Fast Facts

Trafera is seeking a Lead Project Manager to establish a Project Management Office (PMO) overseeing IT projects and business process improvements, while fostering a culture of collaboration and accountability within the organization.

Responsibilities: The Lead Project Manager will manage IT project delivery, ensure proper project documentation, oversee project intake and execution, and establish effective communication and training strategies for project management and Agile methodology.

Skills: Required skills include extensive experience in IT project management, business process reengineering, proficiency in project management methodologies (Agile, Waterfall), and strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.

Qualifications: Candidates should have a Bachelor's degree in IT or Business Administration, 5-7 years of project management experience, PMP or equivalent certification, and experience with tools like HubSpot, Asana, and FreshService.

Location: This position is located in Mendota Heights, MN, with the possibility of travel to multiple sites throughout the Twin Cities.

Compensation: $110000 - $130000 / Annually

Trafera is an industry leader in delivering innovative IT products and integrated solutions for K-12, higher education, and state and local governments. Headquartered in Arden Hills, MN, and supported by strategically positioned service centers in the Twin Cities, Louisiana, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and West Virginia, we are uniquely equipped to meet the diverse needs of our customers.

Supported by Rotunda Capital Partners and our strategic investments, we are expanding into new markets. Our recognition on The Channel Company’s CRN Solution Provider 500 List, where we rank among the top 100 providers, demonstrates our excellence as a strategic service provider and our ability to deliver high-impact IT solutions.

We are committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive workplace that respects and values diverse perspectives and talents. Our shared values of embracing growth and continuous improvement, making connections, being dependable, maintaining integrity by doing the right thing, and taking action drive our culture and serve as a guide for how we treat one another and accomplish our work.

The Project Management Lead will be responsible for supporting the establishment of a Project Management Office (PMO) and ensuring the consistent delivery of both IT development projects (e.g., system enhancements, integrations, automation) and business process improvement initiatives (e.g., streamlining workflows, reducing manual effort, increasing efficiency). This role will oversee project intake, prioritization, and execution while embedding governance and accountability. The position also requires collaboration with cross-functional staff to strengthen organizational project management capabilities. The ideal candidate will bring experience in IT project management, business process reengineering, and change management.

Project & Portfolio Management

• Support the establishment of a PMO with standardized intake, scoping, prioritization, and execution processes for IT projects.
• Ensure all projects have a Charter, RACI, and proper setup in Asana; perform periodic portfolio scrubs to clarify tasks, ownership, and tech debt.
• Partner with business sponsors to define project objectives, ROI, and success measures.
• Develop business cases, validate requirements, and secure sponsor sign-off before development or process redesign begins.
• Oversee the delivery lifecycle: for IT projects, coordinate design, build, testing, integration, and deployment; for business process initiatives, manage process mapping, workflow redesign, and efficiency tracking.
• Establish milestones and report progress, risks, and dependencies across both IT and process improvement portfolios.
• Implement structured approval gates (requirements, design, UAT, release) and enforce scope/change control.
• Drive utilization of FreshService as the primary service management portal and integrate service metrics into project reporting.
• Track post-implementation results to confirm ROI and alignment with business goals.
• Collaborate and support training for other project managers in cross-functional groups in project management fundamentals and Agile methodology.
• Support the Cybersecurity programs by prioritizing and tracking cybersecurity initiatives while reporting progress against goals.
• Document “as is” and “to be” processes across both IT systems and business operations to highlight simplification opportunities.
• Establish a network of User Champions to support adoption and act as liaisons within their business units.
• Develop communication, training, and engagement strategies to drive adoption of new systems, tools, and reengineered business processes.
• Facilitate weekly IT updates with a project-focused agenda: issues, in-flight projects with R/Y/G status, backlog, new requests, and service metrics.
• Lead periodic SteerCo meetings with IT and organizational leadership to review portfolio performance and priorities.

Competencies

• Courage, Persaud, Decision Quality, Manages Conflict, Optimize Work Processes, Business Insights, Builds Effective Teams, Drives Engagement, Ensures Accountability, Communication

Minimum Skills and Abilities

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Business Administration, or related field.
• 5–7 years of progressive project management experience, including 2+ years in PMO lead or setup role.
• PMP, PRINCE2, or equivalent certification required; Agile/Scrum Master or SAFe certification preferred.
• Proven track record delivering both IT development projects and business process transformation initiatives.
• Experience with HubSpot, Infor/CSI, Asana, and FreshService preferred.
• Strong knowledge of project management methodologies (Agile, Waterfall, Hybrid).
• Experience in organizational change management and stakeholder engagement.
• Demonstrated analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Strong interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills with the ability to effectively present ideas and deliverables to internal and external stakeholders.
• Creative, and results oriented mindset with the ability to collaborate with others to identify and solve issues, make proactive recommendations, and lead through influence.
• Self-directed work style, able to work autonomously, prioritize and deliver results.
• Ability to travel to multiple sites throughout the Twin Cities as necessary.