Jessica Johnson
Director Project Management Office @Victra - Verizon Authorized Retailer
Signup · Get unlimited contacts
WORK HISTORY
Director Project Management Office @Victra - Verizon Authorized Retailer
Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, NC, US
Directed a high-impact project portfolio for an authorized Verizon retailer, overseeing enterprise-wide systems integration and infrastructure upgrades working with teams 200+ while managing a team of Project Managers. Defined the Strategic Roadmap and program structure and led the M&A Integration for the GoWireless acquisition, managing a complex Project Portfolio, ensuring seamless integration of operations, personnel, and retail assets. Project brought 600+ stores online with a 45-day schedule. Deployed Enterprise impacting SaaS systems: Oracle Financials ERP, Workday (HR & LMS), RingCentral. Served as Scrum Coach for IT development teams, maturing Agile ceremonies and methodologies. Standardized and owned the RFP process, to reduce spending across the enterprise. This also allowed PMs to be familiar with their projects from contract inception through implementation. Developed a team of 5 PMs, providing coaching and day to day leadership for project governance and methodology in Waterfall, Agile, Hybrid and system implementation best practices. Volunteered on the Board of Directors for the Women’s Affinity Group, driving professional development initiatives and advocacy for female leadership across the enterprise.
EDUCATION
University of South Carolina
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
SKILLS
ABOUT JESSICA JOHNSON
I\'m looking for my next role where my level of expertise is truly needed.When a stakeholder doesn\'t know how to get started or a project is in trouble, they know they can bring it to me. I am a PMP-certified IT Program Leader who thrives in the \"gray area\" of complex enterprise transformations. Enterprise-wide projects are ambiguous at the beginning, and can continue that way for well into the project. To be successful with the large scale implementations or digital transformations, you have to be able to break down something impossible into manageable pieces. My mantra is figure out what the first thing is, complete it, then figure out what the second thing is. I’ve built a career on being the \"glue\"; I can step in when the path forward isn\'t clear to ensure that projects actually reach the finish line. You can learn the technical skills, but more importantly, I bring thought leadership to the room. I am the \"Spoke in the Wheel\":• The Go-To Problem Solver: I am frequently brought in for high-pressure environments where teams don\'t know where to start, such as integrating 600+ stores in a 45-day M&A window.• Relationship-First Leadership: I build teams that people want to be a part of. One of my teams was drowning in poor team morale. We started our stand-ups with a \"dad joke\" for two weeks, and suddenly everyone had a LOT more to say. • Cross-Functional Catalyst: The most important job of a project manager is ensuring the team knows what they have to complete, when it\'s due, and who is dependent on their work. • Standardizing the Chaos: I take informal,\"nimble\" organizations and install the necessary PMO maturity, without overdoing it. I lean into \"what works\" instead of rigid frame-works.Strategic Impact at a Glance:• Leadership: Former President of the NC Project Management Institute, guiding a chapter of 3,800+ members, through the first year of COVID. That was…tough.• Technology: Expert at navigating full-lifecycle deployments for Workday, Oracle, ServiceNow, and emerging AI/PoC initiatives. The SaaS implementations can be one of the most challenging type of projects because of the change management tied to it. What happens after we are live? How do you get people to use it? I believe that the best project plans are only as good as the relationships behind them. As a project manager, you rarely have direct authority. If no one wants to work with you, you\'ll never get anything done. My job is to cut through the noise and just get it done, no matter how complicated it looks at the start.
This profile is compiled from publicly available professional sources. Unifers is not affiliated with or endorsed by LinkedIn. Request removal of this profile.