Debra Huston- /-https://www.linkedin.com/in/debrahuston
Professional Summary
Project Manager with extensive expertise in orchestrating cross-functional technical and non-technical projects, utilizing skills in project management, vendor management, and process improvement. Adept at managing complex platform migrations and integrations/implementations while fostering collaboration across diverse teams to ensure timely and successful project delivery. Committed to leveraging analytical skills and innovative approaches to drive organizational success and enhance project outcomes.
Employment History
Project Manager – REcolorado
January 2022 – Current
Create and execute project plans for various cross-functional internal as well as external multi-stream implementation, platform migration and integration projects from medium to high priority. Key highlights:
Manage concurrent technology projects including platform migration, multiple software integrations and implementations to include: SMS from Responsys to HubSpot, corporate website build on WordPress VIP, and a learning management system (Meridian LMS) implementation - bringing multiple internal tools and systems into a single, supported platform.
Ensure clear communication to all departments to ensure they are fully aware of project scope and expectations for the part each play.
Collaborate with internal IT team to review and improve processes: Document, store and publish accordingly.
Create and share weekly project status reports and project templates to ensure continuity.
Project Manager – Sounds True
September 2019 – August 2021
Managed various projects from web, storefront and e-learning platform migrations to digital production and marketing launches.
Successfully manage multiple, simultaneous complex out-sourced platform migrations and implementations: Online learning migration to Thinkific, website/pages to WordPress, eComm to Shopify & email marketing to Klaviyo.
Collaborated cross-functionally with producers, product and marketing managers, designers, copywriters, and development/UX teams to create and manage multiple workflows for various competing projects to ensure on-schedule delivery and launch of multimedia publishing projects to include e-learning content, video production, marketing and web page builds.
Team with product managers to ensure technology projects are meeting company-wide needs, including requirements gathering, process improvements and technology evaluations.
Create project templates, generate and manage project folders to preserve documentation, assets and artifacts to ensure they are easily accessible for project team members.
Facilitated cross functional meetings; recording decisions made, key action items with owners, parking lot items, and continuous follow up to keep the project on track. Responsible for ensuring that stakeholders are aware of progress and impediments to progress via weekly/monthly status reporting.
Project Manager (Technical) – Sev1Tech (Contract)
February 2019 – September 2019
Manage a complex, commercial project within a secure data environment across multiple lines of business. Support the delivery manager, technicians and engineering teams in all aspects of end-to-end project management.
Manage technical workflow migrations, implementations, device and software upgrades utilizing proprietary processes working with internal infrastructure teams and external vendors.
Coordinate all aspects of project schedule planning, development, data collection and analysis, delivery and maintenance.
Create and maintain weekly status reports for cross-functional audiences by preparing concise summaries for executives and stakeholders.
Lead daily stand-ups and weekly status meetings to ensure project communication and task completion.
Associate Project Manager (Technical) - Trace3
August 2015 – January 2019
Integral member of the project team responsible for delivering multiple concurrent projects of varying types and scope; directing, organizing and controlling project activities.
Manage projects end-to-end including creating project plans based on scope, timeline, budget, schedules, communication plans, status reports, and risk analysis utilizing NetSuite, Smartsheets, and MS Office suite/MS Project tools.
Effectively and accurately communicate and liaise relevant project information between the client and project team to include network, engineer and architect resources from both Trace3 and client assigned to the project from project kickoff to closure.
Manage work standards by following production, productivity, quality, and customer-service standards; resolving operational problems; identifying work process improvements and mitigating risks.
Key member of a Datacenter Migration team successfully managing the planning and execution of various project sizes migrating from 5 – 100+ servers utilizing various methods for server migration, typically using VMware vSphere/vMotion, RHEL & Azure.
Manage project artifacts using OneDrive, Google Suite, SharePoint, Box, and Smartsheets.
Write and review Statements of Work (SOW) and Change Orders ensuring accuracy based on scope, level of effort, deliverables, timeline, governance and regulatory conditions.
Resource Deployment Manager – IBM Global Services
January 2005 - March 2015
Successfully implemented and managed staffing and resource management strategies to align resources with client needs.
Managed assignments and redeployments for approximately 900 resources to ensure billable hour targets and gross profit objectives were met.
Authored numerous process documents on procedures relating to resource management, onboarding and off-boarding; accepted and implemented by senior management.
Advised managers on policies and procedures regarding hiring and terminations.
Improved effectiveness of tracking job postings and candidate status by designing and instituting new tracking process.
Consistently met stringent deadlines in on-boarding technical and senior-level professionals, consistently meeting recruiting and staffing contractual milestones.
Coached, counseled, and directly assisted hiring managers in the recruitment and selection of resources to fill approved vacancies.
Professional Development Manager at IBM Global Services
July 2003 - January 2005
Onsite HR manager for 150+ employees.
Coached and counseled employees regarding professional development and performance expectations.
Identified skill gaps and coordinated training for employees. Resulted in trained and ready employees with the ability to meet customer requirements and expectations, directly leading to increased customer satisfaction.
Drove organizational achievement objectives by advising managers in HR initiatives and how staffing/hiring practices contributed toward driving profitability.
Participated in compensation planning and delivery of annual base pay program.
Wrote and delivered annual and semi-annual performance reviews.
Human Resources Manager/Generalist at Safeco
April 2000 - June 2003 (3 years 3 months)
Managed Employee Service Center supporting more than 25,000 employees nationwide for benefit, payroll, and general employee questions.
Facilitated diversity training for current and new employees allowing for enlightened awareness of diversity and differences within the workforce.
Partnered with hiring managers to assess future staffing requirements for the short, medium, and long-term. Improved ability to respond to critical changes in staffing levels.
Participated in annual base pay and variable pay decisions for department.
Conducted monthly new hire orientation that resulted in new employees who better understood the work environment, expectations, and overall HR policies.
Investigated facts around employee performance issues; coached, counseled and increased performance on most occasions.
Education/Certifications
Southern Illinois University, Carbondale
Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Workforce Education and Development, 1998 - 2000
Officer Candidate School USAF
Commissioned, 2000
Certified Scrum Master
Certification, 2016
Project Management Tools
WrikeJira
SmartsheetRally
MS ProjectMantis
Teams SharePoint
