Sr Manager, Project Management

Panera Bread is a specialty concept with unparalleled people and quality products offering careers as diverse as our breads and bagels. Panera Bread is seeking a highly motivated individual with strong business acumen, project management and communication skills as well as strategic, analytical, and technical capabilities to fill the role of Senior Manager, Project Management.

Duties & Responsibilities

The primary responsibilities of this job include, but are not limited to:

• Drive key strategic and operational initiatives from idea to implementation in support of delivering against our enterprise goals
  • Collaborate closely with project owners regarding product requirements and project details and confirm that functionality delivered matches specification requirements.
  • Conduct comprehensive product reviews of new and reformulated products with key stakeholders by establishing objective(s), organizing logistics, collecting and interpreting data, and communicating collective recommendations. 
  • Coordinate and facilitate weekly and monthly cross-functional meetings through on-time delivery of agenda, content, and summary.
  • Develop and manage a detailed project schedule and work plan, including predicting cross-functional resources needed to reach objectives and managing them in an effective and efficient manner.
• Lead commercialization effort of strategic initiatives.  Ensure effective team engagement which may include establishing and managing team meetings, reviewing project workflows with the project team, facilitating creation of mitigation/contingency plans and managing communication.
• Provide project updates on a consistent basis to various stakeholders about strategy, adjustments, and progress, including senior leadership
• Manage database of active projects with accurate, timely updates, action items and costing information.  Provide prompt and detailed follow up to cross-functional team.
• Identify continuous improvement opportunities to deliver all relevant product renovations, standardizations and rationalizations.
• Develop practical and creative solutions to complex analytical challenges
• Build strong working relationships within company; highly cross-functional role

Requirements

Qualifications include:

• Bachelor’s degree and 5 years of relevant experience or MBA and 3 years of relevant experience.
• Strong business acumen; retail or restaurant experience preferred.
• Proven experience seeing projects through the full life cycle according to outlined scope, budget and timeline
• Extreme attention to detail
• Ability to navigate the organization, hold cross-functional teams accountable, and drive them to results with an “Own it” mentality
• Excellent communication skills, verbal and written presentation skills; ability to tailor by audience
• Expertise with Microsoft PowerPoint is a must
• Skilled with analytical tools (e.g. Microsoft Excel). Prior experience with a project management tool is a plus.
• Demonstrated ability to manage complexity and ambiguity
• Proven track record in coordinating and prioritizing multiple projects effectively
• Willingness to ask for help and leverage the knowledge of others to overcome tough obstacles
• Collaborative working style. Enthusiastically makes contributions and takes satisfaction in team accomplishments. A positive can-do attitude

Working Conditions

• Work involves 5-10% travel and visits
• Based in St Louis, MO (Laumeier) or Boston, MA (Needham); possibly remote

Physical Requirements

• While performing this job, the incumbent is regularly required to stand, sit, talk hear & use hands and fingers to operate keyboards

Direct Reports

• This position will be an individual contributor and may have direct reports as business requires