Senior Project Manager

Description

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Why Meridian?

At Meridian our aspiration is to integrate our purpose into everything we do for people, the planet, and communities. We believe that our greatest opportunity is to create opportunity and meet people where they are.

Factor us into your next career opportunity. We want you to grow with us and have an experience that’s different. This is a place where you can expect the unexpected.

Find our story here:

The role: The Senior Project Manager is a strategic delivery leader responsible for managing complex, cross-functional initiatives that support Meridian’s Horizon 2 transformation and Horizon 3 innovation goals. This includes leading both business transformation and complex IT projects that drive enterprise-wide impact.

The role demands excellence in delivery execution, stakeholder engagement, and change leadership. The Senior Project Manager is accountable for project-level benefits realization planning and management, ensuring that intended outcomes are defined, tracked, and achieved. They also lead project governance and risk management, navigating bimodal governance models and applying the Project Risk Framework to ensure compliance and continuity.

Success in this role is defined by the ability to consistently deliver strategic projects that achieve measurable benefits, mitigate risks proactively, and embed continuous improvement into every phase of delivery. The Senior Project Manager builds trust with stakeholders, enables team performance, and contributes to a culture of innovation and accountability across the EPMO.

2 Vacancies - 1 Permanent & 1 Contract

Key Responsibilities

Project Delivery & Execution

• Lead end-to-end delivery of strategic projects aligned to H2 and H3 priorities
• Lead both business transformation and complex IT projects using Waterfall, Agile, and Hybrid methodologies
• Perform the Scrum Master role in Agile or Hybrid projects when required, facilitating ceremonies, removing impediments, and enabling team performance
• Define project scope, goals, and deliverables that support business objectives
• Initiate, plan, execute, monitor, and close projects within strict deadlines and budget
• Implement projects focused on reporting KPIs in scope, schedule, budget, and resources
• Leverage AI tools, automation, and digital workflows to accelerate project delivery
• Manage project financials including budgeting, forecasting, tracking, and change control
• Coordinate efforts of team members and third-party contractors or consultants
• Identify and manage project dependencies, risks, and critical paths
• Develop and monitor integrated project plans with milestones and timelines
• Conduct post-project reviews to certify success criteria are met
• Ensure adherence to project standards, governance, guidelines, and best practices
• Support Agile practices and update project statuses for executive reporting
• Communicate project expectations to team members and stakeholders
• Estimate resources and participants needed to achieve project goals
• Track project milestones and deliverables
• Deliver progress reports, proposals, requirements documentation, and presentations

Stakeholder Engagement & Change Leadership

• Build strong relationships with executives, business owners, and delivery teams
• Lead change enablement activities to support adoption and sustainment of project outcomes
• Facilitate steering committees, cross-functional planning sessions, and change readiness assessments

Project Governance & Risk Management

• Ensure adherence to EPMO governance frameworks, stage-gate reviews, and delivery standards
• Navigate bimodal governance across traditional and agile/hybrid projects
• Follow the Project Risk Framework to identify, assess, and mitigate risks
• Maintain risk registers and escalate critical issues with mitigation strategies
• Ensure effective operations while adhering to business controls, data security, and privacy governance
• Protect confidential data and ensure compliance with laws and regulations
• Maintain an enterprise view when assessing risks inherent to operations and strategic decisions
• Embed business continuity planning within project delivery and risk mitigation

Benefits Realization Planning & Management

• Define and document expected project benefits in alignment with enterprise strategy
• Develop tracking mechanisms and dashboards to monitor benefit achievement
• Ensure benefits are transitioned to business owners and measured post-implementation

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Demonstrated experience leading complex business transformation and technology projects using Agile, Waterfall, and Hybrid delivery methodologies.
• Strong project management expertise, including project planning, execution, budgeting, forecasting, change control, risk management, and benefits realization.
• Proven ability to manage project dependencies, integrated project plans, critical paths, and governance requirements.
• Experience applying project governance, compliance, privacy, and risk management practices within a regulated environment.
• Strong strategic thinking skills with the ability to align project delivery to enterprise priorities and business objectives.
• Ability to build effective relationships and influence stakeholders at all levels, including executives, business leaders, vendors, and delivery teams.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to translate complex information into clear, actionable insights.
• Experience leading organizational change initiatives, facilitating governance forums, and supporting benefits realization activities.
• Proven ability to coach, mentor, and develop project teams while fostering a collaborative and high-performing culture.
• Proficiency with Microsoft 365 tools, including Project, Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Visio, and Copilot.
• Experience leveraging AI, automation, and digital tools to improve delivery efficiency and project outcomes.
• Working knowledge of low-code/no-code platforms, workflow automation tools, and data visualization solutions such as Power Apps, Power Automate, and Power BI.
• Commitment to continuous improvement, innovation, and adoption of emerging technologies and delivery practices.
• Comfort learning and adopting new digital tools, with an openness to using AI‑enabled technology to enhance productivity, accuracy, and the Member experience

Education and Certifications

Required:

• Postsecondary education in Business, Technology, Project Management, or a related discipline.
• Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.
• Agile certification such as Certified Scrum Master (CSM), PMI-ACP, SAFe Agilist, or equivalent.

Preferred/Asset

• Change Management certification (e.g., Prosci).
• Lean Six Sigma certification.
• Experience with benefits realization frameworks such as PMI BRM, MSP, or Axelos P3M3.

This role represents an existing vacancy. Internal candidates are being considered as part of our standard process.

Salary Range: $79,100 - $118,700

Compensation for this role is based on a combination of skills, experience, and internal equity. Candidates with stronger alignment to the role’s requirements may be placed higher within the range. Your recruiter will share more information about our total rewards package during the hiring process.

Office Location: St. Catharines Corporate Office with the ability to travel to Toronto Corporate Office. This is a hybrid work opportunity.

Meridian has a remote work policy that allows flexibility for employees to work remotely but also requires a minimum of one day per week in the office for purposeful meetings to collaborate, innovate, and build effective relationships with your team, your colleagues, and your leader, which is important to us.

What’s in it for you?

• We have an inclusive and collaborative working environment that encourages teamwork, creativity, curiosity, and celebrates success.
• We provide you with the tools and technology needed to delight your candidates and clients.
• You will get to work with and learn from diverse industry leaders and colleagues, who have hailed from top organizations.
• Hybrid work arrangements with in-person office time to collaborate, innovate, and build relationships with your colleagues.
• This is not your typical “corporate” job. We work hard and we have fun!

Build the Future of Banking with Us

At Meridian, we’re not just adapting to the future—we’re shaping it. We see talent as a catalyst for sustainable growth, community impact, and future-readiness. As the financial landscape evolves, we’re looking for team members who bring:

• Embedding & leveraging technology – Confidence and willingness to learn and integrate AI and emerging technologies into new ways of working. Experience with low/no code tools like the Microsoft Power Platform and generative AI productivity tools like Microsoft Copilot is considered an asset
• Critical Thinking – The ability to analyze, evaluate and interpret information from various sources and apply logic and problem solving to make decisions.
• Data Driven– Leverage data and insights to identify, prioritize and improve member experience and business efficiency.
• Curiosity & Flexibility – Comfortable navigating and embracing change and uncertainty, ask more questions, explore more options. Continuously learn and grow.