Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Certification
References
Timeline
Generic

FERN WILDESEN

Summary

Experienced Senior Project and Program Manager with a strong background in Web and IT project management, cross-functional collaboration, and enterprise systems implementations. Proficient in Agile, Waterfall, and Scrum methodologies, with a proven track record of delivering projects on time and within scope. Skilled in managing consulting engagements, mitigating project risks, and enhancing team efficiency. Eager to contribute to Engine's mission by leveraging my expertise in program management and product delivery. Seasoned Senior Project Manager with relevant experience in coordinating large-scale projects, managing diverse teams, and driving overall project success. Strong in initiating and planning stages of project management, leveraging strong communication and negotiation skills to manage stakeholder expectations. Have consistently made significant impacts by ensuring timely delivery of projects without compromising quality standards. Display leadership qualities and decision-making abilities that foster team collaboration and efficient problem resolution.

Overview

12
12
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification

Work History

Senior Project Manager

LCG Inc
12.2022 - Current
  • Led the migration from Drupal 9 to 10 and redesign of the NINR.NIH.GOV website.
  • Lead and manage multiple IT projects within a global enterprise, ensuring alignment with business requirements and objectives, while utilizing project management methodologies such as Agile, Waterfall, and Scrum.
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams to define project goals, requirements, and success metrics, ensuring clear documentation and stakeholder sign-off for project initiation.
  • Deliver enterprise systems implementations, including integrations with on-premise and cloud solutions, enhancing business functionality and user experience across the organization.
  • Oversee the full project life cycle, from planning and design through to testing and go-live, ensuring milestones were met on time and within scope.
  • Facilitate kick-off meetings, workshops, and regular project status updates, ensuring effective communication with stakeholders at all levels, including senior management and C-level executives.
  • Identify and mitigate project risks by proactively resolving issues and escalating obstacles, ensuring projects stay on schedule and within scope.
  • Coordinate project testing, training, and go-live plans in collaboration with IT and business teams, ensuring smooth production rollouts and minimal disruptions.
  • Manage consulting engagement logistics, including contract/SOW review, budget tracking, invoicing, and resource coordination.
  • Contribute to the continuous improvement of project management methodologies and tools, enhancing team efficiency and project success rates.
  • Utilize Microsoft Project, Project Online, and SharePoint for project planning, tracking, and reporting, ensuring transparent communication and visibility into project status.
  • Foster a collaborative and team-oriented work environment, leveraging interpersonal and facilitation skills to build effective working relationships across diverse global teams.
  • Supervise and mentor team members, fostering a collaborative and high-performance work environment.
  • Provide support to the PMO and assist with RFP processes to ensure alignment with project goals and organizational objectives.
  • Actively participate in the recruitment, hiring, and performance review processes to build and maintain a strong, skilled team.
  • Negotiated contracts with third-party vendors when necessary.
  • Conducted post-project evaluations in order to assess effectiveness of strategies employed.
  • Established best practices for managing complex projects successfully.
  • Implemented process improvement initiatives aimed at increasing efficiency within the organization.
  • Coordinated resources across multiple departments and teams to ensure successful completion of projects.
  • Liaised between senior management, project team members and clients to ensure effective communication throughout the duration of the project.
  • Managed project scope, timeline and budget in alignment with company objectives.
  • Ensured compliance with relevant regulations during all stages of a project's lifecycle.
  • Developed comprehensive project plans to be shared with stakeholders.
  • Monitored progress of projects against established timelines and budgets.
  • Collaborated with stakeholders to develop realistic expectations for deliverables.
  • Provided guidance to team members on how to overcome obstacles during the course of a project.
  • Resolved conflicts between team members in order to maintain productivity levels.
  • Kept project teams on-task with proactive control of budgets, schedules and scopes.
  • Delivered high level of service to clients to extend relationship and encourage further projects.
  • Oversaw the achievement of all technical, financial, and scheduling goals.

Senior Project Manager

ICF Next
02.2022 - 12.2022
  • Led the development, enhancement, and ongoing maintenance of the SAMHSA.gov Drupal website, ensuring optimal performance, usability, and security.
  • Regularly communicated project statuses to stakeholders, ensuring timely delivery of high-quality deliverables that meet client expectations and project goals.
  • Created comprehensive project schedules and a strategic roadmap to guide the team, ensuring alignment with key milestones and deadlines.
  • Facilitated agile ceremonies, including scrum meetings, sprint planning, retrospectives, and status updates, fostering team collaboration and continuous improvement.
  • Managed budget planning and forecasting, ensuring efficient resource allocation and adherence to financial constraints.
  • Supervised and mentored team members, providing guidance, feedback, and support to drive individual and collective success.
  • Played an active role in the hiring process and participated in annual performance reviews, contributing to the growth and development of a high-performing team.

Project Manager/Scrum Master

Unissant
07.2021 - 02.2022
  • Supported the ESMD application at CMS, ensuring seamless functionality and performance across both current and newly migrated applications.
  • Led two Scrum teams, driving the successful delivery of features and improvements for both existing and newly migrated applications within tight timelines.
  • Collaborated with senior leadership to plan and define the project budget and timeline, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and priorities.
  • Supervised and mentored a high-performing team, providing guidance, feedback, and support to enhance team productivity and cohesion.
  • Led the recruitment process, hiring new employees to strengthen the team and meet project needs.
  • Organized and facilitated regular meetings with team leads and stakeholders to review progress, address concerns, and align on priorities.
  • Educated and trained the team on Scrum frameworks and Agile methodologies, fostering an environment of continuous improvement and adherence to best practices.

Project Manager

Innosoft Corporation
10.2020 - 07.2021
  • Provided strategic support to CMS/CMCS in overseeing the Medicaid.gov Drupal website, ensuring seamless operation, compliance, and alignment with organizational objectives.
  • Managed and guided the DevOps team, ensuring that deadlines were met and high-quality deliverables were produced, consistently exceeding client expectations.
  • Facilitated agile ceremonies, including scrum meetings, sprint planning, retrospectives, and status meetings, promoting transparency, collaboration, and continuous improvement within the team.
  • Supervised and mentored team members, fostering a positive, results-driven environment that encouraged professional growth and high performance.
  • Actively participated in the recruitment and hiring process, contributing to the selection of top-tier talent to strengthen team capabilities.

Project Manager

IQ Solutions
01.2016 - 10.2020
  • Developed and implemented a strategic, long-term vision and detailed work plans, incorporating scheduled milestones to successfully fulfill contractual obligations for assigned projects.
  • Regularly communicated with team members to assign tasks, monitor performance, conduct quality assurance reviews, provide technical expertise, and ensure the accuracy of all deliverables, optimizing schedules, budgets, and work quality.
  • Collaborated with the team to prioritize the product backlog for each sprint, ensuring that high-impact features and tasks were addressed first to maintain project momentum.
  • Cultivated strong client relationships by consistently providing prompt responses to inquiries, addressing concerns, and ensuring client satisfaction with project progress and outcomes.
  • Led weekly stakeholder meetings, delivering status updates, discussing project plans, and aligning on upcoming priorities to ensure full transparency and stakeholder engagement.
  • Presented innovative solutions and ideas to both internal and external stakeholders in a persuasive and clear manner, fostering rapport and ensuring mutual understanding and buy-in.
  • Partnered with other project managers to ensure appropriate staffing levels across all teams, balancing resources to meet project demands and timelines.
  • Actively participated in the hiring process, including resume screening, conducting interviews, and onboarding new team members to ensure the acquisition of top talent for project success.

Project Coordinator

IQ Solutions
12.2015 - 12.2016
  • Oversaw the management and optimization of the NIH's National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) websites, coordinating updates, reviewing site analytics, improving site architecture, implementing new features, and ensuring ongoing 508 compliance.
  • Developed detailed project plans and schedules, establishing clear milestones and timelines to ensure successful project execution.
  • Created and enforced policies and procedures to support the achievement of project objectives, streamlining workflows and ensuring alignment with organizational goals.
  • Coordinated activities, resources, and information flow across teams, ensuring that all project requirements and objectives were met effectively and efficiently.
  • Acted as the primary liaison with clients, collaborating to identify and define project requirements, scope, and objectives, ensuring client needs were continuously met as the project evolved.
  • Assisted in the preparation of project proposals, timeframes, schedules, and budgets, ensuring accurate planning and realistic resource allocation.
  • Monitored and tracked project progress, addressing any issues or roadblocks that arose to maintain project momentum and meet deadlines.
  • Served as the key point of contact, effectively communicating project status to all stakeholders, ensuring alignment and clarity across teams.

Web Developer

IQ Solutions
06.2014 - 12.2015
  • Collaborated closely with the project manager to provide ongoing support for client websites, ensuring alignment with project goals and client expectations.
  • Utilized Bootstrap and Sass to design and build a responsive website for the Office of Disease Prevention, enhancing user experience and accessibility.
  • Converted hard copy and electronic documents into web-friendly formats, leveraging HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to create dynamic and user-friendly pages.
  • Updated and optimized graphical design elements, including photos and images, to ensure visual appeal and consistency with brand guidelines.
  • Produced high-quality PDF versions of documents such as brochures, booklets, forms, and other publications, ensuring clear and professional presentation.
  • Resolved cross-browser compatibility issues by utilizing cross-browser testing tools, ensuring seamless functionality across all platforms.
  • Ensured compliance with Section 508 of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations, guaranteeing that web pages, media files, and documents were accessible to all users.
  • Proofread and applied quality control procedures to both personal work and that of others, ensuring all deliverables met high standards of accuracy and professionalism.
  • Reported project status to the project coordinator and/or project manager, maintaining transparency and keeping the team informed of progress and any potential issues.

Web Developer

Green America
06.2013 - 06.2014
  • Designed and developed landing pages, newsletters, action alerts, donation forms, and surveys for the organization's web properties, enhancing user engagement and driving conversions.
  • Utilized WordPress to build and maintain dynamic, responsive websites, ensuring ease of use and scalability for the organization.
  • Created and managed microsites for various campaigns, ensuring each site was tailored to specific audience needs and optimized for maximum impact.
  • Employed HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to build, customize, and maintain websites, delivering high-quality, visually appealing, and functional online experiences.
  • Conducted thorough testing and debugging of online applications, ensuring flawless performance and resolving any issues to improve usability and user experience.

Education

Master of Science - Information Technology

Towson University
Towson, MD
05-2014

Certificate - Web Designing and Programming

Montgomery College
Rockville, MD
12-2011

Bachelor of Science - Mathematics

Chulalongkorn University
Bangkok, Thailand
05-2005

Skills

  • Familiar with web development tools and technologies, including HTML, CSS, JavaScript, delivering high-quality and responsive web solutions
  • Extensive experience deploying websites using Content Management Systems (CMS) in a multisite environment, ensuring streamlined management and scalability
  • Strong background in SharePoint development and Power Apps, leveraging these tools to create customized solutions and enhance organizational workflows
  • Familiar with Drupal CMS, enabling the creation and management of dynamic, user-friendly websites
  • In-depth knowledge of usability testing, Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, Google Optimize, SEO best practices, and accessibility principles, ensuring optimal site performance and inclusivity
  • Skilled in using a variety of tools, including Jira, Confluence, SharePoint, Drupal, WordPress, GitHub, Microsoft Office, Visio, MS Projects, ScreamingFrog, Crazy Egg, Adobe Creative Suite, and Basecamp, to streamline project management, development, and collaboration
  • Familiar with Section 508 compliance requirements, ensuring websites and applications meet accessibility standards for all users
  • Adept at working within the software development life cycle (SDLC), applying both agile and waterfall methodologies to ensure efficient project execution and delivery

Certification

  • Project Management Professional (PMP)
  • Certified Scrum Master (CSM)
  • ITIL Foundation

References

References available upon request.

Timeline

Senior Project Manager

LCG Inc
12.2022 - Current

Senior Project Manager

ICF Next
02.2022 - 12.2022

Project Manager/Scrum Master

Unissant
07.2021 - 02.2022

Project Manager

Innosoft Corporation
10.2020 - 07.2021

Project Manager

IQ Solutions
01.2016 - 10.2020

Project Coordinator

IQ Solutions
12.2015 - 12.2016

Web Developer

IQ Solutions
06.2014 - 12.2015

Web Developer

Green America
06.2013 - 06.2014

Master of Science - Information Technology

Towson University

Certificate - Web Designing and Programming

Montgomery College

Bachelor of Science - Mathematics

Chulalongkorn University

Similar Profiles

CREATE PROFILE
FERN WILDESEN