Aretha Waits
Round Rock,TX
Summary
Dynamic and results-oriented IT Project Manager with over 10 years of experience in leading cross-functional teams to deliver complex projects on time and within budget. Proven track record of successfully managing Agile and Waterfall projects and driving process improvements to enhance efficiency and productivity. Hands-on Project Manager recognized for flawless execution and finding solutions to complex problems. Communicative and reliable professional polished in developing scopes and objectives and maintaining comprehensive project documentation. Commended for unexcelled record of completing critical projects on schedule and within budget.
Overview
22
22
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Agile Project Manager
Ascension (Contractor)
Austin, Texas
01.2023 - 03.2024
- Planned and managed the successful delivery of all aspects of the $2.8 Million dollar budget for the ADDG Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) / Data Exchange project.
- Led 15 team members in this strategic effort to transition from the current PBM Vendor (currently Cigna) with the new vendor (Maxor) which is expected to lead to will lead to estimated cost avoidance on drug expenses at $87M over 3 years.
- Developed and implemented Agile methodologies tailored to the specific needs of the organization, resulting in a 20% increase in project efficiency.
- Led daily Scrum stand-ups and Agile development sprint planning meetings for multiple, concurrent projects.
- Maintained product backlogs, ensuring that items are well defined and prioritized based on business value.
- Created dashboards using JIRA and Confluence to track project progress and milestones.
Project Manager
Conduent
Florham Park, NJ
05.2019 - 01.2023
- Managed the implementation of a new Disease Management System across multiple healthcare facilities, ensuring compliance with HIPAA regulations and improving patient data accessibility by 40%.
- Managed projects from end-to-end, juggling stakeholder’s concerns with company goals and expectations.
- Developed strategy and architecture for upcoming projects and POAs with deep knowledge of the core business processes of the industry.
- Collaborated with stakeholders and employees to provide forecasts and estimates, ensuring efficiency and customer satisfaction.
- Created project plans with established timelines, assigned to appropriate teams and managed workflow throughout construction.
Implementation Project Manager
Valance Health
Chicago, IL
06.2016 - 05.2019
- Led entire IT program, project, and portfolio endeavors involving 8 project teams and 6 development products.
- Successfully delivered a large-scale software development project ahead of schedule and under budget, resulting in cost savings of 20% and increased client satisfaction.
- Coordinated resources across multiple departments to ensure smooth delivery of projects on time and on budget.
- Prepared detailed project plans, incorporating activity definitions, task sequencing layouts, resource requirements, and timeframe estimates.
- Facilitated the integration of third-party software solutions with existing systems, enhancing system functionality and improving overall business operations.
- Negotiated contracts with vendors and suppliers to procure IT hardware and software at competitive prices, resulting in cost savings of 15% on IT procurement expenses.
- Applied extensive expertise in System Development Lifecycle (SDLC) methodologies and Agile project management techniques to manage multiple project teams.
- Oversaw budgets for project, tracked expenses, and timelines and communicated with key stakeholders on milestones.
Business Analyst Manager
Accenture
Chicago, IL
04.2002 - 06.2016
- Led the development and implementation of the Affordable Care Act platform expanding access to healthcare services and reducing patient wait times by 50%.
- Led a team of System Developers, Business Analysts, and Architects to design, code, and test various projects throughout the system design life cycle.
- Successfully implemented a patient portal for online appointment scheduling and secure communication with healthcare providers, increasing patient engagement and satisfaction.
- Worked with the client to define project scope, identify risks, issues, dependencies, constraints,and assumptions and performed analysis activities.
- Gathered functional business requirements, and produced documentation required for sign-off.
- Developed test plans, test cases, and test data to ensure the application meets business and functional requirements.
- Supported System Developers and Architects with Unit Testing and code changes.
Education
MBA - Agricultural Technology Management
University of Phoenix
Tempe, AZ05-2010
Bachelor of Science - Business Administration And Management
University of New Orleans
New Orleans, LA05-1996
Skills
- Leadership
- Project management methodologies
- Communication
- Risk management
- Organization
- Time management
- Budgeting
- Active listening
- Sprint Planning
- Scrum Processes
- Strategic Planning
- Root Cause Analysis
- Schedule Management
- Contract Management
- Systems Implementation
- Work Flow Planning
- Resource Allocation
- Forecasting
- Requirements Gathering
- Agile Methodology
- Project Development and Lifecycle
- Business Analysis
- Processes and Procedures
- Presentations
- Scope Management
- Meeting Facilitation
- Client Relations
- Conflict Management
- Coaching and Mentoring
- Software Development Lifecycle
- Project Scheduling
- Performance Improvements
- Client Rapport
- Performance Evaluations
- Staff Training and Motivation
- Business Process Re-Engineering
- Stakeholder Communications
- Cross-Functional Collaboration
Timeline
Senior Agile Project Manager
Ascension (Contractor)
01.2023 - 03.2024
Project Manager
Conduent
05.2019 - 01.2023
Implementation Project Manager
Valance Health
06.2016 - 05.2019
Business Analyst Manager
Accenture
04.2002 - 06.2016
MBA - Agricultural Technology Management
University of Phoenix
Bachelor of Science - Business Administration And Management
University of New Orleans