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Universal Logistics is a leading provider of customized transportation and logistics solutions, offering a comprehensive suite of services including transportation, value-added, intermodal, and specialized services utilized throughout entire supply chains.
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Universal Logistics is seeking a Senior IT Project Manager to lead complex, cross-functional initiatives spanning both enterprise IT and transportation-technology systems. This role owns projects end-to-end — from charter through post-implementation review — across areas such as transportation management systems (TMS), fleet telematics, EDI/ELD integrations, and general IT application and system-integration work.
The Senior IT Project Manager operates with a high degree of autonomy on higher-risk, higher-visibility programs, selects the delivery approach (Agile, Waterfall, or hybrid) appropriate to each project, and provides guidance and informal leadership to project coordinators and less experienced PMs. This is a hands-on executioner role – your engagement has immediate impact!
Reports To: Director, IT
Location: Warren, MI (fully onsite)
FLSA Status: Exempt
Direct Reports: May informally lead or mentor 1–2 project coordinators / junior PMs / Team members
Key Responsibilities
Project Leadership & Delivery
- Lead the full lifecycle of enterprise IT and transportation-technology projects, including software development, system integrations, and platform implementations.
- Develop project charters, scope statements, work breakdown structures, schedules, RACI, and RAID (risks, assumptions, issues, dependencies) logs.
- Select and tailor the appropriate delivery methodology (Agile, Waterfall, or hybrid) based on project size, risk, and business need.
- Monitor progress against schedule, scope, and budget; identify variances early and drive corrective action.
Transportation & Logistics Systems
- Lead implementations and upgrades of transportation management systems (TMS), fleet telematics, freight visibility platforms, and EDI/ELD integrations.
- Partner with operations, dispatch, safety, and compliance teams to align technology projects with DOT/FMCSA-related requirements (e.g., ELD mandate, IFTA reporting) where applicable.
- Coordinate with carriers, brokers, 3PL partners, and technology vendors on integration timelines and data exchange requirements.
Risk, Budget & Vendor Management
- Identify, track, and mitigate project risks, escalating issues that threaten scope, budget, or schedule.
- Own project budgets: track expenses, forecast costs, and report variances to stakeholders and finance.
- Manage vendor and contractor relationships, including statements of work, deliverables, and performance against contract terms.
Stakeholder Engagement & Team Leadership
- Serve as primary point of contact for business and IT stakeholders throughout the project lifecycle.
- Facilitate project meetings, steering committee updates, and executive status reporting.
- Mentor and provide day-to-day guidance to project coordinators and junior project managers; may lead a small project team on larger initiatives.
- Drive change management activities and user adoption planning for new systems and processes.
Governance & Continuous Improvement
- Maintain comprehensive project documentation: plans, status reports, meeting notes, and decision logs.
- Ensure deliverables meet quality standards, business requirements, and compliance obligations.
- Conduct post-project reviews and lessons-learned sessions; drive adoption of process improvements across the PMO.
Qualifications
Required
- Bachelor’s degree in Information Systems, Computer Science, Project Management, Business Administration, or related field, or equivalent experience.
- 7+ years of IT project management experience, including leading complex, multi-team, or multi-vendor projects.
- Demonstrated experience managing project budgets, schedules, and vendor/contract relationships.
- Strong leadership, facilitation, and cross-functional collaboration skills, with experience mentoring or informally leading other project staff.
- Excellent verbal, written, and executive-level communication skills.
- Proficiency with project management tools such as Microsoft Project, Jira, Smartsheet, or similar.
- Working knowledge of both Agile and Waterfall/traditional project management approaches.
Preferred
- Experience in transportation, logistics, supply chain, or trucking industries, particularly with TMS, EDI, ELD, or telematics platforms.
- Agile/Scrum certification (CSM, PMI-ACP, or similar).
- Familiarity with ITIL or other IT service management frameworks.
- Experience with DOT/FMCSA compliance systems (ELD, IFTA, safety/compliance reporting).
Work Environment
This position is fully onsite at our Warren, MI headquarters. No regular travel is required.
About Universal Logistics
Universal Logistics Holdings is a multi-modal transportation and logistics provider offering a wide range of services including truckload and brokerage transportation, intermodal, and value-added solutions. This role sits within the corporate IT organization supporting technology initiatives across the enterprise and its transportation operations.