Description

The Job.

At NJI, the Project Director is an anchor of the project management team, ensuring the successful execution and delivery of projects across a diverse client portfolio. In this capacity, they excel at transforming creative ideas into successful realties, provide invaluable mentorship to teams navigating complex projects, and are a champion for the company’s culture and ambitions.

In their role, the Project Director is responsible for fostering effective communication and collaboration across various teams, ensuring that both our staff and clients are aligned in their objectives and expectations. They thrive in a culture that values proactive problem-solving, agility, and a relentless pursuit of excellence. 

The Project Director applies their project management expertise to oversee large-scale, complex projects. They monitor progress, foresee potential risks, and proactively implement plans and solutions. They are responsible for the optimal use of resources and financial accountability, as well as directly overseeing internal project resources across various divisions.

Central to this role’s success is a deep understanding of communications and marketing, especially for policy-oriented audiences, and the role that creative agencies play in supporting clients across various sectors.

The Project Director goes beyond guiding projects to the finish line; they are setting benchmarks, fostering innovation, and ensuring that every project reflects NJI’s commitment to excellence.

Responsibilities.

• Lead the execution and delivery of large-scale, complex projects, ensuring they align with agreed requirements and meet the highest standards.
• Foster a collaborative environment across divisions, streamlining communication and execution.
• Act as the daily interface between the agency’s account management team, clients, and other internal divisions, ensuring that project objectives and expectations are clearly defined and planned for daily delivery of work.
• Provide guidance and development coaching to portfolio-specific project managers, ensuring they excel both day-to-day and strategically.
• Elevate team efficiency, accountability, and professional growth through process optimization, clear performance metrics, and continuous learning.
• Oversee all project schedules and budgets, ensuring optimal allocation of resources, and efficient production scheduling and planning.
• Identify potential risks to project budgets and delivery plans, and proactively implement strategies to mitigate them.
• Manage communication with all project stakeholders (verbal and written), focusing on balancing Account Management division needs with project delivery capabilities, ensuring alignment and transparency throughout the project lifecycle.
• Implement stringent quality control measures, ensuring that project deliverables meet or exceed client expectations.
• Liaise with partners and vendors to ensure cohesive support for clients.
• Set, monitor, and report on performance benchmarks for projects, ensuring NJI’s standards of excellence and improvement in future work. 
• Stay abreast of global industry developments, integrating them into client projects.
• Foster a strong organizational culture at NJI that champions excellence and continuous growth.

Skills & Experience.

• Proficiency in managing multiple projects simultaneously, advanced understanding of project lifecycle stages, and project management tools.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, guide, and lead teams toward achieving project goals.
• Expertise in managing communications and setting expectations with stakeholders, including clients and partners.
• Track record of cross-functional teamwork in delivering and evaluating client projects.
• Experience in optimizing processes for efficiency and effectiveness.
• Strong understanding of quality control measures to ensure project standards.
• Deep knowledge of the U.S. political/policy landscape at the federal and state levels.
• Experience overseeing budgets and providing financial reporting.
• Capability to prioritize tasks effectively and meet deadlines.
• Aptitude for proactive problem identification and solution implementation.
• High emotional intelligence, enhancing client/vendor relationships and team dynamics.