- Regularly practice and lead mindfulness and meditation sessions for overall wellness
- Regularly practice and lead yoga sessions
KUSUMA ARALERE
Gainesville,VA
Summary
Senior Project Manager with significant expertise in overseeing complex projects and ensuring timely delivery. Skilled in strategic planning, budget management, and risk assessment. Strong focus on team collaboration, fostering results-driven environment, and adapting to changing needs. Known for reliability, leadership, and effective communication. Demonstrated ability to manage project lifecycles and implement process improvements.
Overview
25
25
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Project Manager
General Services Administration, GSA
08.2020 - Current
- Led cross-functional teams to deliver projects on time and within scope.
- Developed project plans, schedules, and budgets utilizing Agile methodologies.
- Implemented process improvements that enhanced operational efficiency across departments.
- Mentored junior project managers, fostering skill development and knowledge sharing.
- Conducted risk assessments to identify potential project challenges and develop mitigation strategies.
- Collaborated with stakeholders to gather requirements and align project objectives with organizational goals.
- Facilitated regular status meetings, ensuring clear communication among team members and stakeholders.
- Analyzed project outcomes to drive continuous improvement initiatives within the agency's operations.
- Successfully managed multiple projects simultaneously by prioritizing tasks according to urgency, resource availability, and alignment with organizational goals.
- Planned, designed, and scheduled phases for large projects.
- Met project deadlines without sacrificing build quality or workplace safety.
- Established effective communication among team members for enhanced collaboration and successful project completion.
- Developed comprehensive project plans with clear timelines, milestones, and budget requirements, ensuring timely delivery of high-quality results.
- Delivered exceptional customer satisfaction by proactively addressing client concerns and meeting or exceeding expectations throughout the engagement process.
- Monitored progress against established goals, adjusting schedules and resources as needed to keep projects on track.
- Developed strong relationships with stakeholders through regular communication updates, fostering trust and confidence in the team''s ability to deliver results.
- Identified plans and resources required to meet project goals and objectives.
- Collaborated closely with senior management to align project objectives with strategic company initiatives, ensuring that efforts contributed to overall business growth.
- Coordinated with cross-functional teams to resolve project issues and mitigate risks.
- Monitored project performance to identify areas of improvement and make adjustments.
- Coordinated cross-functional teams and resolved conflicts, maintaining a positive work environment throughout the project lifecycle.
- Provided detailed project status updates to stakeholders and executive management.
- Managed projects from procurement to commission.
- Provided detailed technical and operational direction in project challenges, consistently meeting deliverables according to deadlines.
- Prepared detailed reports on project status for stakeholders, ensuring transparency and alignment with objectives.
- Negotiated contracts with vendors and suppliers, securing quality materials at competitive prices for efficient use of resources.
- Created accurate budgets based on resource requirements, allowing for optimal allocation of funds across all aspects of the projects.
- Effectively managed scope creep by establishing clear boundaries on requested changes while keeping projects aligned with original objectives and budgets.
- Implemented continuous improvement initiatives to optimize project outcomes while maintaining costeffectiveness.
- Enhanced overall project success by conducting thorough post-project evaluations and incorporating lessons learned into future efforts.
- Fostered a culture of innovation and creativity within the project team, leading to improved problem-solving capabilities and enhanced outcomes.
- Proved successful working within tight deadlines and a fast-paced environment.
- Improved stakeholder satisfaction with detailed project updates and proactive issue resolution.
- Improved client relationships, consistently meeting or exceeding project expectations and maintaining open lines of communication.
- Enhanced project visibility, implementing dashboard and reporting tools for real-time progress monitoring.
- Achieved high levels of team engagement and morale by promoting collaborative and inclusive work environment.
- Tracked project and team member performance closely to quickly intervene in mistakes or delays.
- Maintained open communication by presenting regular updates on project status to customers.
- Scheduled and facilitated meetings between project stakeholders to discuss deliverables, schedules and conflicts.
- Verified quality of deliverables and conformance to specifications before submitting to clients.
Program Manager
Department of Homeland Security
03.2011 - 08.2020
- Led cross-functional teams to develop and implement project strategies that align with organizational goals.
- Managed project timelines, ensuring on-time delivery of key milestones through effective resource allocation.
- Developed comprehensive project plans, incorporating stakeholder feedback to enhance overall effectiveness and engagement.
- Facilitated regular status meetings, promoting transparency and collaboration among team members and stakeholders.
- Analyzed project performance metrics, identifying areas for improvement and implementing corrective actions swiftly.
- Led cross-functional teams to drive project delivery and achieve strategic objectives.
- Developed and implemented program management frameworks to enhance operational efficiency.
- Streamlined processes through effective resource allocation and prioritization of initiatives.
- Mentored junior program managers, fostering professional development and knowledge sharing.
- Coordinated stakeholder engagement sessions to align on project goals and expectations.
- Analyzed project risks and developed mitigation strategies to ensure successful outcomes.
- Developed comprehensive project plans to provide a roadmap for achieving desired outcomes while minimizing risks and uncertainties.
- Established metrics for performance tracking, driving continuous improvement in project execution.
- Facilitated regular status meetings, ensuring transparency and accountability among team members.
- Facilitated knowledge sharing sessions among team members to encourage collaboration, streamline workflows, and promote ongoing professional development.
- Established clear communication channels, fostering strong relationships with stakeholders to align expectations and deliverables.
- Conducted thorough market research to identify trends and opportunities, informing strategic decision-making for program development.
- Resolved conflicts between team members or departments through mediation and negotiation tactics, promoting harmony within the organization.
- Presented program updates to executive leadership regularly, providing insights into progress against milestones and recommendations for next steps.
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to ensure timely delivery of high-quality products, resulting in increased customer satisfaction.
- Championed change management initiatives, leading teams through transitions while maintaining productivity levels and employee morale.
- Launched new programs on schedule by effectively coordinating efforts among multiple departments and stakeholders.
- Implemented continuous improvement initiatives, identifying areas for optimization and driving process enhancements throughout the program lifecycle.
- Cultivated a culture of innovation within the team by encouraging experimentation, embracing failure as an opportunity for learning, and rewarding creative problem-solving efforts.
- Managed project budgets effectively, ensuring spending was in line with approved allocations and tracking cost variances to inform future planning.
- Enhanced program efficiency by streamlining processes and implementing best practices for project management.
- Led process improvement initiatives to identify and eliminate bottlenecks, reducing turnaround time for project deliverables.
- Applied agile methodologies to enhance flexibility in project planning, accommodating changes in scope or requirements without compromising timelines or quality standards.
- Managed vendor relationships to negotiate contracts, secure resources, and maintain cost-effective solutions for program execution.
- Optimized resource utilization by reallocating underutilized assets to other projects or tasks as needed, increasing overall efficiency across programs.
- Mentored junior team members, enhancing their skills and contributing to the overall success of the team.
- Tracked and reported program results to customers and stakeholders to facilitate change management activities.
- Engaged with customers, partners and constituent groups to create positive, trusting and professional relationships.
- Assisted in recruiting, hiring and training of team members.
- Interacted well with customers to build connections and nurture relationships.
- Handled problematic customers and clients to assist lower-level employees and maintain excellent customer service.
- Recruited, hired, and trained initial personnel, working to establish key internal functions and outline scope of positions for new organization.
- Observed each employee's individual strengths and initiated mentoring program to improve areas of weakness.
- Cultivated and strengthened lasting client relationships using strong issue resolution and dynamic communication skills.
- Reduced budgetary expenditures by effectively negotiating contracts for more advantageous terms.
Project Manager
General Services Administration, GSA/OGP
11.2008 - 03.2011
- Managed the successful implementation of the Electronic Performance Support Tool (EPST), a contracted online tool developed by Idaho National Labs. EPST enables executive agencies to capture policy adherence data in Personal Property, Aviation, Motor Vehicles, Transportation, Travel, Relocation, and Mail Management, fulfilling OMB requirements.
- Evaluated agency responses for Mail Management and Personal Property in EPST, providing feedback, policy interpretation, and guidance.
- Contributed to OMB's annual evaluation in these areas. Represented the program office at Data.gov meetings, trained in ArcGIS, and participated in the pilot project to update GSA's PBS real property data for federal buildings.
- Organized the 2009 annual Mail Management Symposium for federal mail managers, coordinating all aspects from speaker selection to breakout sessions.
Project Manager
U.S. Department of Homeland Security/CBP/SBINet
09.2007 - 11.2008
- Served as Project Manager in the Office of Integrated Logistics Support at Secure Border Initiative (SBINet) and conducted a feasibility study of 10+ available systems within the department to establish the first Logistics Support System for Land Mobile Radio (LMR) at CBP.
- Participated in the Command, Control, Communications, and Intelligence (C3I) program’s regular IPT meetings to assess the system’s requirements and to provide guidance on the logistical requirements to ensure a valid sustainment support is established.
- Defined logistics requirements, initiated, and led Integrated Project Team (IPT) meetings with system owners, project managers, LMR engineers and the technical team to review the system features and to evaluate them against the agency’s listed logistics requirements. Consolidated the findings and briefed the senior management on the analyses.
Program Advisor
Department of Homeland Security-Headquarters
06.2003 - 09.2007
- Served as a key member of the agency to create the Asset Management Division when DHS was established in 2003. Worked with the Branch Director and other senior executives in the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) division to develop numerous policies and directives for Personal Property, Mail Management, Aviation Management, and Fleet Management.
- Established internal controls for the Department’s Gift Program, Home-to-Work Transportation, Executive Motor Pool, Aviation Management and Rights-Of-Way. Developed asset management scenarios for DHS Continuity of Operations (COOP) exercises, participated and tested them onsite and offsite successfully.
- Directed and managed the implementation of Sunflower Asset Management System (SAMS) at 18 DHS components by migrating their personal property data from numerous legacy systems into one database.
- Served as subject matter expert on the interview panels, interviewed and recruited team members for immediate onsite and offsite teams, and worked directly with various component members ranging from GS-4 through SES to implement SAMS.
Project Manager
Department of Justice
01.2001 - 06.2003
- Managed the program within the $500,000 budget and on schedule.
- Served as the Project Manager to implement Asset Management System – ARGIS, personal property system for Justice Management Division and Justice offices, Boards, and Divisions.
- Worked directly with various departmental organizations and contractors, ranging from GS-4 through GS-15, to implement the system.
Education
Master of Social Work - Human Resources Management
Bangalore University
Bangalore, IndiaBachelor of Arts - Psychology, Sociology, Economics
Bangalore University
Bangalore, IndiaAssociate of Applied Science - Information System Technology/System Analysis
Northern Virginia Community College
Manassas, VASkills
- Project management, planning and development
- Strategic planning with Agile Methodology
- Relationship building/Stakeholder communications
- Schedule management
- Cross-functional collaboration
- Contract development and management
- Coaching and mentoring
- Data analysis
- Compliance monitoring
- Verbal and written communication
- Task prioritization
Accomplishments
- Successfully lead two multi-tenant projects with the value of $900M each.
- Established Asset Management Division at the Department of Homeland Security, Head Quarters by defining policy and procedures and spearheaded successful implementation of Asset Management Software at the Department of Homeland Security with accuracy and efficiency.
Certification
- Key Executive Leadership Certificate – American University, School of Public Affairs, Washington, DC
- Women in Leadership Certificate – Cornell University, SC Johnson College of Business, Ithaca, NY
- Master’s Certificate in Project Management - The George Washington University, School of Business, Washington, DC.
Interests
Timeline
Project Manager
General Services Administration, GSA
08.2020 - Current
Program Manager
Department of Homeland Security
03.2011 - 08.2020
Project Manager
General Services Administration, GSA/OGP
11.2008 - 03.2011
Project Manager
U.S. Department of Homeland Security/CBP/SBINet
09.2007 - 11.2008
Program Advisor
Department of Homeland Security-Headquarters
06.2003 - 09.2007
Project Manager
Department of Justice
01.2001 - 06.2003
Master of Social Work - Human Resources Management
Bangalore University
Bachelor of Arts - Psychology, Sociology, Economics
Bangalore University
Associate of Applied Science - Information System Technology/System Analysis
Northern Virginia Community College