Deirdra Harris
Dallas,TX
Summary
Accomplished Project Management Professional possessing broad experience in the mortgage, telecommunications, e-business solutions, and finance industries. Demonstrates expertise in project management, business analysis, Agile methodologies, Scrum, user acceptance testing, software development life cycle (SDLC), and product management. Effectively serves as a liaison between business and technical stakeholders, promoting collaborative relationships at all levels of the organization.
Focused Project Manager adept at planning, directing and maintaining continuous operations in various departments. Experienced in directing manufacturing employees and keeping efficient production in accordance with quality standards. Applying creative and analytical approach to operations for continuous process improvement. Skilled at identifying or anticipating problems and providing solutions. Excels through mentoring, training and empowering team to excel in performance.
Overview
13
13
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Project Manager
Fannie Mae
11.2020 - 11.2024
- Developed detailed project plans, including timelines, milestones, and resource allocation.
- Monitored and reported on project performance using appropriate tools and techniques.
- Managed changes in project scope, schedule, and costs using structured change control processes.
- Collaborated with stakeholders to refine project goals, guidelines, and deliverables.
- Maintained strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders to ensure alignment and transparency.
- Delivered Agile and hybrid projects—balancing speed with governance, structure, and stakeholder alignment.
- Contributed to digital roadmap planning by balancing user experience, technical feasibility, and stakeholder value.
- Collected feedback and evaluated improvements through key metrics, with emphasis on JIRA and AI management tools.
- Coordinated with cross-functional teams to ensure timely completion of task, achieving a 95% on-time delivery rate
- Supervised a 25-member team, managing resource allocation, scope, and risk for effective service delivery
Senior Business Analyst
Fannie Mae
12.2017 - 11.2020
- Defined project scope, goals and deliverables that supported business goals in collaboration with Senior management and stakeholders
- Proactively manage scope changes, identify risks, and create contingency plans.
- Established key business relationships for project success.
- Lead end-user testing to ensure deliverables meet requirements.
- Guided Agile development with clear communication, anticipating blockers and ensuring coordination.
- Worked with senior managers to escalate issues and improve product processes.
- Demonstrated the ability to make prompt decisions, ensuring timely progress on projects and initiatives. Provided training and guidance to team members, supporting their development and improving overall team performance.
Business Analyst
Fannie Mae
10.2015 - 12.2017
- Lead intake, prioritization, and fulfillment of maintenance, bug fixes, and digital improvements
- Collaborated with Technology Managers and Directors on strategic projects.
- Supervised application migrations to Test, Acceptance, and Production.
Software Engineer
Fannie Mae
08.2012 - 10.2015
- Created and executed scripting techniques for business financial management products, relating these procedures to IT/IS systems and automation processes to enable the operating unit to accomplish specified objectives.
- Participated in planning, testing, and acceptance of newly developed management software.
- Used SQL for querying databases to validate accurate table and field values.
- Responsible for reporting issues of System Integrated testing, User Acceptance testing and Using Jira ticket system, ensure all tickets are created and logged as expected including all Business Requirements Documents and testing information.
- Contract
Senior Business Analyst
First Command Financial Services
10.2011 - 09.2012
- Set clear objectives, scope, and success metrics with stakeholders.
- Developed and maintained comprehensive project plans, detailed schedules, and project budgets by closely tracking key milestones and deliverables throughout the project lifecycle. Ensured that all project activities stayed aligned with established timelines and financial constraints.
- Assessed project requirements to determine the most appropriate project management methodology, selecting from Waterfall, Agile, or Hybrid approaches as necessary to best fit specific project objectives and stakeholder needs.
- Provided leadership to cross-functional teams by coordinating the efforts of internal staff, collaborating with external partners, and leveraging the expertise of subject matter experts to drive successful project outcomes.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Computer Science
University of Central Arkansas
Conway, ArkansasSkills
- Project Management
- Testing Lifecycle Management
- Scrum Methodologies
- Risk and Issue Management
- Stakeholder Communication
- Cost Control Performance Metrics
- KPI
- Workflows
- JIRA
- AI Business Task
- Service Now
- SQL
- Tableau
- Salesforce
- CRM
- RACI Charts
- Team Leadership
- HRIS
- Change Management
- User Requirements Gathering Data Analysis
- Data Mapping
- Visio
- Microsoft Office Suite
- Agile
- SDLC
- UAT Coordination
Certification
- Project Management Professional (PMP)
- Certified Scrum Master
- Certified Project Requirements Analyst
- Notary (State Commissioned)
Timeline
Project Manager
Fannie Mae
11.2020 - 11.2024
Senior Business Analyst
Fannie Mae
12.2017 - 11.2020
Business Analyst
Fannie Mae
10.2015 - 12.2017
Software Engineer
Fannie Mae
08.2012 - 10.2015
Senior Business Analyst
First Command Financial Services
10.2011 - 09.2012
Bachelor of Science - Computer Science
University of Central Arkansas