Senior IT Project Manager

Are you looking to join a dynamic team that provides its people with the tools to be successfull and opportunities to grow?
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. 
Universal has immediate career opportunities in your area. Apply today to become part of the Universal team! 

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. 

• PMP certification. 

• 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.