Capstone IT is helping our client to find a Senior IT Project Manager to provide temporary leadership for a high-profile Certificates of Insurance (Certs) platform replacement initiative while the current Project Manager is on leave. The project involves working with an external vendor to replace a legacy platform supporting certificate issuance, renewals, compliance validation, and reporting within the client's Risk Solutions business. The ideal candidate is a seasoned, assertive Project Manager who can navigate complex stakeholder relationships, hold vendors accountable, challenge scope creep, and drive decisions across multiple teams. This person must be comfortable leading politically sensitive conversations and influencing senior stakeholders, rather than simply tracking tasks and taking meeting notes. Key Position Details Category Details Position Senior IT Project Manager Location Kansas City, MO preferred Work Arrangement Hybrid, at least Tuesday–Thursday onsite Compensation $65 - $72/hr. W2 Employment Temporary contract / leave coverage Desired Start As soon as practical for knowledge transfer Contract Duration 6 months with possible extensions. Industry Insurance / Risk Solutions Insurance Experience Preferred, not required Top Four Required Skills • Executive Stakeholder Management: Build relationships, establish trust, resolve conflicts, influence leaders, and facilitate difficult cross-functional decisions. • Vendor Management and Accountability: Manage an external technology partner, track contractual deliverables, challenge missed commitments, and drive corrective action. • Scope and Change Management: Identify scope creep, distinguish critical requirements from future enhancements, and protect project timelines and deliverables. • Enterprise Project Leadership: Lead complex, multi-phase technology modernization projects with competing priorities, dependencies, and organizational politics. Main Responsibilities • Assume ownership of the ongoing Certificates of Insurance platform replacement project. • Complete a structured handoff with the current Project Manager. • Coordinate internal teams, business stakeholders, technical leaders, and the external vendor. • Facilitate strategic decisions and resolve cross-team conflicts. • Identify dependencies, risks, scope changes, and downstream business impacts. • Hold the vendor accountable for agreed-upon commitments. • Drive decisions about immediate requirements versus future project phases. • Maintain clear communication with senior leadership and project stakeholders. • Keep project execution moving during the current PM's absence. Qualifications Essential: Significant experience leading complex enterprise IT projects, strong executive presence, vendor accountability, scope management, stakeholder influence, conflict resolution, and the ability to take ownership quickly. Preferred: Insurance industry experience, legacy platform replacement, enterprise software implementation, and familiarity with certificates of insurance or Risk Solutions operations.