IT Project Managers in Germany

Interim Head of People · Personio implementation & HR digitalization

Industry: Optical retail, multi-brand (eyewear & hearing care)

Size: approx. 100 locations in DE + head office

Organization: Growing group, reporting directly to CEO & executive team

Project scope & systems:

• Personio Core & Payroll: kick-off, pilot architecture, rollout for head office & ~100 stores
• SharePoint and People Services structure
• Clear separation from existing systems (LOGA)
• Data protection setup & system documentation

My role in the project:

• Overall responsibility for Personio implementation (Core & Payroll), management of external service providers
• Designed target processes for head office & store network
• Rollout materials for employees & managers

Systems: Personio (Core, Payroll), LOGA, SharePoint · Employment law: managed and agreed with the executive team

HR leadership – hands-on delivery:

• Day-to-day HR for head office and store network: contracts, amendments, allowances, compensation offers for store managers
• Managed employment law matters and agreed them with the executive team, including labor court proceedings with external lawyers
• LoQu Academy: training calendar, induction plans, onboarding, certificates

Strategic contributions:

• Target People organization chart, role profiles and FTE planning
• People lifecycle with OKRs & KPIs, feedback and employee discussions
• Sales trainee program & Store Manager career path
• Materials for advisory board & town halls; structured handover to the new Head of People

Responsible for HR KPIs: turnover, staffing structure, FTE development by location clusters, personnel cost planning

Data Center Migration

Public Sector, Berlin

Technical project manager for data center migration

• Led the six-member project group
• Project planning, schedule coordination, and resource management
• Coordination with departments and analysts
• Planned and managed migrations
• Reviewed and adapted migration processes
• Managed and developed change management processes
• Directed activities for internal and external clients toward defined goals
• Considered and implemented all quality assurance requirements
• Ensured project and results documentation
• Integrated the project into the company context
• Prepared status reports and coordinated with project portfolio management

Citrix, VMware, network technology and security (including firewalls, DMZ, IDS, IPS)

Project: Introduction of statutory-compliant electronic invoicing (outbound, Germany) in SAP for an international technology group.

• Project management: Planning, steering and reporting of the E-Invoicing outbound rollout across all affected business areas, including budget and resource coordination.
• UAT: Structured user acceptance test with key users per business area, test cases per invoice scenario, and consolidated test results for decision making.
• Defect management: Handover and tracking of defects in Jira, including validation of the generated invoices against the statutory schemas.
• Cutover, go-live and hypercare: Readiness checks and cutover planning aligned with the statutory deadlines, coordination of go-live and stabilization during hypercare.
• Stakeholder management and reporting: Alignment with Finance, Tax, business departments and IT, preparation of status reports and decision papers, and consistent follow-up of open items.
• Change management and documentation: Communicated process changes to the business departments, enabled key users, and created process and compliance documentation to ensure traceability and audit readiness.

• Program management for the development of an IoT platform on behalf of Deutsche Telekom IoT and 1NCE
• Structuring and coordinating the project teams and stakeholders involved to ensure robust project and decision-making structures
• Coaching project participants on the organization, collaboration, and implementation of the platform initiative

AI Assistance and Target Vision for Partially Autonomous Energy Portfolio Management

Building an AI control layer directly on the up-to-date daily live portfolio of a large energy provider — not as an isolated pilot, but as an operational extension of the existing DB1 and portfolio management. The goal is the gradual development from assistance through monitoring/alerting to analysis agents with Human-in-the-Loop approvals, supplemented by a role-specific System of Engagement alongside the BI System of Record. At the same time, the business case, target vision and management pitch compared with static monthly reporting are being developed.

• AI control layer: Design and build on the existing live portfolio data product (several million contracts) — development stages assistance → monitoring/alerting → agents with Human-in-the-Loop approvals.
• LLM-supported data analysis: Semantic queries, SQL/tool integration and additional RAG components based on portfolio, plan-versus-actual and data quality data (Azure OpenAI, Snowflake), with drill-downs to individual contract level.
• Analysis agents: Multi-stage agents for variance and driver analyses of churn, price adjustments, volumes and procurement costs.
• Views concept: Role-specific interfaces for business units, management and C-level as a System of Engagement alongside the BI System of Record.
• Business case & pitch: Target vision and cost-benefit argumentation compared with static monthly reporting.
• LLM setup (privacy & security): Coordination with IT Security and Data Protection — EU region, data separation and approval processes.
• Agent architecture: Multi-stage agent pipelines (analysis → validation → summary) with documented data sources, tool calls, review steps and source references for each statement.
• Data foundation: Built on the up-to-date daily DB1 data product (Snowflake, dbt) — portfolio, plan-versus-actual and data quality metrics as the common basis for all AI analyses.
• Guardrails & evaluation: Evaluation and approval processes for LLM responses relating to management-relevant statements — test sets, metrics and human review.
• Prototyping & validation: Iterative validation of agent responses with the business unit — test question catalogue, feedback loops and response quality for each release.
• Roadmap & development stages: Detailed stages from assistance → monitoring/alerting → partially autonomous management, including transition criteria and governance for each stage.
• Integration: Integration into the existing BI and data landscape — BI remains the System of Record, while the AI layer provides interactive drill-down paths as the System of Engagement.
• Enablement: Enablement of business users — prompting guides, training and an operating model for ongoing use.
• Management: Coordination of business units, Data Engineering, IT Security and Data Protection.
• Change Management: Communication and expectation management with business units and management throughout the development stages.

Results:

• Built on an existing up-to-date daily data product with several million contracts
• Established an LLM setup coordinated with Data Protection and IT Security in the EU region, including data separation and approvals
• Defined three development stages through to partially autonomous management
• Designed role-specific views for business units, management and C-level
• Developed the business case and management pitch for the development stages
• Established an iterative response-quality validation process with the business unit
• Designed the operating model for assistance operations and initiated validation

Stack: Azure OpenAI, Azure AI Foundry, Snowflake, dbt, React, TypeScript, Entra ID, RAG, Agentic AI, analysis agents, Human-in-the-Loop, Prompt Engineering, LLM Evaluation, LLMOps, GDPR / EU region, Azure DevOps, Python, SQL, Change Management

• Owned requirements management for a connected mobile app integrating live vehicle hardware and embedded systems, from analysis through implementation (Requirements Management). App has grown to 500,000+ Google Play downloads and 5,800+ App Store ratings (4.4/5), ranking #170 in Germany's Navigation category.
• Steered digitalization and process optimization projects, coordinating between specialist departments, development teams, and external partners.
• Formulated requirements as user stories and acceptance criteria, accompanying implementation through testing and release.
• Applied genuine, practical AI Fluency to identify automation opportunities and accelerate delivery work. Applied SAFe and PRINCE2 methodologies; earned SAFe® 6 POPM and PRINCE2® Foundation certifications while in this role. Certified in Anthropic's AI Fluency framework.

• Managed the integrated SAP S/4HANA delivery plan for 12 BTS workstreams, including milestone, dependency, and governance management.
• Coordinated end-to-end delivery across Business, IT, and Operations, focusing on execution, readiness, and issue resolution.
• Responsible for RAID, test, cutover, and deployment management to ensure a successful go-live.
• Implemented KPI tracking, status reporting, and PMO governance to provide transparent management of performance, risks, and escalations.

• 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.

• Planning, execution and management of complex IT projects in production and laboratory environments, with full responsibility for budget, resources and timelines.
• Analysis of the existing IT landscape, identification of optimization potential and development of a standardization and modernization roadmap together with global operations.
• Management of software implementations and system replacements from requirements analysis, requirements specification, vendor selection and testing through to go-live.
• Central interface between internal departments (Production, Quality, Engineering, Global IT) and external service providers, including contract and performance management.
• Risk management, status reporting and preparation of decision papers for Steering Committees and global management.
• Promoting a culture of innovation and change through structured change management and user enablement.
• Ensuring regulatory requirements (GxP, cGMP), including qualification and validation (IQ, OQ, PQ).

• Field: Automotive / Amplifier
• freelance
• Mercedes Benz AG: MBOS 2.0 Amp581
• Coordination of an international software team
• Setting up and adapting development structures
• Representing software topics in all committees and meetings
• Coordination of various software suppliers
• Software responsibility for VDA 6.3 Audit & ASPICE Assessment

• Advising clients on digital transformation, IT architecture and the introduction of cloud-based environments.
• Gathering, evaluating and prioritizing customer requirements, as well as coordinating projects and programs based on scope, time, quality, budget and risk.
• Designing, documenting, maintaining and developing IT environments, automation and containerized applications.
• Implementing digital platforms, including e-commerce and ordering solutions, event platforms and the product concept for a legal-tech platform.
• Working in interdisciplinary teams and communicating effectively between clients, service providers and technical stakeholders.
• She accompanied companies in their transformation into the digital and agile working world, whether in business process or IT architecture consulting or as part of managed services.
• She developed individual strategies for the digital transformation of our customers and designed new IT environments in the cloud.
• As part of demand management, she gathered, evaluated and prioritized customer requirements.
• She worked in project and program management and coordinated our service providers and those of our customers, monitored their own projects in terms of scope, time, quality and budget and kept an eye on the associated risks.
• She led projects successfully to the end and ensured a professional transfer to regular operation.
• Ms. Sara Mussie has an exceptional understanding of the structure and optimization of IT infrastructures and various cloud technologies as well as modern IT architectures.
• Her areas of responsibility were the development of solutions, considering the service strategy and the possibility of automation, working on design and architecture documentation for projects and services, as well as working on the structure, maintenance and development of IT environments, automation and related tools for our microservice environment and containerized application.
• She was involved in improving our processes and the tool chain used.
• She is confident in handling common IT processes and IT standards.
• Ms. Sara Mussie has very good knowledge of PHP, PHP OOP, Laravel, MySQL, VueIs | Vuex, HTML | CSS | JS, Bootstrap, MongoDB, NodeIs and Python.
• To this day, Ms. Sara Mussie remains available to us for consultation requests from specific clients.

Project: Rollout of new infrastructure components

• Defined and managed the implementation of an overarching management framework with clear roles and responsibilities as part of the hardware rollout.
• Designed and established governance and control mechanisms, including the development of compliance requirements and processes for continuous quality assurance, supported by ServiceNow.
• Coordinated technical activities between service, infrastructure and specialist teams to ensure the smooth delivery and commissioning of printers and notebooks.
• Created a detailed rollout plan with specific timelines, milestones and responsibilities.
• Managed the procurement, delivery, testing, configuration, installation and on-site commissioning of hardware, including integration into existing IT systems.
• Established and continuously optimized processes for the procurement, distribution and use of printers and notebooks.
• Developed and implemented standardized provisioning processes, analyzed existing procedures, harmonized the processes involved and ensured compliance with security, compliance and quality requirements.
• Introduced agile methods to continuously improve the hardware provisioning process.
• Promoted collaboration through clear responsibilities and communication structures between internal IT teams and external service providers.
• Documented and monitored rollout progress, created rollout reports and tracked hardware implementation in real time.
• Supported change management and organized and delivered training sessions for end users.
• Created user manuals and online resources.
• Analyzed the existing hardware landscape, created hardware inventories, assessed current equipment and checked hardware compatibility.
• Developed detailed infrastructure mappings.
• Planned, organized and conducted structured interviews with key stakeholders and created requirements documents.

• Designed and developed a multi-tenant SaaS platform enabling organizations to build their own knowledge bases and chat with brand-customized AI assistants (white-label approach with dynamic branding per organization).
• Implemented a scalable RAG architecture with a GPT-4o tool-use loop, hybrid semantic search, and strict tenant isolation at database and search index level.
• Built persistent, project-like chat sessions including a streaming API (SSE), multilingual support, and speech input/output (STT/TTS).
• Delivered the cloud infrastructure as Infrastructure-as-Code, fully automated per-customer CI/CD pipelines, and an onboarding process for new tenants.

Technologies used: Python, FastAPI, Pydantic (v2 noted), Next.js, React, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS, OpenAI / LLMs (GPT-4o), Azure AI Search, Cosmos DB, Azure Blob Storage, Azure Cognitive Services Speech, Azure App Service, Azure Container Registry, Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), Server-Sent Events (SSE), Docker, Terraform, GitHub Actions, REST, OpenID Connect (OIDC), Multi-Tenancy

Project: Introduction & further development of CRM system PISA / Microsoft Dynamics 365 (01/2023 – present)

• Project management of the migration from PISA CRM to Dynamics 365 for 14 country companies and about 600 users
• Coordination of CRM changes across Europe, including management of 4 developers (2 internal, 2 external) and maintenance of the interface to Microsoft Dynamics
• Central contact person between business, development, architecture, and external partners
• Requirements analysis, creation of epics & user stories, and maintenance of the product backlog
• Responsibility for technical support (1st–3rd level), training, and first-level customizing in PISA CRM
• Responsibility for the digital delivery of rollouts and further development of PISA CRM across Europe - including customer-focused modules such as login processes and data management
• End-to-end responsibility for the interface architecture between PISA CRM and Microsoft Dynamics - from technical concept to live implementation
• Creation and prioritization of epics and user stories based on business requirements
• Carrying out technical configurations (first-level customizing) in PISA CRM and maintaining the XML-based document generator