Project Director- Retail SaaS

Introduction

Role summary

The Project Director leads the programme end to end, owning delivery, budget, risks and the client relationship, and manages a team of approximately 10 people.

Job Description

Key responsibilities

• Lead overall programme delivery, scope, timeline and quality against agreed objectives
• Manage the programme budget, forecasting and cost control
• Identify, assess and mitigate programme risks and issues, and escalate where needed
• Own the relationship with the primary client, including executive-level communication and governance
• Lead, coach and organise a team of around 10 people, including allocation and performance
• Establish and maintain programme governance, reporting and steering committees
• Coordinate across stakeholders and workstreams to ensure alignment

Governance and reporting

• Set up a harmonised reporting and steering framework, aligned with the expectations of senior sponsors
• Produce consolidated status reports and clear executive summaries for governance meetings
• Identify critical issues early, propose action plans, and escalate to sponsors when decisions are needed

Matrix leadership

• Lead and influence project teams, internal and external, across functions and reporting lines

Profile

• Proven experience directing complex programmes or large projects, ideally in retail or supply chain
• Solid background in programme or project management methodologies
• Strong budget, risk and stakeholder management skills
• Experience leading multidisciplinary teams
• German is the main working language. Fluency in German is required.
• English at C1 level, written and spoken, is also required.
• Ability to travel to the client as required
• Ability to write clear narratives for senior management, with a strong sense of priorities and stakeholder dynamics
• Strong analytical skills, a results-oriented mindset and the autonomy to drive complex programmes

Your profile (additional requirements)

• At least 9 years of professional experience after graduation. Internships and work-study placements do not count towards this period.
• Ability to work in a team, analyse requirements and propose pragmatic solutions.

Terms

• Contract assignment, minimum 12 months
• Location: Cologne

About Us

SymphonyAI is building the leading enterprise AI SaaS company for digital transformation across the most critical and resilient growth industries, including retail, consumer packaged goods, financial crime prevention, manufacturing, media, and IT service management. Since its founding in 2017, SymphonyAI today serves 1500+ Enterprise customers globally and has grown to 3,000 talented leaders, data scientists, and other professionals across over 30 countries.