Project Manager

Emily T. Burch

Project Manager

Melissa, TX ***54 850-***-**** *****.*****.**@*****.*** LinkedIn

Customer-facing project leader with 5+ years of implementing diverse system-wide projects throughout their life cycle. Champions continuous improvement initiatives and drives innovative solutions that enhance performance and predictability. Leverages project management tools to train project teams and oversee product releases.

Key Areas of Expertise

Project Development Requirements Project Scope Negotiation Risk Mitigation and Management Performance Management Agile Methodologies Project Communications Process Development and Implementation Issue Management Vendor Management Team and Culture Development Coaching and Mentorship

Career Highlights

Directed project to automate workflows and implement short feedback loops. Facilitated successful activity shift between teams and eliminated the need for contractors, resulting in significant cost savings of approximately $4 million.

Enhanced risk management by establishing service level agreements and organizing risk review sessions, significantly reducing operational disruptions and fees while improving project budget adherence

Improved decision-making for scope negotiation and requirement changes by enhancing data integrity and standardizing presentation styles, resulting in faster decision-making, reduced confusion, and strengthened organizational alignment

Executed workshops to clarify roles and responsibilities for a rapidly scaling 400-member team. Coached C-suite executives on execution frameworks and improved collaboration, resulting in enhanced employee engagement, customer satisfaction, and process waste reduction of approximately $10 million.

Professional Experience

Release Train Engineer Jan 2023 - Present

Southwest Airlines Dallas, TX

A major low-cost carrier known for its affordable fares and customer-friendly policies, operating an extensive domestic route network. Leads change management initiatives to optimize process improvements

Project Management: Applies project management processes and procedures to define and monitor project scope, budget, procurement, quality, and schedule

Metrics and Value Optimization: Utilizes various tools and metrics to optimize value flow through the ART, regularly inspecting progress, identifying trends, and measuring performance for effective delivery

Product Development: Conducts author content to support various (6) core system roles to develop products and functionalities for customers

High-Performance Culture: Shapes the ART’s culture by fostering collaboration, continuous improvement, and enjoyment within the ART while serving as the primary communication hub to ensure seamless connections among all impacted teams, including internal and external ARTs

Strategic Event Planning: Plans and facilitates events as the primary communication hub, ensuring each implementation is tailored to meet the specific needs of the ART for optimal engagement and collaboration

Release Train Engineer (Contractor) May 2022 - Jan 2023

TEKsystems Dallas, TX

A leading provider of IT staffing and services, specializing in connecting top tech talent with organizations across various industries

Maturity Roadmap Development: Collaborated with leadership to craft a SAFe and Agile maturity roadmap, establishing a learning cohort for structured growth

Progress Tracking: Facilitated the setting of quarterly objectives for Scrum Masters, tracking and evaluating progress to promote accountability and growth

Coaching and Mentoring: Guided leaders, Agile teams, and Scrum Masters in adopting Lean-Agile practices to execute timely projects, and for fostering a culture of continuous improvement

Release Train Engineer Jun 2021 - May 2022

Rocket Mortgage Detroit, MI

A leading online mortgage lender focused on innovative technology and streamlined processes

Performance Management: Proactively addressed challenges impacting the ART's performance, resolving roadblocks and communication barriers

Strategy Alignment and Execution: Collaborated with Product Management and stakeholders to ensure seamless alignment between strategic objectives and execution, leading planning sessions for clarity

Continuous Improvement: Led process changes that enhance operational effectiveness and outcomes

Release Train Engineer Jul 2019 - Jun 2021

USAA Plano, TX

Organization dedicated to serving military members, veterans, and their families with a range of financial services

Cross-Team Collaboration: Organized and facilitate events across three ARTs, engaging 31 teams to enhance collaboration and share best practices

Continuous Improvement Workshops: Championed continuous improvement by conducting Inspect and Adapt workshops, evaluating the ART’s agility

Resource Allocation: Oversaw resource allocation in collaboration with Product Operations and Finance, ensuring efficient budget management

Release Train Engineer (Contractor) Jan 2019 - Jul 2019

Millennium Group Plano, TX

Specializes in connecting businesses with top talent and delivering innovative solutions

Value Flow: Assessed and refined DevOps practices to ensure efficient delivery processes

Strategic Alignment: Collaborated with Product Management and stakeholders to align strategic objectives with execution plans

Resource Allocation: Managed resource allocation effectively, enhancing overall productivity and project alignment

Sr. IT Scrum Master (Contractor) Jun 2018 - Jan 2019

Millennium Group Plano, TX

Organization that connects businesses with top talent and delivers innovative services

Team Metrics: Collaborated with the Agile Coach and RTE to develop and maintain metrics that provide visibility into team health and performance

Advocacy Environment: Cultivated an open and secure environment for Scrum Teams, advocating for continuous improvement through retrospectives

Tailored Coaching: Evaluated Scrum Teams' development stages and offer coaching to guide them toward higher maturity levels

Scrum Master, RTE Aug 2016 - Jun 2018

ELEAD1ONE Destin, FL

Provides customer engagement and management solutions for the automotive industry

Agile Methodologies: Led the adoption of Scrum and SAFe best practices to enhance project delivery

Performance Evaluations: Evaluated Scrum Teams and provide insights to the Chief Technology Officer for improved execution

Develop Talent: Fostered a culture of continuous learning by developing and facilitating talent development initiatives

Scrum Master Jan 2014 - Aug 2016

NantHealth Panama City, FL

NantHealth is focused on improving patient outcomes through advanced healthcare technology

Product Releases: Managed product releases with Executive Management and the Product Team, ensuring successful FDA sub Panama City, FL missions

Software Development Teams: Specialized in Test Driven Development (TDD) and Behavior-Driven Development (BDD) to enhance coding practices

Continuous Improvement: Analyzed release and sprint reports, providing insights for strategic decision-making and process enhancements

Education and Professional Development

BAS Technology Management, Gulf Coast State College Panama City, FL

Certifications: SAFe Program Consultant (SPC 6.0), Release Train Engineer (RTE 6.0)

Agile Tools: Jira Align, Jira, TFS/ADS, SharePoint, Confluence, Target Process, Polarion, Rally, RTC

Contact this candidate