Senior Project Manager (Contract)

About the Role Senior Project Manager (Contract) for Fresh's Digital Studio, leading cross-functional teams on complex digital projects through the full lifecycle. You will act as the primary client contact, ensuring on-time delivery within scope and quality standards while partnering with design and development teams to drive clarity and outcomes. What You'll Do

• Ensure projects are executed on time, on budget, and in scope while actively managing scope, schedule, resources, risks and issues.
• Develop and maintain comprehensive project documentation including status reports, meeting notes, and action items.
• Proactively identify and communicate issues and risks; collaborate with team leads to determine solutions; escalate to Studio leadership when necessary.
• Use effective escalation processes to ensure high-quality delivery, address concerns, remove obstacles, and provide transparent communication.
• Establish and manage project timelines and deliverables; pivot plans to meet changing requirements on large complex projects with minimal supervision.
• Foster strong relationships with internal teams to meet client expectations and sustain a high quality bar.
• Monitor project progress daily and provide weekly status reports (budget, variance, milestones/deliveries, issues/risks, decisions) to stakeholders.
• Lead meetings with clients and internal teams; set clear agendas, facilitate conversations, and track actions to decisions.
• Lead teams in following internal delivery processes; enhance processes to improve efficiency and velocity; propose higher-quality delivery improvements.
• Participate in project estimation; capture PM activities and challenge estimates for accuracy.
• Negotiate and resolve conflict within teams and with clients; create accurate estimates for extensions and change requests.
• Draft scope content for SOWs and change requests; ensure resource forecasts are up-to-date weekly.
• Review and approve project invoices.
• Travel: this role includes frequent travel—approximately one trip per month to client sites, with additional trips as needed. What We're Looking For
• 7-10 years of experience in project management of digital products and services (design/UX, developers, strategists)
• Experience in a consulting company or agency, managing external clients
• Proficiency in agile and waterfall methodologies
• Proven ability to manage complex projects
• Capable of developing strong solutions without supervision
• Strong analytical and decision-making abilities
• Ability to function independently and comfortable with ambiguity
• Strong ability to lead conversations with clients and present information to manage projects
• Proactive and detail oriented with excellent organization and planning skills
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Project management certifications are a bonus but not required. Nice to Have
• PM certifications are a bonus but not required. Compensation & Benefits
• Hourly contractor rate range: 65-75/hour for Washington State-based role
• Travel: frequent travel to client sites (approximately one trip per month)