Director of Project Management - Sanctuary Computer (Remote)
At Sanctuary Computer we’re building a different type of technology shop – one that prioritizes close collaboration between the client and the craftsperson. Our projects range from design-forward websites, to robust web apps, to native mobile development.
When we started XXIX in 2013, we set out to create a different kind of design studio and we’ve thrived because we continually ask what a creative practice can be. We’re building a radically different kind of organization that values autonomy, growth, transparency, and shared responsibility.
To view this job and apply, click here.
Compensation:
$153,956-166,950
About:
Our org structure is less-hierarchical than traditional studios: we don’t have Managers, and instead, we rely on team members to be self-directed and to reinforce a high-performing culture of accountability. Within our project work, we don’t have traditional project managers; instead, we have “project leads” – designers and developers who run lead on communications with clients and who facilitate the internal project planning. Our hope is that this unique model empowers creatives to do the best work of their careers.
We work in design, branding and engineering roles, with clients like Stripe, Nike, General Electric, Etsy, Mailchimp, Google, Dropbox, The Nobel Prize, Herman Miller, Adobe and many others.
We think of our studio as a refuge for creative people, prioritizing a happy, talented, and diverse studio culture. We offer competitive pay, comprehensive benefits, and progressive policies. We work on projects that bring value to our world, and we balance deep care for the work we do with a genuine curiosity about life outside of our jobs. (And, yes, we can back all of that up!)
We care deeply about building great products and designing amazing things for a diverse set of users, and to do that well, we need people who think through a wide lens of different experiences. At the current time, we are holding space for individuals who are underrepresented in our industry. If you feel that's you, please reach out!
Our team members identify as follows:
59% white; 41% BIPOC
Female: 44%; Male: 47%; Non-binary: 13%
We track these (and other DEI-related) statistics closely, talk about them openly, and work to improve them year over year.
⛰️ The Director of Project Management role
At Sanctuary Computer and XXIX we do not have traditional Project Managers. Instead, we prefer to put our designers and developers in direct communication with our clients as “Project Leads” and to provide project support behind the scenes.
As the Director of Project Management, you’ll be responsible for supporting a team of highly autonomous, communicative craftspeople as they learn to navigate client relationships and Project Management.
You’ll collaborate closely with our Creative Director and Technical Director, who will be responsible for the creative and technical work quality being produced by our teams.
Responsibilities:
Culture: Cultivating a culture of project management rooted in proactive project leadership, team accountability, and forthright client communications.
Project Delivery: Upholding the quality of our project management practices via project-specific check-ins and support, as well as facilitating weekly company-wide project safety meetings to ensure successful delivery of our projects.
Coaching: Training and supporting team members with varying degrees of project management experience.
Resourcing: Managing organization-wide resourcing (in collaboration with design and development leads) to adequately staff client projects, meet utilization targets, inform hiring decisions, and staff internal projects when team members are not on client work.
Process development: Establishing processes and training that enable our team to adapt to changes in project budget, scope, and timeline to position our team as trusted collaborators for clients.
Designer/Developer satisfaction: Designing work processes that enable us to balance the responsibility of project management with designer and developer well-being (e.g., designers and developers continue to grow their respective skills while also growing their project management capabilities)
Strategy: Collaborate with the Director of Business Development and other Directors to determine where we invest the studio’s time and efforts across training, service offerings, tech & tooling, and integrating new opportunities (e.g., AI, IoT, web3). What activities will we pursue and what tradeoffs are we willing to make?
Client Management: Serving as the main point of contact for clients outside of the immediate project team.
🧗 Who you are
The person we’re looking for is happy, relaxed and easy to get along with. They’re flexible on anything except conceits that will lower their usually outstanding work quality. They work “smart” by carefully managing their workflow and team.
Based on the responsibilities of this role, we think the right candidate will be a decade or so into their career and will have the following experience or skills:
🔑 Must have:
At least 5 years of experience managing end-to-end (design and development) projects in a Project Manager capacity
Experience managing projects in a client services environment (i.e., a consultancy, agency, or studio) in a client-facing role
Experience managing projects with budgets exceeding $200k
Experience coaching others in project management (e.g., PM manager, course instructor)
Experience leading resourcing and staffing decisions for teams of 10+ people
Located between Pacific Standard Time (UTC-8) and Central European Time (UTC+2)
🧁 Nice-to-have:
Previous experience as a Director of Project Management, Director of Accounts, or Director of Client Services
Experience managing and working with QA teams
Experience supporting legal counsel with the review and drafting of contracts (i.e., MSAs, SOWs)
Product Management experience would be especially nice for work with our less technical clients!
🎤 How we interview
Our interview process starts with an intro call to answer any questions you have about the role and to learn a bit more about your experience and interests. From there we’ll ask you to complete a self-assessment of your skills to understand what skill level you might join the company at.
If your self-assessment aligns with the role, we’ll follow up with a panel interview call where you get to meet a few members of our team.
For qualified candidates, the process wraps up with a call to review your skill tree and to extend an offer to join Sanctuary.
💸 How we set salaries
Most (normal) companies will offer a potential employee a salary. At garden3d however, we ask that our potential employees offer a salary back to us, using our skill tree - the same system we use to allow individuals to set their own salaries through peer reviews. This is something we do to fight inherent bias and salary discrimination in the tech industry (and you know your own skills a lot better than we do)!
You can read more in the aptly titled article:
For this role, we’re seeking candidates in the Lead skills range of our skill tree.
Based on our assumptions as to where candidates will land on the skill tree, our estimated base salary range is $153,956 (L1) - $166,950 (L2). ****This base range is supplemented by our profit share program, which allows all employees to share in company profits.
👩🏭 How we work:
We believe that there’s a better balance between the poles of freelancing & full time, and for that reason Sanctuary works differently to most shops:
Optional 4-Day Employment: Prefer to work 4 day weeks? Opt in at 80% of our salary and benefits.
Freedom Fridays: In the spirit of Yvon Chouinard’s “Let My People Go Surfing”, the last Friday of every month is a day off. We think that well rested, calm and thoughtful team members make far better decisions, and 12 extra long weekends each year helps everyone stay focused.
A TON of Time Off: We take 15 days PTO, 7 days sick leave, all major US holidays, the last friday of every month, and we close between Christmas & New Years, making for 40+ paid days off each year.
Profit Sharing: Every 12 months, we put aside a portion of profit earned throughout the year to be distributed to every member, through a simple calculation based on the overall team efficiency throughout the year, and time that each team member has been with Sanctuary.
Transparency & Ownership: We release out Profit & Loss statements to the community each year, open source our best ideas, and talk business & money with everyone in the company. We’re proud to run our business with integrity, and for that reason we share everything with our team & community.
**100% Healthcare, Dental & Vision:** Unlike most US companies, we offer at least one of our four healthcare, dental and vision plans at 100% employer coverage (no cost to the employee). This usually means a saving of $3k - $6K USD a year for the individual!
**150% Carbon Negative:** Our studio offsets 150% of the carbon we use to do business each year, dated back to our founding in 2015. We turn down work that is not in-line with our morals, and we encourage our peers to do the same. We were certified climate neutral earlier this year.
**Strong Morals:** This year alone, we've turned down somewhere between $200k - $300k of work that didn't meet our moral standards. (Most of that was DTC brands that can't show a valid sustainability initiative).
Generous Parental Leave Policy: We give new parents 4 months paid leave, and make no distinction between genders or primary and secondary care givers.
Async & Decentralized: We use tools optimized for calm, thoughtful communication, and opt for async whenever possible. We fight hard to maintain our focus time.
Remote Friendly: In the wake of COVID-19, our company has transitioned to remote working, and in the process have evolved to make our workplace more decentralized, and democratized in the process.
Optional 401k: Our payroll provider integrates with Empower to provide employees with 401k and Roth 401k options.
Ideas & Products: In our spare studio time, we work to build our own open source or internal products to diversify & bolster our income. We create amazing technology products for our clients, so why not for the studio?
→ Read more on our Substack, over here, or our Medium, over there.
💌 How to apply
❤️ We’re excited to hear from you! ❤ Please apply by telling us a bit more about your interest in the role: https://forms.gle/uJPE5JDEouNHqt5G7
