Agile Project Managers in Germany

Further Development of the Integrated Capacity Management Platform InKa

Rail Infrastructure

• Power BI shared datasets and reports via DirectQuery on Amazon Redshift (timetable, construction and capacity data)
• Automated report testing with Playwright in Docker containers, version control with GitLab
• Concept and implementation of user communication (information page, changelog, known bugs)

Initial Situation:

The integrated capacity management platform (InKa) is a monitoring and analysis platform for data from timetable and capacity management: customer orders, infrastructure, timetable operations, construction, as well as route capacity and width. The data is stored and linked in a structured data warehouse. This makes it possible to create complex KPIs across different source systems and display current and future route utilization as well as construction activity across the network. The goal is to improve strategic, medium-term and intra-year planning and provide users with easy access to capacity management analyses.

Measures:

• Enablement: Introduction of Power BI with training and workshops for development teams.
• Consulting & Design: Problem analysis, concepts and solution consulting for reporting requirements; implementation of reporting solution plans.
• Data Model: Development of shared datasets with DirectQuery on Amazon Redshift and import tables; DAX measures for utilization and capacity KPIs.
• Development: Data analysis, data transformation and visualization in Power BI; extension and migration of business applications to Power BI; AI-supported development in VS Code with GitHub Copilot.
• Test Automation: Automated testing of Power BI reports with Playwright; setup of the test environment in Docker containers.
• User Communication: Concept and implementation of a central information page with hot news, changelog and known bugs, access from reports with report filters, updates via Power Automate.
• Deployment: Management of Power BI Deployment Pipelines across the DEV, TEST and PROD environments.
• Agile Working: Work in an agile team according to SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework); refinement of user stories and features including effort estimates in Jira; version control with Git and GitLab.
• Quality & Documentation: Reviews for quality assurance, error analysis and resolution, technical documentation in AsciiDoc and Confluence.

Technologies: Power BI, DAX, Power Query, DirectQuery, Amazon Redshift, Git / GitLab, Deployment Pipelines, Playwright, Docker, AsciiDoc, Power Automate, Jira, Confluence, VS Code with GitHub Copilot, SAFe

Results:

• Capacity management KPIs from multiple source systems combined on one platform
• Transparency regarding current and future route utilization and construction activity across the network
• Easy access to analyses for users
• Automated regression testing of Power BI reports
• User communication implemented: central information page with hot news, changelog and known bugs, directly accessible from the reports

Supporting agile scaling according to SAFe and stabilizing delivery capability in an international multi-project environment.

• Stabilization of Feature and Integration Teams in the SAFe context
• Preparation and facilitation of complex, cross-functional PI Plannings
• Promoting collaboration with international teams in India
• Process optimization and strengthening of agile team ownership

Reporting and controlling using Power BI for a production ERP system

• Analysis of ERP data and interfaces for use in Power BI dashboards
• Evaluation and migration of existing reports (e.g. Excel) to Power BI
• Development of an authorization concept for selective data access
• Documentation and training on the use and customization of Power BI dashboards

Label: Power BI, Excel, SelectLine ERP, Microsoft SQL, SQL Server Management Studio

• Designed and moderated a NIS2 preparation workshop for RAS Reinhardt Maschinenbau GmbH and its IT service provider Catuno GmbH. Together with executive management and IT leadership, the current status was assessed, an initial GAP analysis was conducted and areas for action were prioritized based on ISO 27001.
• Developed an ISO-27001-based regulatory framework (ISMS) for NIS2 compliance, including a structured current/target GAP analysis, targeted improvement of the security maturity level and preparation of the organization for NIS2 audit readiness.

Sub-project lead in an agile IT environment

Leading a software development team (10 employees)

• Leading a software development team with 10 employees
• Budget responsibility approx. 3 million euros per year
• Conducting employee and job interviews
• Responsibility for resource planning (budget and employees)
• Digitalization of a web interface
• Regular reporting to customers and stakeholders (C-level)
• Product management: developing and implementing product strategies; defining requirements to guide product development
• Structuring product development & continuous testing efficiently to quickly incorporate feedback & compliance points
• Close collaboration with stakeholders & various teams to understand requirements, set priorities, ensure rollout, and increase user-friendliness
• Project experience in an energy industry company, including the functioning of energy markets, the basics of energy generation and distribution, as well as current challenges and developments in the industry
• Project experience in the railway sector - including the structure and operation of railway systems.
• Project experience within the 16.7 Hz traction power sector incl. knowledge of regulatory processes
• Formulating the sub-project charter and the project profile according to the project standard together with the project management
• Controlling service delivery according to the project charter
• Planning and controlling human resources including budget planning for the sub-project
• Ensuring the work capacity of the sub-project participants, e.g. by requesting access rights and documents for the sub-project team
• Planning and control for the respective sub-project (time, scope, budget) including the creation of necessary documents
• Alignment with the business department and Product Owners to plan the sub-project scope and the corresponding implications
• Executing milestone planning according to the agreed process model
• Effort estimation and support of sub-project controlling as well as overall project controlling in forecasting and planning
• Reporting sub-project status (according to status slide template) including progress (according to progress measurement)
• Analyzing, preparing, and addressing action and decision requirements
• Escalating sub-project issues to the project management
• Creating and managing Change Requests (CR)
• Quality assessment of completed task packages from a project management perspective (time, scope, and budget)
• Implementation management of the overarching guidelines and requirements in the sub-project, supported by cross-functional roles on the functional and technical side.
• Identifying, managing, documenting, and communicating opportunities, risks, and dependencies within and across sub-projects
• Supporting project management in creating the overall project plan and overall status reports
• Preparing and managing commissioning including the required documents and protection needs assessment

Scrum Master in an agile IT environment supporting a software development team in the full-stack area (7 people)

• Close collaboration with stakeholders & various teams to understand requirements, set priorities, ensure rollout, and increase user-friendliness
• Implementation of the selected Scrum method, including the required events, meetings, artifacts (product backlog, sprint backlog, burndown charts), metrics, as well as conducting required training in an agile IT environment
• Preparation of Scrum events such as Daily, retrospectives, Review, Sprint planning, estimation, and refinement (agile way of working)
• Moderation of retrospectives and elimination of obstacles to move the team and product forward
• Preparation of action items and retros via whiteboard and Figma
• Application and improvement of agile methods such as Kanban, Scrum, SAFe, or Scrum of Scrums
• Tracking the "Definition of Done" and "Definition of Ready" for all work results of the development team
• Advising on information flow and communication improvements between Product Owner and project team
• Experience with automation, validation such as mandatory field checks, notification functions, creation of filters, boards, and reports via JQL, and setting up cycle time
• Use of Jira & Confluence
• Setting up a progress measurement for project management to transparently map planned vs. actual team capacities and actual efforts for user stories
• Measuring team progress: creating team KPIs: "velocity", "burn-down chart", "throughput", "costs", "quality", "scope"
• Evaluation of agile metrics, process management, and process modeling methods (BPMN, EPC, UML)
• Communication and moderation know-how
• Methodological competence proven in conflict discussions

• Support migrants with visits to authorities or their search for housing
• Help children or adults with learning
• Create application documents or help find an apprenticeship

Certifications earned:

• EXIN Agile Scrum Master
• EXIN Agile Product Owner
• GPM Basiszertifikat im Projektmanagement
• IPMA Level D

• Senior agile practitioner in a complex, regulated pharmaceutical environment — facilitating Scrum ceremonies across three international teams (~40 people) while supporting delivery governance and agile coaching.
• Time-limited assignment to bridge the gap until the client could fill the role internally
• Facilitated all Scrum ceremonies (Sprint Planning, Daily Stand-up, Review, Retrospective) across multiple international teams; kept sprints predictable and productive
• Coached teams and Product Owners in agile practices within a GxP-regulated environment, pragmatically balancing agile ways of working with QMS compliance requirements
• Tracked and visualized delivery metrics, managed dependencies, and produced status reports for senior stakeholders and Steering Committee
• Stepped up to project leadership of the internal CCMS product initiative: introduced structured processes and transparent tooling into a previously low-governance environment
• Actively contributed to the company-wide Agile Community of Practice, including authoring blog articles on agile topics
• Commended for analytical thinking, reliability under pressure, and the ability to manage multiple workstreams simultaneously

Migration from Exchange 2016 to Exchange 2019 and Exchange Online, as well as the introduction of a backup solution and an archiving solution. The goal was to securely modernize the email and archiving infrastructure in compliance with legal requirements and ensure high performance.

Responsibilities as IT PROJECT MANAGER: Overall project management and operational coordination / Ensuring compliance with budget and resource limits / Ensuring project objectives are met / Ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements and policies, including ISMS, ITIL, and data protection requirements / Preparing and presenting management reports for the project sponsor and steering committee / Coordinating cross-functional teams across Exchange, network, data protection, and IT security / Planning and carrying out the migration from Exchange 2016 to Exchange 2019 / Planning and carrying out the migration from Exchange 2019 to Exchange Online / Planning and introducing a backup solution for Exchange Online / Coordinating an EU-wide tender for an archiving solution, including market research with potential suppliers / Planning and introducing an archiving solution for Exchange Online / Coordinating and preparing the BAS notices required for the project / Coordinating and aligning with stakeholders (for example, business units, external service providers, and suppliers) to define requirements and deliver solutions

Technical environment: MS Exchange 2016, MS Exchange 2019, MS Exchange Online, MSOffice, MS Planner, MS Powerpoint, MS Project, MS Teams, CodeTwo, Hornet Security

• Drove two cross-functional engineering teams within the SAFe framework to deliver backend and integration solutions for Visa’s Terminal Management and Cybersource Onboarding platforms
• Served as Program Coach for ten teams within the Platform Services organization, advancing Agile maturity, delivery alignment, and a culture of continuous improvement
• Orchestrated Agile ceremonies including Product Manager syncs, metrics reviews, inspect-and-adapt sessions, system demos, and leadership workshops to strengthen transparency, collaboration, and delivery performance
• Championed the rollout of the Re-imagine Work@Visa scaled delivery framework within the Agile Transformation Team, improving collaboration and delivery predictability
• Increased release frequency 18× per quarter by synchronizing distributed teams and developing a comprehensive release guide
• Partnered with the Release Manager to standardize deployments across Visa Data Center, AWS, and Mobile platforms
• Led teams to close all security findings and embed remediation into BAU, achieving zero open issues by mid-2024
• Directed the Security Findings Program across the portfolio, ensuring visibility, accountability, and progress tracking
• Supported the roll out of the OKR framework and led quarterly reviews to align execution with business goals
• Strengthened communication across distributed teams, removed blockers, and advocated for continuous improvement and automation
• Delivered on demand workshops for teams with raising maturity and adoption of best practices
• Co-founded a Center of Excellence and Agile Community of Practice to promote continuous learning and alignment
• Partnered with SRE and InfoSec teams on multi-region rollout and security initiatives to enhance reliability and compliance

• Freelance work as a consultant (workshops and coaching for small to midsize companies in the areas of lean startup methodology, digital & AI transformation strategy, agile culture, design thinking)
• AI training & certification
• Project Management

• Took over end-to-end management of the digital health platform HealthConnect, including a hybrid CRM portal and mobile applications (iOS and Android), and led a multi-stage transformation program from initiation through handover.
• Led a cross-functional team of 14 specialists in development, QA, UX/UI, and DevOps by facilitating planning sessions, coordinating priorities, tracking progress, and ensuring the timely delivery of key milestones.
• Managed project scope, timelines, risks, resources, and stakeholder expectations through structured project governance, successfully reviewing five change requests, with three approved and implemented.
• Coordinated the delivery of 10 core platform features, including real-time dashboards, push notifications, wearable integration, offline synchronization, and the migration of more than 310,000 legacy CRM records to support business growth and operational efficiency.
• Led stakeholder and steering committee engagement through regular project reporting, risk escalation, and the successful resolution of five of seven key project risks while maintaining delivery momentum and business alignment.

I assess the skills of project managers, also taking into account the feedback of the leaders they name.

• Led end-to-end delivery of complex international customer-facing IT and system transformation projects across mobility, retail, life sciences, and product development domains.

• Managed project opportunities and delivery initiatives from concept development, planning, execution, migration, validation, deployment, and final customer acceptance.

• Acted as the primary point of contact for project stakeholders, ensuring alignment between customers, business units, suppliers, and delivery teams.

• Ensured timely project execution through proactive monitoring of milestones, deliverables, dependencies, risks, and resource requirements.

• Led and coordinated global cross-functional teams of 20+ members across multiple time zones. Served as the central coordination point for project activities, ensuring accountability, milestones, progress tracking, and timely resolution of issues across multiple stakeholders. Managed status reporting with all the stakeholders, providing clear and timely updates to ensure alignment on project goals.

• Provided functional leadership, mentoring, coaching, and issue resolution support to project team members. Worked closely with senior leadership and executive stakeholders to define project charter and project scope, priorities, milestones, manage dependencies, success criteria and achieve project goals.

• Collaborated closely with senior leadership, business stakeholders, suppliers, operations teams, and external partners to define project objectives and ensure successful execution.

• Managed stakeholder communication through executive dashboards, KPIs, governance reviews, steering committee meetings, and project status reporting.

• Anticipated business needs and provided effective technical solutions in a timely manner to improve business satisfaction.

• Led and supported sub-project management structures, ensuring consistent execution, reporting, and escalation across complex initiatives.

• Managed supplier relationships and service providers to ensure compliance with contractual obligations, service levels, timelines, and quality expectations.

• Supported vendor selection processes, RFP evaluations, delivery governance, cost monitoring, and performance reviews.

• Controlled project budgets, forecasts, resource allocations, and financial tracking to ensure delivery within approved constraints.

• Scheduled workshops explaining the business requirement, prioritizing project goals and managing change.

• Oversaw cloud migrations (Azure/ AWS), database migrations/upgrades, system upgrades, infrastructure & application modernization, data management, legacy decommissioning initiatives, AI solutioning, transition plan of 2000+ applications etc.

• Coordinated execution, deployment, integration, commissioning, data migration and handover activities to ensure production readiness.

• Led a cross-functional team proactively managing dependencies and resolving project issues to closure, while maintaining delivery timelines.

• Proactively managed project risks, dependencies, issues, change requests, and escalations to ensure predictable project outcomes.

• Ensured compliance with GxP, ITIL, corporate governance standards, validation requirements, and audit controls.

• Led internal and external audit support activities, validation documentation, CAPA coordination, and regulatory compliance initiatives.

• Drove process standardization, automation, and governance improvements across project delivery functions.

• Led application rationalization initiatives resulting in the retirement of more than 50 legacy applications, improving operational efficiency and reducing maintenance costs.

• Currently driving Generative AI initiatives to automate project documentation, reporting, knowledge management, and delivery processes.

• Facilitated lessons learned workshops and implemented continuous improvement actions to enhance project execution effectiveness.