Publication
Remote Solutions for Effective Agile Retrospectives
https://www.toptal.com/project-managers/agile-team-lead/agile-retrospective-remote-teams
Jim is currently unavailable
Jim Stewart
Verified Expert in Project Management
Project Manager
Burlington, MA, United States
Toptal member since June 10, 2020
Bio
Jim has a background in IT infrastructure and has been a project manager for 25 years. Since 2003, he has independently provided project consultancy in IT, pharmaceutical, financial, and cloud services environments. Jim has led traditional, hybrid, and Agile distributed teams remotely in software development. He has also established several PMOs, most recently for a healthcare consulting firm in DC. Jim does due diligence to ensure that best practices are observed in all his projects.
Project Highlights
Online Users Safety Mobile Platform - Discovery
Working with Toptal Delivery Manager, led team in discovery to develop a new app for Internet dating security.
Big Data Agile Software Project for Fidelity Investments
Ran projects using big data to help the real estate division of a financial services company make decisions about how to use space. Worked with data engineers and communicated technical aspects to key stakeholders.
Agile Project Manager and Portfolio Manager for CRM Software Company
Created a portfolio of projects and programs for senior management decision-making.
Expertise
- Agile Coaching
- Agile Project Management
- Backlog Management
- Cloud Migration
- Cross-functional Team Leadership
- IT Project Management
- Project Management Office (PMO)
- Software Project Management
Work Experience
Agile Coach | Scrum Master
2022 - 2023
Sanofi
- Devised a strategy to deploy Scrum@Scale to the 450-person COE division of an international, 100,000-person pharmaceutical company.
- Provided Agile coaching to product owners, scrum masters, team members, and functional managers.
- Conducted regular training in Scrum and offered weekly office hours to the entire organization as needed.
- Acted as a scrum master to our Agile office of coaches.
- Used ChatGPT to generate product artifacts, including user stories.
Resource Manager
2022 - 2022
Genesco
- Worked closely with the program management director and developed a plan to deploy Smartsheet's resource management software to better understand the allocation and utilization of team members.
- Established a resource management software and discipline to enable better reporting and understanding of whether employees were overutilized. Documented all processes and best practices.
- Collaborated with an Agile coach to ensure correspondence between our projects.
- Oversaw a new project manager to help work with other project managers and for knowledge transfers.
- Operated hand in hand with the head of PMO and interviewed several candidates for a resource management role.
- Acted as liaison to Smartsheet for all interactions.
Project Manager and Agile Coach
2021 - 2022
Johns Hopkins
- Conducted one-on-one coaching to a researcher who would be running a large international project. Provided training on basic Agile concepts and how to adapt them to the research environment.
- Trained the researcher on using Jira and other software to manage projects and advised on using personal Kanban.
- Provided guidance on career moves, including a mock interview.
- Coached one-on-one periodically on project management and communications.
Project Manager
2021 - 2021
Dentsu U.S.
- Worked with the VP of global commercial finance. I managed the project to create a roadmap for their 2022 plans, which involved creating a Microsoft Project schedule and gathering information from relevant stakeholders.
- Created a RACI matrix for global re-assignment of responsibilities.
- Taught the VP how to use Microsoft Project so that he could maintain the schedule after my departure.
Project Management Consultant
2021 - 2021
Transunion
- Provided support and key deliverables to the VP of client operations to support several onboarding events.
- Ensured that all users authorized to access the system were approved at the directors' level for the SOX compliance act.
- Established a 24/7 support tree to assist users in the US and Africa.
- Established a weekly executive report detailing the number of systems rolled out and users trained.
- Developed a UAT playbook that would define this project and serve as a standard for the organization.
Agile Project Manager
2021 - 2021
Entrepreneurial Customer
- Oversaw a two-week product discovery project, assisting the customer and product owner in envisioning the iOS-based product better.
- Provided Agile training to the customer for a deeper understanding of the methodology and her role within it.
- Ran ceremonies, including sprint reviews and retrospectives.
- Managed a Jira instance and ran reports to help establish velocity.
Project Management Consultant
2021 - 2021
EMI Advisors
- Worked with the company owners to develop a Project Management Office (PMO) charter whose purpose was to authorize the PMO and set future strategies. Met with key stakeholders from various healthcare sectors.
- Established a PMO, including structure, templates, standard operating procedures, and tool selection.
- Coached a project manager in her day-to-day work and stakeholder engagement.
- Received a LinkedIn recommendation for operations manager.
Project Management Consultant
2020 - 2021
Spin
- Managed the project to migrate the Zendesk help desk to Jira. Led the team and did hands-on administrative work in Jira, liaised with HR and the initial primary recipients, and handled change management and scrum master roles.
- Oversaw a project to integrate the Workday cloud for a customer to replace their current payroll and benefits system. Managed the team, liaised with HR, provided a schedule in Smartsheet, and managed week-to-week sprints.
- Supervised miscellaneous projects as needed, such as overseeing the creation of policies for RFP and SOC2 and running meetings for the project to bring networking and security to warehouses.
Project Management Consultant
2020 - 2020
Toptal Client
- Set up a program management office for a Middle Eastern telecommunications company. Established maturity level, provided guidance and direction, created a PMO charter and governance model, and achieved level 2 in three months.
- Ran planning workshops, performed gap analysis, created or revised templates and standard operating procedures, and maintained schedule and risk register. I also determined initial PMP services and the project manager audit procedure.
- Worked with the strategy group and IT director to establish KPIs for projects and programs. I also determined KPIs and initiatives to reach each maturity model level.
- Made presentations to senior management and project managers before the roll-out.
Project Management Consultant
2020 - 2020
Oriel STAT A MATRIX
- Managed a remote team of four internal SMEs to expedite remediation and transfer critical documents to a Fortune 500 medical device company. With a budget of $45 million, the goal was to remediate products to meet 2021 EU regulations.
- Coordinated the necessary tasks and held meetings to remediate all files required to meet regulations, including clinical evaluation reports, risk management files, general safety, performance requirements, and technical documentation.
- Created the project plans for overseeing all resource and activity scheduling using Microsoft Project.
- Received a LinkedIn recommendation from the program manager.
Project Management Consultant
2018 - 2019
Pegasystems
- Drove an effort to develop a supportive PMO and dashboard-driven portfolio management system. Ran planning workshops and met regularly with VPs to coordinate and prioritize projects. The tools used were Excel and the BI tool, ClicData.
- Oversaw the vendor relationship with AWS for key government cybersecurity certifications such as FedRAMP.
- Managed the resolution of several troubled projects with significant customers. Ran daily meetings with key stakeholders and team members to ensure they were aware of all issues, tracking them to resolution in Excel and in-house databases.
Project Management Consultant
2003 - 2019
Action for Results
- Facilitated international and domestic workshops to establish schedules, risk registers, and issues lists in planning for drug development. Projects had multi-million dollar budgets. Customers included Baxter International, AMO, Allergan, and Takeda.
- Mentored new project managers who had previous experience only as scientists. Met with them regularly and trained them on project management best practices.
- Ran medical device projects after kick-off and before handing them off to in-house PMs. Set up an initial schedule using Microsoft Project. Also established risk registers and issues lists.
- Provided project management training (PMP certification) for project managers and scientists at pharmaceutical firms.
- Provided in-house consulting services for AFR, including project management courseware development and leading and directing website development.
- Oversaw the website development for the company, including directing the vendor, software developers, and voice actors (for videos). Triaged bugs and provided initial technical support.
Agile Project Manager
2017 - 2018
Fidelity Investments
- Acted as a scrum master and Agile coach for the IT team, supporting the Fidelity real estate division. Helped to instill Scrum best practices, including sprint reviews and team retrospectives.
- Ran various real estate Agile and Scrum projects requiring the use and analysis of big data, including tracking employee space usage, movement of art pieces, and opening new facilities. Created charters and managed Jira for each.
- Provided Agile and Scrum training for the senior management of the Fidelity real estate division.
- Collaborated with data scientists to understand their role in mining and analyzing big data.
Project Management Instructor
2012 - 2018
Project Management Academy
- Provided project management professional (PMP) training for students in public and private, including in-house settings. Taught over 1,000 students via in-person and virtual environments for the past eight years.
- Wrote more than 200 practice exam questions for students, which simulated the actual PMP exam.
- Contributed to the development of courseware for training. Created slides and reviewed all courseware materials.
Project Management Consultant
2016 - 2016
Fidelity Investments
- Established a PMO for a professional services division encompassing traditional and Agile methodologies. Created a repository for all templates and established best practices procedures.
- Installed a method of auditing project managers to ensure they adhered to PM best practices.
- Met with team members to assess their skills in being part of the PMO.
Project Management Consultant
2012 - 2012
Scient Federal Credit Union
- Managed the project for the credit union to rebrand everything from their website to business cards to signage. Oversaw a team of 30 employees, including HR managers, loan processors, and two vendors. The project was launched on time and on budget.
- Set up regular weekly remote meetings to gather information from various departments (loan, mortgage, and more) to build a Microsoft Project schedule.
- Initiated weekly status meetings and mentored a junior project manager to take over the role later in the project.
Project History
Online Users Safety Mobile Platform - Discovery
Working with Toptal Delivery Manager, led team in discovery to develop a new app for Internet dating security.
Acted as PM/Scrum Master to lead discovery of features for startup customer’s dating security app. This was a Toptal project and in addition to the delivery manager, included two developers, a cybersecurity expert and a designer. During this time we succesfully worked with the customer to define user experience, user interface and technical approach. We also produced an estimated and priioritized product backlog prior to execution. I also taught the customer (and at least one team member) the basics of Agile.
Project Management Office (PMO) Setup for a Financial Services Firm
Established the project management office for a financial services firm.
I created a charter and repository for all templates. The PMO oversaw both traditional waterfall and Agile projects. I established a method of auditing project managers to ensure their compliance with best practices.
Big Data Agile Software Project for Fidelity Investments
Ran projects using big data to help the real estate division of a financial services company make decisions about how to use space. Worked with data engineers and communicated technical aspects to key stakeholders.
Acted as the scrum master for a team of 10 software developers to create the software for an application to track employee movements to better understand space usage. I provided best practices guidance and training for teams and senior managers.
Agile Project Manager and Portfolio Manager for CRM Software Company
Created a portfolio of projects and programs for senior management decision-making.
Set up the PMO for a CRM/decision software company. Worked with VPs to create a portfolio of projects and programs. This was manifested in Excel, PowerPoint, and an online dashboard. The goal was to have a system for senior management to prioritize and review all current projects, both traditional and waterfall.
Medical Device Remediation
Managed a distributed team of 20 subject-matter experts to remediate medical device products.
Led and directed a team of 20 subject-matter experts in remediating files necessary to comply with EU regulations. The project budget was $35 million. I ran meetings, created schedules, resolved conflicts, and escalated to customers as necessary.
Virtual Private Network Rollout
Program manager for the rollout of a virtual private network (VPN) for a telecommunications company.
Managed a team of 25 team members, including software developers, architects, and cybersecurity experts in this $30 million project. The goal was to deploy a virtual private network for a telecommunications company. I created schedules and risk registers and ran status meetings. I deployed two versions over two and a half years. The product won an award for the best new product.
Project to Rebrand a Credit Union
Managed the project for the rebrand of a credit union from the website to the signage.
The rebranding project included everything from the website to business cards to signage. I oversaw a team of 30 employees, including HR managers, loan processors, and two vendors. The project was launched on time and on budget.
Project Management (PMP) Instructor
Taught Project Management Professional (PMP) classes for prospective certificate candidates.
In public, private, and virtual settings, I taught Project Management Professional (PMP) classes to over 1,000 students. I coached students who were especially challenged by the material and administered the final practice exam.
Agile Courseware Creation for a PMP Certification Class
Created the courseware for a private educational firm for the next generation PMP exam.
Created the PMP courseware, including slides and 100 questions for a private training firm. The courseware was composed mainly of Agile and hybrid concepts and philosophies to reflect the upcoming (January 2021) new PMP exam.
Other Experience
Education
1977 - 1987
Bachelor's Degree in Psychology
Boston University - Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Certifications
DECEMBER 2023 - PRESENT
Generative AI Overview for Project Managers
Project Management Institute (PMI)
DECEMBER 2022 - DECEMBER 2024
Registered Scrum@Scale Practitioner
Scrum Inc.
AUGUST 2021 - AUGUST 2024
AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner
Amazon Web Services
JULY 2021 - PRESENT
Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO)
Scrum Alliance
SEPTEMBER 2020 - PRESENT
Professional Scrum Master Level I (PSM I)
Scrum.org
SEPTEMBER 2020 - PRESENT
Authorized Training Partner Instructor
Project Management Institute
JANUARY 2020 - PRESENT
Agile Hybrid Project Pro Micro-Credential
Project Management Institute (PMI)
DECEMBER 2019 - DECEMBER 2024
SAFe 6 Certified
Scaled Agile, Inc.
JANUARY 2019 - PRESENT
IC-Agile Coach
ICAgile
NOVEMBER 2018 - NOVEMBER 2027
PMI Agile Certified Practitioner
Project Management Institute
JANUARY 2013 - DECEMBER 2024
Certified Scrum Master
Scrum Alliance
JUNE 2001 - JUNE 2026
Project Management Professional (PMP)
Project Management Institute (PMI)
Skills
Tools
Microsoft Project, Trello, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, Confluence, Microsoft Word, Jira, Salesforce
Paradigms
Agile Project Management, Agile Leadership, Agile, Scrum, Implementation Project Management, Requirements Analysis, Change Management, Kanban, Demand-driven Resource Management, Agile Software Development, Agile Delivery
Industry Expertise
Education Technology (Edtech), Telecommunications, Pharmaceuticals, Healthcare, Banking & Finance
Platforms
SharePoint, Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Other
IT Project Management, Certified ScrumMaster (CSM), Software Project Management, Team Leadership, Stakeholder Management, Project Management Office (PMO), Portfolio Management, Project Rescue, Waterfall Methodology, Hybrid Project Management, Discovery Workshops, Project Planning, Remote Team Leadership, Remote Work, Certified Project Manager, Cross-functional Team Leadership, Team Management, Communication, Risk Management, Management Consulting, Project Management, Presentations, Training, Training Content, Agile Coaching, Process Improvement Project Management, Gantt Chart, Project Management Professional (PMP), Agile Transformation, Project Discovery, Workshop Facilitation, Project Scheduling, Scrum Master, Courseware, Teaching, Mentorship & Coaching, Certified Trainer, Enterprise Systems, Implementation, Agile Scaling Frameworks, Training & Training Content Development, Project Timelines, Estimation & Planning, Process Improvement, Scope Management, Project Coordination, Timelines, Backlog Grooming, Client Delivery Management, Client Management, Project Delivery, Project Budget Management, Sprint Ceremonies, IT Program Management, Agile Certified Practitioner, Resource Management, Program Management, Critical Path Analysis, Consulting, Integration, Business Analysis, Training Materials, COE, Project Estimation, Project Scoping, Conflict Resolution, Stakeholder Engagement, Collaboration, Content, Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC), Smartsheet, Business Requirements, Vendor Management, Agile Program Management, IT Infrastructure, Network Engineering, Startups, Mobile Apps, User Personas, Website Redesign, Minimum Viable Product (MVP), Product Discovery, Backlog Management, Feature Backlog Prioritization, Mobile Applications, Social Media, Web Project Management, Cloud Migration, Data Migration, Infrastructure, Scaling, Web Platforms, Process Flows, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Microsoft 365, Microsoft Teams, Cross-cultural Communication, Cross-cultural Management, Medical Devices, Product Owner, Cloud, Web Applications, Objectives & Key Results (OKRs), Requirements, Discovery, Design Sprints, Sprint Planning, Product Delivery, Product Requirements Documentation (PRD), User Stories, Estimations, Staffing, Compliance, Regulations, Generative Pre-trained Transformers (GPT), Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI)
Collaboration That Works
How to Work with Toptal
Toptal matches you directly with global industry experts from our network in hours—not weeks or months.
1
Share your needs
Discuss your requirements and refine your scope in a call with a Toptal domain expert.
2
Choose your talent
Get a short list of expertly matched talent within 24 hours to review, interview, and choose from.
3
Start your risk-free talent trial
Work with your chosen talent on a trial basis for up to two weeks. Pay only if you decide to hire them.
Top talent is in high demand.
Start hiring