Position Name: Technical Project Manager – Data & AI

Location: Houston, TX

Client: Globally recognized technology and digital transformation company

Level: Senior / Principal

Work Schedule: Hybrid 3 -4 days a week work from Office

Description

We are seeking a highly motivated and technically proficient Technical Project Manager – Data & AI to lead the successful delivery of medium to large-scale Data, Analytics, and AI initiatives. This role serves as the critical link between business stakeholders, clients, and technical delivery teams, ensuring projects are executed efficiently and aligned with business objectives.

The ideal candidate will possess strong project delivery expertise, a solid understanding of modern Data & AI ecosystems, and the ability to manage cross-functional teams in fast-paced consulting, professional services, or enterprise environments. While this is not a hands-on development role, it requires strong technical acumen and ownership of end-to-end project execution.

Role Overview

· Individual contributor role focused on project leadership and delivery excellence.

· No direct people management responsibilities.

· Responsible for project planning, execution, governance, and stakeholder communication.

· Requires strong technical understanding of Data Engineering, Analytics, AI/ML, and Cloud technologies.

· Client-facing role within Professional Services, Consulting, System Integration, or Internal Delivery organizations.

Role and Responsibilities

Project Delivery & Execution

· Lead end-to-end delivery of Data & AI programs, including Data Engineering, Analytics, Business Intelligence, AI/ML, and MLOps initiatives.

· Define project scope, timelines, milestones, resource plans, and dependencies.

· Monitor project progress, budget, risks, and quality to ensure successful delivery.

· Ensure alignment between technical implementation, architectural standards, and business outcomes.

· Drive project governance and delivery excellence throughout the project lifecycle.

Technical Project Governance

· Facilitate sprint planning, backlog prioritization, milestone tracking, and delivery reviews within Agile or hybrid delivery frameworks.

· Identify project risks, issues, and dependencies proactively and drive mitigation strategies.

· Ensure compliance with data governance, security, privacy, and regulatory requirements.

· Maintain project documentation, status reporting, and stakeholder communications.

Stakeholder & Client Management

· Serve as the primary point of contact for project-related communication with clients and internal stakeholders.

· Translate complex technical concepts into clear business-oriented updates.

· Manage stakeholder expectations, scope changes, and project escalations effectively.

· Provide transparent reporting on project health, progress, risks, and outcomes.

Collaboration with Technical Teams

· Work closely with Data Engineers, Data Scientists, ML Engineers, Platform Engineers, Architects, and Business Analysts.

· Remove delivery blockers and facilitate cross-functional collaboration.

· Clarify business requirements and ensure technical teams have clear delivery objectives.

· Review solution designs, implementation plans, and technical approaches from a delivery feasibility and risk perspective.

Pre-Sales & Project Planning Support

· Support solution design, effort estimation, project planning, and delivery strategy during pre-sales engagements.

· Contribute to proposal development, Statements of Work (SOW), and project initiation activities.

· Identify delivery risks, assumptions, dependencies, and resource requirements during planning phases.

Delivery Excellence & Continuous Improvement

· Promote and implement best practices across Agile, Scrum, Kanban, or hybrid delivery methodologies.

· Drive continuous improvement initiatives by capturing lessons learned and optimizing delivery processes.

· Contribute to the development of project management standards, templates, and governance frameworks.

Education & Certifications

Education

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field.

Mandatory Certifications

• PMP (Project Management Professional) OR
• PRINCE2 Practitioner OR
• Certified Scrum Master (CSM) OR
• Equivalent Agile/Scrum Project Management Certification

Preferred Certifications

• Microsoft Azure Certifications
• AWS Certifications
• Google Cloud Certifications
• Databricks Certifications
• Data Engineering or Analytics-related certifications

Required Qualifications

Experience

· 4–10 years of experience in Technical Project Management, Program Management, or Delivery Management.

· Proven track record of successfully delivering Data, Analytics, AI/ML, or Cloud transformation projects.

· Experience in Professional Services, Consulting, System Integration, Technology Services, or Product Delivery environments.

· Experience leading cross-functional technical teams, including:

· Data Engineers

· ML Engineers

· Data Scientists

· BI Developers

· Cloud Engineers

· Solution Architects

· Strong client-facing and stakeholder management experience.

Technical Knowledge

· Strong understanding of:

· Data Engineering and modern data pipelines

· Cloud data platforms (Azure, AWS, and/or GCP)

· Data Warehousing and Analytics solutions

· Business Intelligence platforms and reporting ecosystems

· AI/ML lifecycle, model deployment, and MLOps concepts

· Data governance, security, privacy, and compliance principles

· Agile delivery methodologies and project governance frameworks

· Ability to engage confidently with architects and engineering teams on technical discussions without requiring hands-on coding responsibilities.

Desired Skills & Competencies

· Strong project planning, execution, and delivery management skills.

· Excellent communication, presentation, and stakeholder management capabilities.

· Ability to manage multiple priorities in dynamic and fast-paced environments.

· Strong analytical, problem-solving, and risk management skills.

· High level of ownership and accountability for project outcomes.

· Experience managing ambiguity and driving clarity across teams.

· Passion for leveraging Data and AI technologies to deliver measurable business value.

Ideal Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate is a technically savvy Project Manager who thrives at the intersection of business and technology. They enjoy working closely with engineering teams, can effectively communicate with senior stakeholders, and are passionate about delivering impactful Data & AI solutions that drive business transformation.

Pay: $60.00 - $75.00 per hour

Benefits:

• 401(k)

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Houston, TX 77229