Project Manager

About the role:

• The Project Manager doesn't just manage tasks; they own the outcome. You are the single point of accountability for leading high-priority, industrial AI implementation projects from contract signing through successful deployment and value realization.
• Your mandate is to guarantee that every project aligns perfectly with our customer's strategic priorities and delivers measurable business impact.
• Own end-to-end project delivery from kickoff to closure, including scope, budget, quality, and customer outcomes, ensuring project success and financial performance.
• Translate use case objectives into quantifiable business KPIs and lead Value Realization Workshops to establish baselines and demonstrate impact.
• Develop detailed project plans covering scope, schedule, resources, budget, risks, and quality, proactively managing dependencies and blockers.
• Manage complex system integrations connecting OT/IT data sources with agile methodology and continuous stakeholder engagement.
• Ensure project delivery aligns with customer strategic goals such as operational excellence, safety, sustainability, or cost reduction through regular reporting and executive briefings.
• Ensure that Account Executives (AEs), Customer Business Executives (CBEs) and other key stakeholders are regularly updated on project status, scope, risks, and financial performance, enabling full transparency into delivery progress and customer outcomes.
• Partners with the Product team for any product features, capabilities, or deliverables committed as part of the customer agreement, escalating gaps through defined governance channels (Value Delivery to Product interface) to safeguard contractual commitments, time-to-value, and customer satisfaction.
• Handle project financials including bookings, revenue recognition, cost tracking, margin analysis, and forecasting, reporting transparently to Portfolio Manager.
• Act as the main point of contact for customers during project execution, managing governance processes, leading steering committee meetings, and providing executive briefings with clear communication.
• Oversee customer satisfaction management and follow-up, manage partner vendor relationships, and maintain process documentation.
• Drive change management activities such as user training and adoption support in collaboration with the Customer Business Executive
• Act as a primary liaison between clients and internal teams (Engineering, Product, Customer Success), managing stakeholder communication, expectations, risk, and issue resolution throughout the project lifecycle.
• Be alert to expansion opportunities by understanding customer challenges and proactively coordinate with appropriate Cognite stakeholders.
• Leverage Cognite PMO playbooks and best practices while contributing to continuous improvement through lessons learned and process enhancements.

About you / Core Competencies

• We value achievements and measurable deliveries far more than years of experience. To make an impact, you must demonstrate a history of creating value, not just following a process.
• Value Generation: Demonstrate project value by connecting deliverables to business benefits, tracking KPIs, and reporting data-driven results to strengthen customer trust and partnership.
• Prioritize customer outcomes, proactively identifying ways to deliver and demonstrate value, and ensuring satisfaction throughout the project lifecycle.
• Scope & Delivery Excellence: Consistently deliver projects on time and within budget, managing complex system integrations connecting OT/IT data sources with agile methodology and continuous stakeholder engagement.
• Proven ability to manage complex, multi-stakeholder projects in fast-paced environments.
• Stakeholder Management: Influence technical and business stakeholders toward shared outcomes through leadership without authority, fostering alignment through clarity.
• Act as a primary liaison between clients and internal teams (Engineering, Product, Customer Success), managing stakeholder communication, expectations, risk, and issue resolution throughout the project lifecycle.
• Ensure that Account Executives (AEs), Customer Business Executives (CBEs) and other key stakeholders are regularly updated on project status, scope, risks, and financial performance.
• Scalability & Replication: Seek feedback, capture lessons learned, and drive process enhancements for future projects.
• Leverage Cognite PMO playbooks and best practices while contributing to continuous improvement. Market and maintain Cognite's values: Impact, Ownership, Relentlessness, fostering collaboration, innovation, and customer-centric delivery as part of a global project management team.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, Computer Science, Business, or related fields.
• 5+ years or more of project management experience, in SaaS, cloud, or enterprise software delivery preferably with a portfolio of successful, complex industrial or enterprise-level IT/AI projects.
• Proven ability to manage complex, multi-stakeholder projects in fast-paced environments and experience leading cross-functional teams (Data Scientists, Engineers, Solution Architects).
• Deep proficiency in industrial verticals (e.g., Energy, Manufacturing, Chemicals, Oil & Gas, Life Science, Utilities/Power and Renewables).
• Strong financial acumen and proficiency in tracking project realization/forecasting.
• Methodology Fluency: Demonstrated practical knowledge of Agile/Scrum and experience leveraging PMO methodologies (like PMP/PRINCE2) to drive delivery efficiency and manage risk in fast-paced environments.
• Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and problem-solving skills.
• Proficiency with project management tools such as Jira, Confluence, MS Project, or Smartsheet.
• Willingness to travel as needed for client engagements.

Preferred skills

• Certifications such as PMP, PRINCE2, or Agile/Scrum
• Experience with SaaS implementation lifecycle, including onboarding, training, and change management.
• Familiarity with data platforms, cloud infrastructure (Azure, AWS), or industrial IoT.
• Exposure to data engineering, analytics, AI, or machine learning projects is advantageous.