Principal Client Project Manager

Join the Team Making Possibilities Happen

If you’ve ever used an ATM, paid a bill through your phone, sent money to a friend or shopped online, chances are your transaction was safeguarded and processed using our software. Now it’s your turn to serve the payment needs of organizations and people the world over.

As a Principal Client Project Manager in Japan, you will join a diverse, passionate team, dedicated to making possibilities happen in the payments industry!

The purpose of this ROLE is:

The Principal Client Project Manager is accountable for managing the delivery of projects in compliance with ACI policies and customer contractual commitments. They independently collaborate with a team to deliver complex projects. They are responsible for managing multiple projects in parallel, aligned to ACI’s project methodology. They lead communication with customers and internal departments to ensure the status of the project are clear, while effectively managing risks, issues and core Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). The Principal Client Project Manager oversees a project from its inception through to its execution and final delivery. They maintain and share schedules while monitoring the project’s budget. Ultimately, they guide projects to successful completion within scope and budget that meets or exceeds quality standard within defined timeframes.

A typical day at ACI for a Principal Client Project Manager is:

• Provides strategic oversight and direction for multiple projects, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and objectives. 
• Leads the understanding and tracking of complex contractual commitments, ensuring compliance and proactive management with customers. 
• Oversees the monitoring of project scope and baseline, ensuring adherence to organizational standards and effective change control processes. 
• Develops comprehensive project plans, schedules, agreements and proposals and ensures projects are completed within budget and defined timeframes. Identifies and addresses barriers that may prevent the team from meeting established goals. 
• Oversees all aspects of projects including but not limited to research, analysis, documentation, design/development, testing, negotiation, problem resolution, training, status reporting, implementation, deliverables, project closing and post-rollout review/audit. Ensures all project deliverables are met and delivered to customer in accordance with contractual commitments. 
• Provides accurate project Estimated Time to Completion (ETC) to the revenue accounting team monthly to ensure precise revenue forecasting. 
• Establishes and leads a project governance model to ensure all relevant stakeholders are aware of project statues and assist with resolving escalations. 
• Leads project issues and risks (technical and non-technical) through identification, evaluation, tracking, communication and mediation. Maintains RAID log for projects. 
• Ensures the project team is equipped with the right procedures to deliver the quality solutions needed to meet project commitments. 
• Updates project management data on reporting and management systems, such as Jira and Salesforce. 
• Reviews and approves timecards submitted by project team members. 
• Ensures that weekly project updates are maintained and shared with both the internal and external stakeholders. 
• Manages and nurtures the relationship with customers and all stakeholders. 
• Leads post-project evaluation to identify successful and unsuccessful project elements Perform other duties as assigned.
• Collaborates with internal stakeholders and the customer to determine the appropriate project methodology. The methodology a customer project manager would typically be required to use include:
  • Waterfall (linear-sequential life cycle) 
  • Agile – SCRUM or Kanban 
  • A hybrid model combining aspects of the above 
  • When SCRUM is used, the Client Project Manager would fill the Scrum Master role while also handling other responsibilities beyond the standard Scrum Master definition. 
• Ensures the customer is aligned with the methodology to be used for the project and the budget, scope and planning tracking is aligned prior to the project proceeding via a method adoption workshop. 
• Provides mentorship and guidance to newer team members. 
• Performs other duties as assigned. 
• Understand and adhere to all corporate policies to include but not limited to the ACI Code of Business Conduct and Ethics. 

Knowledge, Skills and Experience needed to succeed in this role: 

• Bachelor’s degree, preferably in Computer Science or equivalent.
• Minimum 10 years of related experience IT related field, client project management experience, including 7+ years in the payments/ financial industry
• Ability to speak fluent Japanese and English
• Experience in servicing large Enterprise customers (especially within the BFSI industry)
• Experience in software development life cycle (SLDC) project management, including large Professional Services engagement 
• Sound functional or technical knowledge of payment solutions (corporate, treasury, retail, real-time, payment intelligence, digital channels, etc). Sufficient technical abilities to review functional & technical specifications documents, system architecture, hardware/software specifications, communicate issues and drive resolution.
• Operational knowledge of payment business processes or domains (banks, schemes, central switches, etc)
• Good communication skill
• Good organizational and planning skill
• Strong stakeholder management and relationship building 
• Strong problem-solving abilities.

Benefits: In return for your expertise, we offer growth, opportunity, and a competitive compensation and benefits package in a casual work environment. 

Are you ready to help us transform the world of electronic payments? To learn more about ACI Worldwide, visit our web site at www.aciworldwide.com

ACI Worldwide is an AA/EEO employer in the United States, which includes providing equal opportunity for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities, and an EEO employer globally.

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