Project Manager

Position Summary

NextLink Labs is hiring a Project Manager to join our growing consulting practice. The ideal candidate brings a strong project management background in software and technology consulting, combined with the empathy, customer-obsession, and organizational rigor that come from years of operating in a professional services environment. You'll own client engagements end-to-end, from kickoff through closeout, keeping them on time, on scope, and on budget while delivering exceptional client experiences and contributing to the growth of NextLink's client relationships.

Key Responsibilities

As a Project Manager, you'll be the operational owner of NextLink client engagements. You'll lead engagement kickoffs, build the project plan, run the delivery cadence with our engineering teams, manage scope against the SOW, track budget and forecast against burn, coordinate invoicing inputs, and bring every engagement to a clean close. You'll be the client's day-to-day point of contact for delivery, building trust, managing expectations, facilitating tough conversations when needed, and surfacing opportunities to grow the relationship. You'll also contribute to NextLink's broader PM practice through process improvement, templates, and mentorship of teammates.

What You'll Do

• Lead client engagements end-to-end, from kickoff through delivery and closeout, using agile, scrum, or hybrid methodologies as the engagement requires
• Develop detailed project plans including scope, timelines, resources, and budget estimates aligned to SOW deliverables
• Manage scope against the SOW: negotiate discrepancies with clients, drive prioritization decisions, and handle change orders cleanly
• Drive project schedule and scope while protecting engagement economics and avoiding budget overruns
• Own the internal logistics of running an engagement: budget tracking, forecasting, time tracking inputs, invoicing coordination, and resource alignment with delivery leadership
• Maintain PM compliance and reporting responsibilities: engagement health updates, weekly status reports, sprint reviews, and risk and issue management
• Properly identify and differentiate risks from issues, and know when to escalate within the engagement and within NextLink
• Facilitate backlog creation, ensuring tickets have clear definitions, acceptance criteria, and estimates, and manage delivery flow through Jira reports and team rituals
• Build and maintain client trust through reliable delivery and consistent communication; facilitate proactive, sometimes tough, client conversations
• Deliver against client business outcomes, not just the letter of the SOW, and collaborate with Delivery and Sales to surface expansion opportunities
• Observe project teams and provide timely feedback focused on client value
• Contribute to the broader NextLink PM practice through process improvements, templates, and cross-functional initiatives

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years of professional project management experience, including at least 3 years in a client-facing Project Manager role
• 2+ years of experience in a consulting or professional services environment
• Experience managing software or technology engagements with delivery teams of 5 or more
• CSM or equivalent agile certification preferred
• Ability to leverage multiple project management methodologies (agile, scrum, hybrid) to drive the best client experience
• Experience with budget management and forecasting on client engagements, including invoicing coordination, time tracking, and revenue accuracy
• Strong scope management and change-order negotiation skills
• Exceptional organizational skills with the ability to run multiple concurrent client engagements
• Excellent written and verbal English communication skills, with the ability to build strong client relationships
• Ability to interact with clients at both a business and technical level
• Comfortable working overlapping hours with US-based teams

Nice to Have

• Familiarity with custom software development, cloud modernization, DevOps, data engineering, or applied AI engagements
• Experience with PSA tools
• Hands-on experience with Jira, Confluence, or comparable agile delivery tooling
• PMP, PMI-ACP, or additional project management certifications
• Experience supporting pre-sales scoping, SOW development, or engagement health reporting

Why NextLink Labs

• Remote-first, with a strong written communication culture (docs, async updates, clear status reporting)
• Variety of clients, problems, and technologies across our consulting practice
• Investment in your growth, including exposure to senior delivery leadership and a path toward broader engagement management responsibilities