Ken Kanowitz
Linkedin.com/in/ken-kanowitz
Summary
Experienced Project Manager and operations leader with 15+ years of experience supporting organizational change, process improvement, and cross-functional collaboration across retail, e-commerce, and finance. My background in management roles with major national retailers allowed me to develop strong analytical, problem-solving, communication, and organizational skills while working in metric-driven environments focused on KPI performance.
I am comfortable collaborating with internal and external stakeholders at all levels and have led diverse teams to deliver complex projects involving new system implementations, workflow optimization, and operational improvements. My recent work includes contributing to UI and customer experience enhancements for e-commerce products, as well as developing workflow automations to improve project efficiency. I am experienced in Agile methodologies and skilled in using tools such as Jira, Smartsheet, Asana, and Microsoft products to manage timelines, track deliverables, risks, and support data-driven decision making.
Overview
12
12
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Associate Project Manager
Hasbro
06.2023 - Current
- Took over a 40+ project pipeline and introduced a hybrid waterfall-within-Agile approach to reduce bottlenecks and improve coordination across dispersed teams.
- Drove major cost savings by cutting excess builds and rework, leveraging internal storage, and streamlining workflows—resulting in a 60%+ reduction in storage fees within one year.
- Created a shared display program that pooled customer demand across accounts, generating a 30% YoY increase in sales and boosting project profitability.
Project Coordinator
Google Via Advanced Systems Group, LLC
08.2022 - 04.2023
- Acted as a central coordination point for stakeholders, program managers, designers, and content specialists, ensuring seamless communication and alignment on social media, blog, and video project requests.
- Partnered with dispersed team members to manage shared production calendars for daily posts, campaigns, and content launches, supporting consistent delivery across Google Developer product channels.
- Collaborated closely with cross-functional partners to monitor progress and remove roadblocks, helping teams maintain schedules, budgets, and quality standards.
Project Manager
Ilocalize LLC
08.2021 - 04.2022
- Managed localization projects from design-stage review through deployment, and QA ensuring marketing materials, emails, and web components were properly adapted for international markets.
- Coordinated 3rd-party translators and vendors across varying time zones, maintaining clear requirements, workflow alignment, and consistent localized output.
- Assigned and tracked Jira tickets through completion, monitoring budgets, timelines, and deliverables to keep milestones on schedule and within scope.
Project Manager/Business Consultant
Khold
02.2019 - 08.2022
- Planned, launched, and managed an e-commerce business selling liquidation sporting goods, overseeing storefronts (eBay, Amazon), inventory workflows, customer service, and compliance.
- Built and maintained core processes by tracking sales, SEO, and ad performance via Google Analytics, managing COGS, payroll, and taxes in QuickBooks, and optimizing inventory turnover to improve margins.
- Applied operations and management expertise to drive analysis, process improvements, and consulting initiatives.
Operations / E-commerce Manager
Dick’s Sporting Goods
04.2018 - 02.2019
- Oversaw full-store operations, including sales, P&L, customer satisfaction, PLCC and loyalty program performance, freight flow, shrink reduction, loss prevention audits, and staffing—leveraging data from daily reports to guide planning and team huddles.
- Led e-commerce fulfillment initiatives by redesigning ship-from-store and in-store pickup workflows, implementing cross-training for associates, and improving packing and order selection processes, resulting in higher accuracy and faster fulfillment.
- Managed recruitment, hiring, training, and talent development, while creating process improvements across front-end operations and e-commerce functions to enhance productivity, reduce errors, and increase customer satisfaction.
E-commerce Manager / Project Manager
Walmart
07.2016 - 03.2018
- Reviewed daily operational and KPI reports including productivity, customer satisfaction, inventory, order fulfillment, and delivery times to identify trends and implement action plans for scheduling, training, hiring, and inventory replenishment.
- Coordinated with third-party vendors, store management, and field office teams to improve workflows, reduce delivery lead times, and enhance e-commerce operations and customer experience.
- Managed hiring and training initiatives, including mass staffing events and LMS compliance, streamlining processes to reduce applicant processing time to ensure teams were fully staffed and operationally ready.
Co Manager
The Sports Authority
04.2014 - 07.2016
- Directed store operation including scheduling, merchandising, sales floor oversight, freight, and associate development using P&L, CSAT, and KPIs to drive actionable strategies.
- Led recruiting, onboarding, LMS compliance, and professional development, improving loyalty program penetration by 5% and CSAT scores by 8%.
- Managed a 2-month store liquidation project with a third-party vendor, executing markdowns, signage updates, and department reorganization to ensure an efficient and profitable closeout.
Education
SQL for Data Science -
University of California, Davis
09.2021
Bachelor of Science - Business Administration, Management And Operations
Colorado Mountain College
05.2014
Skills
- AI / Automation tools: ChatGPT, Bard, Claude, Microsoft Copilot
- Project management tools: Jira, Smartsheet, Asana, ConceptShare, Microsoft Project
- Data analysis & reporting: Power BI, Excel, Google Analytics
- Workflow automation / process optimization tools
- E-commerce platforms: eBay, Amazon, Shopify (if applicable)
- Financial software: QuickBooks, P&L tracking
- Communication
- Collaboration / Cross-functional teamwork
- Problem-solving
- Leadership / Team development
- Project coordination
- Change management
- Process improvement
- Stakeholder management
- Time management
Certification
PMP (Project Management Professional) - Project Management Institute - 2023
Project Management - Google Certification - 2021
Certified Scrum Master - LearnQuest Bala Cynwyd - 2021
Agile Leadership - University of Colorado Denver - 2021
Timeline
Associate Project Manager
Hasbro
06.2023 - Current
Project Coordinator
Google Via Advanced Systems Group, LLC
08.2022 - 04.2023
Project Manager
Ilocalize LLC
08.2021 - 04.2022
Project Manager/Business Consultant
Khold
02.2019 - 08.2022
Operations / E-commerce Manager
Dick’s Sporting Goods
04.2018 - 02.2019
E-commerce Manager / Project Manager
Walmart
07.2016 - 03.2018
Co Manager
The Sports Authority
04.2014 - 07.2016
SQL for Data Science -
University of California, Davis
Bachelor of Science - Business Administration, Management And Operations
Colorado Mountain College