Project Manager - Consultant

(Reference code: 0004WN) Status: Full Time, Employee Location: Northbrook, IL 60062 Job Category: IT/Software Development Career Level:Experienced (Non-Manager) Job Description: The Allstate Corporation is the nation’s largest publicly held personal lines insurer. A Fortune 100 company, with $156 billion in assets, Allstate sells 13 major lines of insurance, including auto, property, life and commercial. Allstate also offers retirement and investment products and banking services. Allstate is widely known through the “You’re In Good Hands With Allstate®” slogan. Allstate was founded in 1931 and became a publicly traded company in 1993. For over 75 years, Allstate has been helping protect homes, cars and families across the country.  As the nation's largest publicly held personal lines insurance company, our success is built on an environment where the talents and contributions of every person are supported, respected and encouraged. The scope of this job is for a Project Manager with the Application Development and Support team - specifically managing activities related to 2007 Strategic Initiatives. The ideal candidate will have solid industry experience (project management, project planning, and project delivery). The Project Manager - manages overall project delivery including scope, timeliness, resources, budget, risks, and issues, relationships, and communications.  The position will be responsible for:·   Developing project or pursuit approach, scope, time line, budget/project estimation and working with personal development managers on overall staffing on projects· Driving project delivery and support, including controlling project budget, expenses, and scope· Managing project relationships (business, vendors, AFT)· Using functional, business and technical knowledge to drive the best solutions · Determining project approach, including conducting scoping and making recommendations, developing and resolving budgets, and developing the most effective work plan with timeline and resources· Independently planning medium to large scale projects of greater complexity, typically across team and/or areas· Resolving conflicts and competing demands and modifying tasks, sequencing and resourcing as appropriate to maintain progress· Utilizing all resources including vendor/contractors efficiently and monitoring and shifting resources as needed· Working with Managers  to identify opportunities to increase the skills and knowledge of the team to support successful project delivery· Setting goals and objectives for a given project with project team members· Overseeing development of risk mitigation strategy and reviewing with client(s)· Identifying, directing, and delivering project communication messages using a variety of vehicles based on audience and the content· Maintaining status and metrics information in relevant project management tools· Defining and communicating implementation plans · Coordinating project implementation and change management activities· Ensuring use of appropriate SDLC methodology, tools and QA process during the project lifecycle while supporting process improvement and corporate strategy· Forming teams and directing the work of gathering business requirements, scoping, formulating solution alternatives and creating project estimates· Overseeing project migration and deployment activities and following up post-release to capture metrics, ensuring successful deployment and resolving and communicating issues The skills required are:· Project Management/Leadership – Intermediate· MS Project & Microsoft Suite – Intermediate· Project Coordination – Intermediate· Scope Control & Change Management - Intermediate Experience Required: · 3-5 years experience in Project Management including the skills to: · work with changing priorities and multiple tasks with aggressive time commitments on a high volume of projects· Work with clients to analyze their business specifications in order to determine the needed technical requirements· Work with system application team to analyze their technical specifications· Demonstrate Computer Proficiency with the Microsoft Suite - Office, Outlook, MS Project, PowerPoint, etc.