Project Manager Controls

Deadra H. Hughes

**********@*****.***

(Cell) 225-***-****

Summary:

Accomplished Senior Project Manager with extensive experience leading complex, large-scale, enterprise-wide ERP transformation initiatives, including digital and business modernization efforts. Proven success in planning and executing projects such as upgrading subsidiary organizations from SAP ECC to SAP S/4HANA, in collaboration with the Program Management Office to ensure delivery on time, within budget, and in scope. Brings a strong background across diverse industries including manufacturing, engineering, and nuclear energy. I am skilled in strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, cross-functional team leadership, and project execution. Known for driving high-quality outcomes by managing schedules, budgets, and risk, while maintaining comprehensive project documentation and providing clear, consistent reporting to stakeholders. I provide exceptional leadership, communication, and time management skills, with a continuous improvement mindset and a commitment to delivering measurable business value.

Professional Experience:

November 2024 to Present:

Project Manager/Business Analyst; Ergon Inc., Flowood, MS

•Project lead, managing cross-functional teams with responsibilities for project schedule and performance.

•Ensure that business outcomes are defined, approved, and delivered

•Communicate regularly and effectively the project roadmap and milestones with project stakeholders

•Directly contributes to project definition, development, and enhancement efforts, including schedule estimation and tracking, requirements analysis, and quality assurance activities

•Perform analysis of business and user needs, documentation of requirements, and translation into proper requirements specifications

•Utilizes expert communication skills needed to direct skilled technical resources and report on technical progress, issues, and problem areas, as well as write and review technical documents

•Prepare affected business areas for transition to a new way of working, potentially implementing new business processes

•Lead the end-to-end planning, execution, and delivery of software development projects

•Create and maintain detailed project plans, schedules, and roadmaps

•Monitor and track project progress, adjusting plans as necessary to ensure milestones are met

•Identify and mitigate risks and resolve issues to keep projects on track

•Provide regular project status updates to stakeholders and upper management

•Ensure that all project documentation is complete, up-to-date, and accessible

•Monitor and track progress with organizational and operational Change Management

•Manage projects using project management methodologies such as waterfall and agile

•Experience working with projects in an SAP environment and supporting S/4 greenfield implementations

April 2022 to September 2024:

Sr. IT Project Manager (Contract); Haworth Mfg, Holland, MI

•Provide coordination, direction, and communication among Information Services (IS) Business Functional areas, and business affiliates on project and concerns related to global information services

•Provide direction in architecture, design, deployment, and execution of project initiatives and strategy

•Provide updates to executive leadership, conduct strategy workshops, and develop project application strategies

•Conduct comprehensive strategy workshop with Team members to make decisions and complete project plan updates

•Conduct comprehensive strategy workshops to map work processes

•Develop a project application strategy for implementation with client key decision-makers

•Conduct internal coordination sessions on a pre-defined schedule to monitor progress on key elements of this Plan

•Modify project plans for progress tracking and monitoring key deliverables

•Manage and implement strategic plan for the enterprise project management office (EPMO)

•Engage innovative approaches to strategic planning using creative, educational workshops, and survey data

•Create a road map for the EPMO to produce results for prioritized project applications that establish a plan for moving towards meeting overall project objectives

•Management of project activities – planning, coordinating, measuring, monitoring, controlling, and reporting– ensures that effective deployments are systematic, disciplined and measured

•Manage project technology and innovation using software development tools and programming techniques and object architectures to provide working solutions that meet the project needs

October 2021 to April 2022:

Sr. Project Manager (Contract); Waggoner ENG., Jackson, MS

•Established vision and strategy for team proposals, building client relationships and delivering on project goals

•Built client relationships, identified client opportunities, and delivered on project plan goals (e.g., revenue, profitability, client account growth and client satisfaction)

•Managed accountability for client account performance and team support

•Established team leader goals for setting contract strategy and achieving performance results

•Provided technical resources needed to manage project support

•Served as project manager for specific assigned projects including project scope, budget, schedule, and

•quality

•Leads project assignments for team members and produce reports for Client Account Managers

•Managed and tracked performance in the client relationship management (CRM) module of Deltek’s Vision platform

•Managed the client's business plan and gathered the relevant information on our target milestones

•Provided reports on the performance of client assignments and any feedback we receive from client relationships

•Identified specific assignment opportunities with the assigned target client

•Defined technology and innovation requirements for clients to meet unique needs through application design sessions, interviews, and surveys

•PMO capabilities include monitoring a project’s schedule, budget, conformance with design criteria, completion to specifications and efficient and effective implementation

September 2019 to October 2021:

Sr. Project Manager; Entergy Nuclear Division, Port Gibson, MS.

•Responsible for the execution of one or more simultaneous projects in accordance with a valid, executed contract, per Company policies and procedures, and work instructions.

•Overall project execution, including monitoring project schedules, work assignments, budgets, & workforce expenditures

•Directed all project phases – engineering (basic and detailed), procurement, fabrication, construction and commissioning/start-up

•Maintained a strategic focus for the project with frequent interaction with the business area and the client to ensure a balance between the immediate project needs and the long-term goals

•Managed the execution of the project with a focus on maintaining or improving the as-sold profit level for projects

•Prepared detailed project budget and tracked project progress against objectives

•Tracked the project against the schedule, budget & phase review objectives & give status reports regularly to the customer & executive staff

•Coordinate all engineering input for the initial bid to the customer

•Review and approves key project documents including P&IDs, Plot Plans, and Operating Manuals

April 2018 to September 2019:

Project Engineer; Linde Engineering North America, Hydrochem Division, Holly Springs, GA.

•Executed simultaneous projects in accordance with a valid, executed contract, per Company policies and procedures, and work instructions

•Overall project execution, including monitoring project schedules, work assignments, budgets, & workforce expenditures

•Directed all project phases – engineering (basic and detailed), procurement, fabrication, construction and commissioning/start-up

•Maintained strategic focus for the project with frequent interaction with the business area and the client to ensure a balance between the immediate project needs and the long-term goals of the company

•Executed projects with a focus on maintaining or improving the as-sold profit level for the project

•Prepared detailed project budget and manage final execution of the project’s cost

•Tracked project progress against the schedule, budget & phase review objectives & give status reports regularly to the customer & executive staff

•Coordinated all engineering input for the initial bid to the customer

•Reviewed and approved key project documents including P&IDs, Plot Plans, Operating Manuals, and Lessons Learned Coordinator

August 2017 to April 2018:

Project Manager (Contract); Safebuilt, Alpharetta, GA.

•Managed monthly data reports, generated metric presentations, and ensured consistent data entry for metric tracking

•Defined project scope, goals, and deliverables that supported business objectives in collaboration with City of Atlanta and Safebuilt personnel and external clients

•Developed full-scale project plans and associated communication documents

•Provided technical assistance and troubleshooting to project staff, coordinating assistance through the corporate office

•Proactively managed changes in project scope, identified potential crises, and devised contingency plans

•Identified and resolved issues and conflicts within the project development team

•Estimated the resources and participants needed to achieve project goals

•Negotiated with other department managers for the acquisition of required resources

•Established corporate project management standards and applied best practices and tools for project management, risk mitigation, and scope management

May 2017 to August 2017:

Inside Project Manager (Contract); eBryIT, Inc., Kennesaw, GA.

•Managed off-site field installation projects, supervised project personnel, and reviewed subcontractor invoices

•Ensured project timelines and budgets were met while maintaining accuracy and updating project databases.

•Maintained accuracy and updated current project databases.

•Create status reports for Vendor and customers

•Reviewed subcontractor invoices for accuracy

June 2012 to December 2016:

Project Development Leader (PDL); Dow Chemical Company, North America.

Responsible for timely, proactive engagement with assigned business clients on all tactical aspects of capital project planning and implementation. Worked in collaboration with the business leaders and stakeholders to implement effective business decisions for project implementation. Lead project teams to deliver the highest value growth initiatives for various project teams and apply project management discipline to implement major initiatives, providing analytical support and problem insight while working successfully aligned with cross-functional teams. Manage and document project execution plans, processes, and meetings to ensure results and the delivery of service for stakeholders.

•Engaged with assigned business clients to proactively plan and implement capital projects, working collaboratively with business leaders and stakeholders to make effective project-related decisions.

•Led project teams to deliver high-value growth initiatives and applied project management discipline to implement major initiatives, providing analytical support and problem insight.

•Managed and documented project execution plans, processes, and meetings to ensure results and service delivery for stakeholders.

•Ensured the team consistently used standards and applied value-improving practices and tools for engineering service delivery and team communication in project implementation planning.

•Provided strategic leadership and a visionary outlook, driving alignment with key stakeholders to meet short and long-term project requirements.

•Offered strategic oversight of project planning and execution to ensure the success of all capital and financial results.

•Conducted work with a focus on safety and quality, ensuring documentation was retrievable and repeatable.

•Led the Project Development Team in early Front-End Loading (FEL) activities for capital projects.

•Facilitated reporting on key project performance indicators, achieving an average score of 7.9 out of ten for project metrics, and documented lessons learned in the engineering database.

•Collaborated with Project Managers, Global Implementation Leaders, and Business Manufacturing Leaders to develop project documents and proposals for team gate reviews.

•Presented at national events, web ex meetings, and conferences, and consulted with business technology centers to develop customized project execution strategies, including financial modeling, Process Engineering, Process Automation, Estimating, and related design discipline activities.

•Developed strategic partnerships with stakeholders, fostering credibility and trust.

•Built a project development team alliance to produce feasibility studies for projects ranging from $2MM to $170MM for North America assigned businesses and contributed to the global client service team.

June 2000 to May 2012:

Sr. Project Specialist, Engineering Solutions; Dow Chemical, Plaquemine, LA.

•Provide functional leadership for contingent staff personnel for detail design, procurement and construction teams assigned to business aligned projects to design and implement multiple projects to meet time and budget constraints

•Manage team performance based on cost, schedule, safety, and performance of project load between $20-30 MM on an annual basis, spread over multiple business units

•Evaluate contingent staff performance and submit evaluations to contingent staff services

•Ensure that project scope, schedule and budget are clearly defined, closely coordinated and controlled via Global Project Methodology (GPM)

•Participated and facilitated in Cause-and-Effect Root Cause Investigations

•Facilitated assessments internal to Dow and with third party - Independent Project Analysis

•Proven record and direct expertise delivering (as Project Executive/Project Manager) large Construction projects across the entire project life cycle

•Industry expertise in Petro Chemicals with experience as Owner’s Representative, Design/Build or Engineering Procurement & Construction (EPC) with knowledge and expertise delivering continuous improvement programs, i.e. Lean/Six Sigma

•Proficiency in industrial engineering, contractor management, design optimization, procurement and commissioning

January 1991 to May 2000:

Maintenance/Plant Project Engineer; Vulcan Chemicals; Geismar, LA.

•Managed capital projects and major maintenance projects

•Provided preliminary estimates and yearly and monthly cost projections

•Prepared and reviewed BID packages for projects

•Participated in equipment inspections

•Awarded three plant-wide quality awards for installing new projects and a division quality award for organizing and implementing a groundwater maintenance system

•Functioned as the maintenance technical support engineer for furnace and burner repairs, pump and compressor repairs and major equipment replacements, inspections and installations

Education/Certifications:

Bachelor of Science, Mechanical Engineering

Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS

Bachelor of Science, Mathematics

Jackson State University, Jackson, MS

Associate Certificate in Project Management

George Washington University, Arlington, VA

Classes: Fred Pryor’s Project Management Seminar; Risk Management, ESI International; Quality for

Project Managers, ESI International; Project Management Applications, ESI International; Managing

Projects, ESI International; Project Leadership, Management and Communications, ESI International;

Presenter/Training at Independent Project Analysis Conference; Basic Project Management, LSU;

Fundamentals of Supervision, LSU; Techpro Pump/Mechanical Seal School; Practical Solutions to

Vibration Problems, Update International; Green Belt Project Leader Training; Global Project

Methodology Trainer; Loss Prevention Principal Training; Creating Strategic Partnership Training Teambuilding Facilitator

Programming and Software Skills

Microsoft 2010, Word, Powerpoint, Excel, Outlook, Sharepoint, OneDrive, Adobe Acrobat, Access

Database, WebEx, Aperture, Taleo, Google Chrome/Drive, Digital Cheetah, Mailchimp, Dropbox,

Google Docs, SAP, OneNote, Dropbox, Accela, Asset Suite, PCRS, Remedy, Power BI, Lean IX, Azure DevOps, Microsoft Projects, Smartsheet, Visio, Opentext, Jira

Community Organizations

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Jack and Jill of America, BR Chapter President, Vice President, and

Regional Lead Teen Sponsor; Shiloh Early Learning Academy Advisory Board: Junior League of Baton

Rouge and Cobb-Marietta, Assistant Co-Chair Website Committee and Publicity Committee; LSU Minority Engineering Advisory Board; Instructor for Junior Achievement

References provided upon request.

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