• Ref# 3918
• Program Manager, Mexico

Contact:   Christine Pearlman
Location:  Mexico City

Company Description

Our client is a leading global Test and Measurement solution provider.

Job Description

In the Service Assurance division the main revenue is based on customer projects involving implementation of systems. These projects typically involve:

Hardware

• Our client's developed HW (e.g. probes)
• 3rd party HW (e.g. servers)

Software

• Our client's developed SW for Road Map (e.g. protocols and data warehouse)
• Our client's developed SW for specific Customer (e.g. protocols and data warehouse)
• 3rd party SW (e.g. Linux and Oracle)

Services

• Project Management
• Technical expertise (e.g. probe and server installation, SW configuration, testing etc.)
• Domain and solution expertise
• Domain and product expertise
• Training & operational expertise

The Program Manager is responsible for all activities relating to the solutions and other deliverables delivered within the defined Program. A Program can consist of one or more customer projects.

The program activities must be implemented according to the Project Delivery model used within our client's Service Assurance business unit, and the Program Manager is responsible for fulfilling the contractual obligations between the Customer and our client.

Responsibilities

The Program Manager responsibilities include:

• Project planning
• Project implementation
• Reporting
• Support
• Presales activities

Project Planning

The Program Manager must ensure that proper planning and approval takes place for project conducted within the program. Planning must focus on scope, cost, schedule, quality, and the associated risks.

Project Implementation

The Program Manager must see to that the projects in the program are executed according to the approved plans, and that the use of the assigned resources is optimized. Furthermore, the Program Manager must ensure focus on the execution of the projects in the program and on achieving a high customer satisfaction.

The Program Manager must ensure that the relevant and appropriate tools are used within the program and associated projects.

Reporting

The Program Manager must provide progress reporting to the Senior Program Manager as well as to the Program Steering Committee by maintaining an updated project status in HighStage.

Status on all support agreements must be maintained in HighStage on a continuous basis. The status must never be more than 2 weeks old.

If a project, a support agreement, or another obligation to a customer is in trouble, the Program Manager is expected to bring this to the attention of the Program Steering Committee.

Support

The Program Manager is responsible for the support (SMA), training, and similar deliverables and obligations sold to the customer, and for ensuring proper operation and maintenance of the solutions delivered.

The Program Manager must work together with the Account Manager on renewal of support contracts and selling of additional training, services, etc. to the customer.

Presales Activities

In the presales phase of a new program the Program Manager shall work with the Account Manager to develop plans and schedules, and for ongoing programs, the Program Manager must take initiative to get additional sale as e.g. extensions to the current solution and deliverables.

Activities and Deliverables

The main project management activities/deliverables are:

• Project Start-up and hand-over from sales
• Project financials (project budget, financial review, budget revising, invoicing, payment follow-up, project completion)
• Project planning (planning, ordering of resources e.g. engineers, HW and SW)
• Project management (risk management, issue management, change request management, quality assurance, customer expectations management, benefit capture management, escalation, project filing)
• Project team management (prioritize, delegate, motivate, coach)
• Management reporting (progress reports, input to Project Steering Committee)
• Project deliverables (site survey, Project Implementation Test, Installation &
• Configuration, Customer Acceptance Test, Training, FSA/Roll-Out)
• Project closure and transfer to support phase: 1. Make internal evaluation report when project is finished; 2. Conduct Customer Satisfaction Survey
• Coordination of activities between Customer and our client
• Overall responsibility for follow-up on customer related EPRs
• Monitor project weekly status reports prepared by the Solution Architect and initiate corrective actions as needed.

In addition the Program Manager is contributing to the following activities:

• Suggestions for improving our client's project methodology and tools
• Defining department goals
• Reaching department goals

Authorities

The Program Manager has the following authority within the program:

• Prepare project budgets and revisions including all relevant costs
• Manage the projects from hand-over from sales until the project is entered into the support phase
• Manage the support agreement and make sure the obligations are fulfilled
• Define daily tasks for System Engineers, Support Engineers, Solution Architect and
• Hardware Integration managers.
• Approves all cost related to a project or a support agreement based on approved budget (except own cost)

Metrics

The metrics for successful program management is:

• Project delivery and after-sales support according to contract, budget, plan and quality
• Delivered technical solution in accordance with the scope defined in the Solution Document
• Fulfillment of service level agreement for support contracts
• Customer satisfaction
• Risks, issues and change requests are managed throughout the projects
• Customer expectations are managed
• Project Quality meets our client's and customer targets

Compensation:  75K