Senior Project Manager

ECOnorthwest is a public policy consulting firm headquartered in Portland, Oregon, with offices in Seattle, Bend, Eugene, Denver, and Los Angeles. For 50 years, policymakers and business leaders have trusted ECOnorthwest to inform the complex issues that shape communities. ECOnorthwest has worked with a diverse range of over 2,000 public, private, non-profit, and foundation clients in the United States and around the world to craft effective and feasible solutions.

To answer the complex questions of our time, we integrate economic analysis with complementary disciplines to provide a more complete understanding of how policy choices affect peoples’ lives.

Overall purpose of the position

Senior Project Managers are experienced professionals who are leaders within the firm. They have the networks, skills, and expertise to consistently lead some or all of their project work independently but are paired with a Project Director on each project for as-needed advising. They evidence professional judgement regarding when they need input from more-senior staff. They may serve as the primary or only point of contact with a client on some projects.

They are developing their own networks and may independently bring in some new project work to the firm.

They may be responsible for implementing and managing project work, including delegation to a team that includes Project Managers or Associates who lead day-to-day project management efforts. They lead or manage marketing efforts. They represent the firm and its work externally to clients, professional associations, and others. They may manage and/or direct multiple projects and proposal efforts simultaneously, balancing time and resources across projects.

This position is expected to maintain a billable hours ratio of 65% after 5 months.

Essential functions of the position

• Ensures that project teams successfully deliver project work, and that the following project management tasks are satisfactorily completed (either by doing or delegating), with input from more-senior staff on an as-needed basis:
• Internal and external project kickoffs and check-in meetings.
• Development of scopes of work and project budgets.
• Identification of resources and staff needed to complete projects.
• Effective communication with internal and subconsultant team members about their specific roles, expectations, and budget for projects.
• Project budget management and reporting of potential problems to the Project Director or cluster lead.
• Appropriate use of sources of information to collect, record, analyze, and evaluate facts.
• Quality control and quality assurance activities on project analysis that other team members have completed, seeking input from Project Directors or cluster leads when needed; ensures that all work products are accurate, relevant, and meet the client’s needs, consistent with ECOnorthwest’s values about diversity, inclusion, and equity statement; and statement of research integrity.
• Synthesize and characterize findings and analysis as appropriate to the project needs.
• Facilitate client and stakeholder meetings and present findings and conclusions in public meetings.
• Provides feedback on staff performance on project work.
• Mentors and supports project teams as they collaborate to execute project work.
• Actively works to develop a diverse professional network and seeks opportunities for business development; may bring in some independent project work without the support of more senior staff.
• Has identified areas of substantial experience and subject matter expertise with land use planning, such as comprehensive planning, long-range planning, housing planning and strategies, or area planning .
• Familiarity with state or regional land use system requirements, such as the Oregon land use system, Washington State’s Growth Management Act, or similar state requirements.
• Understands and can communicate the strategic and political implications and consequences of work.
• Ability to communicate complex technical findings in written deliverables and presentations.
• Ability to lead and provide quality control for a team’s analysis and research.
• Knowledge of and ability to apply the key analytic and…