logs, change requests, test summaries, and implementation plans.
• Ensure adherence to IT governance, standards, and release management processes, including coordinating approvals, technical reviews, and readiness checkpoints.

Required Skills & Qualifications

• Experience managing projects across the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC), including design, development, testing, deployment, and support.
• Proficient with Jira Software, including back log boards, workflows, dashboards, versions, and release management views.
• Solid conceptual understanding key technologies to manage and support project execution and communication across technical teams, including:
  • Infrastructure fundamentals (servers, networks, environments, security considerations)
  • Microsoft Server and Microsoft SQL Server
  • ASP.NET application concepts
  • IIS configuration concepts and deployment concepts
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision while driving clarity, coordination, and accountability across teams.
• Demonstrated ability to manage diverse technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Strong communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills.

Other Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Jira Plans (Advanced Roadmaps) for capacity forecasting, cross-team dependency management, and portfolio-level timeline planning.
• Background supporting projects in hybrid cloud or enterprise technology environments.

• Highly organized, detail-oriented, with the ability to manage multiple parallel initiatives.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to translate high-level concepts into clear, actionable project plans.
• Positive, proactive, and able to build trust with technical and business stakeholders.
• Adaptable and effective in dynamic environments with shifting priorities.