Lead Implementation Project Manager

Lead Implementation Project Manager

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced and strategic Lead Implementation Project Manager to oversee customer implementations and onboarding initiatives for a growing SaaS organization. This is a customer-facing leadership role responsible for managing the full implementation lifecycle, serving as the primary point of contact for customers from initial kickoff through go-live and the transition to Customer Success.

The Lead Implementation Project Manager will oversee the delivery portfolio, coordinate internal resources, manage project timelines, and ensure clear communication and accountability across customer and internal teams. This individual will also establish scalable project management processes, develop implementation frameworks, and build and lead a growing team of Project Managers.

This is a hands-on, player-coach position that combines direct project ownership with team leadership and process development. The ideal candidate is highly organized, proactive, and comfortable managing multiple complex implementations while building the structure and systems needed to support continued growth.

Key Responsibilities

Implementation and Portfolio Management

• Own the customer implementation portfolio from the point of deal closure through onboarding, go-live, and final handoff to Customer Success.
• Coordinate with internal Product and Delivery teams to transition newly closed deals into the appropriate implementation and onboarding paths.
• Maintain a centralized portfolio view of all active implementations, including project owners, timelines, phases, resource assignments, milestones, and potential risks.
• Oversee resource allocation and capacity planning across the Delivery team to ensure projects are appropriately staffed and prioritized.
• Monitor multiple concurrent implementations, ensuring projects remain on schedule, within scope, and aligned with customer expectations.
• Identify project dependencies, potential bottlenecks, and delivery risks, recommending solutions and corrective actions as needed.

Customer-Facing Project Leadership

• Serve as the primary customer contact throughout the implementation lifecycle, leading communication and coordination from kickoff through go-live.
• Lead customer meetings, establish project expectations, communicate timelines, and provide regular progress updates.
• Coordinate internal delivery resources and route project action items to the appropriate teams.
• Hold internal and external stakeholders accountable for deliverables, milestones, and agreed-upon timelines.
• Manage customer expectations, address concerns, and navigate escalations with professionalism and sound judgment.
• Ensure customers have clear visibility into implementation progress, outstanding requirements, risks, and upcoming milestones.
• Coordinate successful go-live activities and ensure a smooth transition to the Customer Success team.

Process Development and Operational Improvement

• Partner with Delivery leadership to develop and implement standardized project management processes, templates, kickoff checklists, and onboarding playbooks.
• Establish repeatable implementation workflows that improve consistency, efficiency, and scalability across the delivery organization.
• Develop streamlined onboarding processes that allow simpler implementations to progress without requiring a dedicated Project Manager.
• Identify opportunities to improve project delivery practices, resource utilization, customer communication, and operational efficiency.
• Establish standardized project intake, tracking, reporting, and documentation procedures.
• Maintain accurate project records, meeting notes, action items, and status updates across all active implementations.

Portfolio Reporting and Risk Management

• Provide regular portfolio health updates to Delivery and Customer Operations leadership.
• Monitor and communicate project status, identifying implementations that are on track, at risk, or blocked.
• Analyze project challenges, resource constraints, and delivery risks, providing recommendations and proposed solutions.
• Establish and maintain project-level time tracking to measure implementation effort, resource utilization, and delivery costs.
• Develop reporting processes that provide leadership with visibility into project progress, capacity, timelines, and overall delivery performance.

Team Leadership and Development

• Recruit, hire, manage, and develop Project Managers as the implementation team expands.
• Provide hands-on coaching, regular feedback, and performance guidance to strengthen project management capabilities.
• Establish consistent expectations and standards for project execution, customer communication, documentation, and accountability.
• Mentor Project Managers in managing complex customer implementations independently.
• Build a collaborative and accountable project management culture focused on predictable delivery and customer satisfaction.
• Balance direct project ownership with team leadership and operational responsibilities.

Qualifications and Core Competencies

• 5+ years of experience managing customer implementations, onboarding projects, or professional services engagements within a SaaS organization.
• Proven experience managing a portfolio of multiple concurrent projects, including resource allocation and team capacity planning.
• Demonstrated ability to build and improve project management processes, including project intake, templates, playbooks, tracking systems, and reporting frameworks.
• Previous experience managing, mentoring, or coaching Project Managers or delivery teams.
• Strong understanding of customer implementation lifecycles, project planning, resource coordination, and delivery management.
• Comfortable working closely with technical and product teams, with the ability to understand product configurations and implementation requirements.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to engage effectively with stakeholders at all levels, including customers, senior leadership, and public-sector representatives.
• Strong customer relationship management skills and the ability to remain composed and solution-oriented during escalations.
• Exceptional organizational and time management skills, with the ability to maintain accurate documentation and manage competing priorities.
• Strong sense of ownership and accountability, with the ability to keep internal and external stakeholders aligned and projects moving forward.
• Strong problem-solving, analytical, and decision-making abilities.
• Proficiency with modern AI tools, including Claude, and the ability to incorporate AI into everyday workflows to improve productivity and execution.
• Willingness and ability to travel for on-site customer go-lives as needed.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with government, public-sector, municipal, county, or GovTech customers.
• Familiarity with public-sector implementation requirements, stakeholder environments, and operational workflows.
• Project Management Professional (PMP) certification or a comparable project management credential.
• Experience implementing document management, document workflow, or multi-product SaaS solutions.