Innovation Project Manager

Job Description

How To Apply

Hey there, innovative problem solvers!

DFW Airport is seeking a dynamic and visionary Innovation Project Manager to join our team! As the Innovation Project Manager, you'll be responsible for supporting various division projects and reporting on project progress to our management team. Your goal will be to help us transform travel by developing and implementing new business processes and emerging technologies.

You'll collaborate with stakeholders across various departments to ensure that project objectives and quality measures are completed on time and within budget. You'll also work with cross-functional teams, external vendors, the occasional start up, and keep team templates and process maps current and organized.

If you have a bachelor's degree and at least 5 years of experience in project management, product development, or innovation, then we want to hear from you! We're looking for someone who is detail-oriented, flexible, positive, and has a high tolerance for ambiguity. You'll need to have excellent communication skills and be skilled in using project management tools, building project plans, and analyzing data insights to help us see the future and manage our business better.

As our Innovation Project Manager, you'll work in an office environment and but regularly be out-and-about to deploy solutions across the airport. You'll have the opportunity to work with new and emerging technologies like autonomous vehicles, biometrics, and artificial intelligence-always looking for what's next!

If you're ready to transform the way people travel, then we invite you to apply for the Innovation Project Manager position at DFW Airport!

Job Overview

As an Innovation Project Manager in our centralized Innovation Division, you will play a pivotal role supporting mission critical activities along the product / program development lifecycle. This new role expands the Innovation Department's capacity to deliver exciting new initiatives for the airport and opens greater opportunity to cover areas of emerging technologies that are crucial to the airport's future.  As Innovation Project Manager you will lead activities with other business areas, identifying appropriate stakeholders (i.e.: Procurement, IT, Legal, Marketing) and coordinate initiatives on behalf of the team and/or individual initiatives. You will have a hand in running innovation pilot programs, setting up vendors for success, defining test plans, and working through recommendations on how to get key milestones accomplished. You'll keep the proverbial balls rolling and be adept at putting critical milestones in place to ensure the team hits deliverables of all kinds. The Innovation Project Manager will also lead monthly reporting for the group's activities, ensuring consistent communication of key activities to program stakeholders.

If you're a project manager who's curious about how things work and how to make them work better, this role is for you! It's a role ideal for a continuous learner and provides growth opportunity into any of our Innovation role functions which include early stage (front-end) ideation and business consulting through to advanced program leadership and delivery.

What you will be doing:

• Coordinating with internal consultants, cross-functional team members and external partners
• Providing collaboration/support during the discovery/scoping stage of projects to ensure standards and expectations are met (includes support for budget estimation and business case development)
• Keeping a system of team templates and process maps; providing process coaching to internal innovators across the enterprise
• Coordinating and developing project plans, assignments, tasks, and project reporting
• Managing monthly reporting; ensuring project-specific milestones are scheduled accordingly, holding team accountable for key deliverables in concert with program and executive expectations.
• Supporting thought leadership commitments with new ideas for speaker sessions
• Having fun as part of a team that asks questions, challenges the status quo, learns constantly, and coaches' others in the Innovation process so DFW remains on the cutting edge of the future.

What we desire:

• Proven experience with large, complex B-to-B and/or B-to-C projects; work with multi-disciplinary teams in a corporate environment.
• Skilled in relationship management to coordinate, manage and build relationships with internal and external stakeholders - strong communicator and collaborator. Curious by nature. High tolerance for ambiguity and experience working to define solutions and maximize business opportunity - must be flexible in approach to solving problems. 
• Ability to roll up sleeves to get the job done. Organized, Not easily dissuaded by obstacles or challenges. Able to find alternative solutions to resolve problems.
• Ability to be a self--tarter, forward-thinking, comfortable with ambiguity and able to work in dynamic, collaborative, and open environment.
• Commitment to act with integrity, be transparent and appropriately inclusive, seek new ways that are right for the business and get stuff done.

What you need:

• Bachelor's degree in related field or equivalent experience.
• 4 years' experience in project management, product development or innovation function. Understanding of project management principles.
• Ability to learn quickly new subjects and technologies - desire and willingness to learn.
• Possession of a valid Class C driver's license (because we must drive around the airport campus a lot)
• PMP certification and/or prior PMO management experience is desired.

About Us

We are Dallas Fort Worth International (DFW) Airport-one of the most successful airports in the world by any definition. We're recognized for our innovation, leadership, drive for excellence and talented employees.

Our success is made possible because of the diverse talents of over 2,000 employees who champion our mission of providing an exceptional airport experience to our customers and connect our community to the world. We're looking for the best talent to join us and help reimagine what an airport can be.

Bring your talents to DFW. Live and work with purpose.