Technical Project Manager - Data & AI Delivery

Overview

This role involves comprehensive management of delivery projects focused on data engineering, cloud, and AI/ML solutions. You will oversee multi-workstream teams of 8 to 15 members, operating across offshore and onsite locations and multiple time zones. The position requires managing entire project lifecycles including planning, scheduling, RAID logs, status updates, and scope control.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end delivery for data and AI initiatives ensuring timely acceptance and handover.
• Monitor commercial aspects such as tracking margins weekly, managing payment milestones and invoicing strictly on deliverable completion, and enforcing rigorous change control.
• Manage client-side dependencies including access controls, environment setups, security clearances, sign-offs, and decisions with clearly defined owners and escalation protocols.
• Maintain governance through daily updates, weekly status reporting, and steering committee coordination with documented minutes and risk tracking.
• Provide honest and transparent reporting of project status, including documenting blocked capacity with reasons and recovery plans.

Collaboration

You will coordinate with engineering leads, solution architects, business analysts, client sponsors, IT/business points of contact, and partners such as Microsoft, Databricks, and AWS, effectively managing three-sided engagements.

Required Skills and Qualifications

• Minimum 10 years in IT with at least 6 years managing end-to-end technology project delivery including execution and scope control.
• Experience with fixed-bid and time & material contracts focusing on margin protection, strict payment milestone discipline, and change management.
• Hands-on experience with data engineering and cloud platforms like Azure, AWS, or GCP; familiarity with Databricks/Lakehouse is strongly preferred.
• Technical understanding to engage credibly with engineers about data pipelines, cloud infrastructure, and integrations.
• Coordination of AI/ML delivery including ML lifecycle knowledge and the use of AI tools (e.g., Copilot, ChatGPT) to support project management processes.
• Proven ability to manage client dependencies with formal tracking and escalation mechanisms.
• Experience delivering projects in partnership with Microsoft, Databricks, AWS, including governance and partner-funded programs.
• Strong expertise with Agile, Scrum, waterfall, and hybrid methodologies, and ability to manage sprints within stage-gate frameworks.
• Proficiency in at least two tools among Jira, Azure DevOps, MS Project, and Smartsheet plus dashboard reporting.
• Excellent skills in estimation, risk management, progress tracking, and executive communication.

Personal Attributes

• Structured thinker adept at clarifying ambiguity and driving problem solving.
• Fast learner with curiosity and agility to keep pace with evolving data and AI technologies.
• Proactive in reporting problems early with well-considered remediation plans.
• Discipline in documentation and record keeping ensuring timely and complete meeting minutes, decisions, and approvals.

Preferred Additional Experience

• Exposure to SAP data ecosystems and integration patterns especially with Databricks.
• Experience managing large-scale migration programs involving platforms such as Hadoop, Synapse, Unity Catalog, or equivalent.
• Involvement in GenAI or large language model projects including agent and model migration initiatives.
• Familiarity with regulated sector delivery (BFSI, telecom, government) involving security, background checks, and compliance frameworks.
• Relevant certifications like PMP, PMI-ACP, CSM, SAFe, or PRINCE2.
• Knowledge of cloud financial operations (FinOps) and cost management.

Success Metrics for First 90 Days

• Independent management of weekly governance with accurate data reconciliation.
• No execution of unapproved scope, with prompt change request approvals documented.
• Complete and up-to-date tracking of client dependencies without delays beyond five days.
• Clear explanations for margin variances immediately during reviews.
• Successful passage of first stage gate or acceptance with proper documented evidence.

About the Employer

Celebal Technologies partners with Databricks, Microsoft, and AWS, delivering data, AI, and enterprise platform solutions globally. This position is part of the Delivery organization and operates within a structured Cloud Delivery Management Framework based on a five-phase, gate-controlled delivery methodology.