Principal IT Project Manager

Provides advanced project management leadership and contributes to the strategic execution of PMO practices. Serves as an expert and often project leader with significant impact to the success of the function. Responsible for providing oversight and guidance to project teams, from charter development and business alignment, through defining, scoping, establishing technical and business requirements, identifying and vetting solutions, planning, executing, and ensuring the successful completion of key strategic business and IT initiatives.

At Butterball, we exist to help people pass love on. As the most recognized name in turkey, the brand represents more than 60 years of cherished memories, providing quality, great tasting products that make meals something to celebrate every day. We proudly believe that life at Butterball means having a team who supports you, having the opportunity to grow personally and professionally, and making an impact on the health of others daily.

Whether you choose to work at one of our five (5) manufacturing facilities in NC, AR, MO, farms in AR, NC, and KS, corporate office in NC, IL, or in the field, we believe we have an opportunity for everyone to succeed. At Butterball, we believe in fostering a culture where every team member is valued, has the opportunity to grow professionally and contribute to our success. Join us in our Purpose and apply for an opportunity today!

Key Responsibilities

1. Leads complex, enterprisewide, crossfunctional projects and programs within IT and business areas, ensuring alignment with organizational strategy and delivers measurable business outcomes.

2. Mentors, coaches, and develops peers, providing guidance, training, and performance feedback to elevate overall PMO capability and maturity.

3. Provides strategic expertise for technology and system selection, contributing seasoned insight into solution evaluation, implementation planning, and organizational impact.

4. Oversees vendor partnerships, contracts, and project financials, ensuring delivery performance, budget adherence, and alignment with technology, business, and organizational goals.

5. Proactively identifies, analyzes, escalates, and resolves project risks, issues, and dependencies, propelling timely decisionmaking to protect project scope, timelines, and outcomes.

6. Maintains comprehensive project documentation, including progress reports, dashboards, and status updates.

7. Delivers concise and comprehensive communication tailored to partners at all levels-executive, business, technical, and external.

8. Directs the implementation of complex business and IT initiatives, including infrastructure modernization, application development, cloud solutions, and system integrations.

9. Continuously monitors emerging technologies, industry trends, and best practices, recommending and implementing improvements that enhance delivery effectiveness and organizational readiness.

10. Conducts postimplementation reviews and de continuous improvement, ensuring lessons learned are captured, communicated, and integrated into PMO processes and future projects.

11. Provides support and assistance to PMO leadership related to projects, initiatives, and tasks.

Minimum Qualifications (Educations & Experience)

1. Bachelor's degree in relevant field or equivalent (i.e., Computer Science, Information Technology, Business, etc.)

2. 8+ years of relevant IT/technical project management experience or the knowledge, skills, and abilities to succeed in the role

3. Project Management Professional Certification from a recognized organization (i.e., PMI)

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Butterball Core Competencies

Caring about people, valuing contributions, and empowering to succeed is the Butterball Way. We recognize the value that different perspectives and cultures bring to Butterball and seek to create an environment where everyone can thrive. Everyone has a seat at the table and is expected to embody our core competencies:

• Safety First: We put safety first. The health, safety, and well-being of our people, products, and turkeys is everyone's responsibility and everyone's jobs.
• Integrity: We trust each other to do the right thing. We act with integrity and gain the confidence and trust of others through honesty, respect, and authenticity.
• Stewardship: We take care of what matters. We are accountable to our commitments and take responsibility for the well-being of our teams, our quality, our customers, our business, our brand, and our communities. We are always answerable for our actions and those we lead.
• Enthusiastic Attitudes: We create a climate where everyone feels they belong and can be engaged, every day. Where our people are enthusiastic and motivated to do their best and work together to make great things happen.
• Continuous Improvement: We are committed to continuous improvement. We challenge ourselves and our company to constantly learn, develop, grow, improve, and innovate.

Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

1. Ample experience supporting and leading business projects in various areas

2. Excellent understanding of project management methodologies and their effective use for achieving successful project outcomes

3. Advanced project management and collaboration skills with the proven ability to lead cross-functional project teams to deliver enterprise-wide technical projects on-time and on-budget

4. Proficient knowledge of IT infrastructure, software development lifecycle, and technical architectures

5. Ample experience leading complex technology projects which require the integration of technology systems to enable business process improvement and transformation

6. Proficient in documenting technical processes through easily comprehensible formats, encompassing diagrams, graphics, flowcharts, swim lanes, or equivalent visual aids

7. Strong written and verbal communication skills with the proven ability to convey information to technical and non-technical team members

8. Proficient with Microsoft Suites (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Visio, MS Project, etc.), Smartsheet, and/or related project management tools

9. Highly skilled at team leadership, problem-solving, data analysis, troubleshooting, prioritization, and time-management skills

10. Strong judgment and technical acumen with the ability to navigate intricate technical landscapes

11. Experience and success using AI related to project management tools and processes

Preferred Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

1. Familiarity with process enhancement and quality improvement methodologies, such as ITIL processes, Six Sigma, and/or Lean

2. 5+ years of IT systems technical experience

3. 5+ years of experience supporting and leading business projects in various areas

4. PRINCE2 (projects in controlled environments) and ITIL (information technology infrastructure library).

5. Demonstrated success overseeing process review and optimization projects (e.g. value stream mapping)

6. Experience in a manufacturing environment with hands-on knowledge of manufacturing software systems such as ERP, MES, etc.

7. Experience of both Waterfall and Agile project management methodologies

Physical Demands

* While performing the duties of this job, the employee may be regularly required to stand, sit, talk, hear, reach, stoop, kneel, and use hands and fingers to operate a computer, telephone, keyboard, and occasionally lift up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, depth perception, color vision and the ability to adjust focus.

Working Conditions & Travel Requirements

* Work will be performed in a variety of conditions. Primarily work is remote or in a climate-controlled office environment(s); and occasionally in a manufacturing plant environment with varying conditions, such as cold areas, wet areas, warm areas, chemicals, and other site conditions. This position requires the individual to wear and work in personal protective equipment while in the manufacturing environment. For remote work, the employee must have a dedicated workspace to safely setup and use assigned IT equipment, preferably free from distractions. The employee is responsible for ensuring adequate internet service is available when working remotely (the recommended minimum speed is 20mb download and 5mb upload).

* The noise level of the office environment is usually moderate; the noise level in the manufacturing environment may exceed 85 DBA and require hearing protection

* Travel may be required up to 15% of the time.

Disclaimer

We embrace equal opportunity employment. Butterball is committed to the fair and impartial treatment of all employees and applicants for employment without regard to gender, age, race, religion, color, national origin, physical or mental disability, military/veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, genetic information, marital status, parental status, pregnancy, or any other status protected by law.

This position is deemed Safety Sensitive for purposes of Butterball's Drug/Alcohol Screening & Testing Policy. Details will be provided to individuals who receive a conditional job offer, or upon request.

The statements herein are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by employees and are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of what is required of personnel so classified. Furthermore, they do not imply or establish a contract for employment and are subject to change at the discretion of the employer.