- Playing in a recreational volleyball league to support physical, social, and mental well-being
- Supporting animal welfare through fundraising and adoption-focused donations
- Practicing cloisonné art to strengthen attention to detail, craftsmanship, and patience
Jennifer Kinkade
Director - Project Management, Operations
Chicago,IL
Summary
Dynamic Director-level Project Management and Operations Leader with over 9 years of experience at a nationally recognized digital agency. Collaborated closely with founders and executives to enhance delivery operations, boost team performance, drive account growth, and elevate client experiences. Expertise in creating scalable systems and fostering high-performing teams through a human-first leadership approach. Proven track record in developing proactive opportunity pipelines and nurturing a PM/CSM culture that promotes long-term partnerships and expansion, leveraging strategic insights, trusted relationships, data analysis, and disciplined delivery methodologies. Committed to transforming challenges into opportunities for growth and innovation in fast-paced environments.
Overview
21
21
years of professional experience
2
2
Languages
Work History
Director of Project Management & Operations
Clique Studios
Chicago, Illinois
01.2022 - Current
- Directed PMO strategy and delivery governance across a multi-million-dollar digital portfolio; partnered with founders and executives to align resourcing, forecasting, and operational priorities.
- Led and developed a 10-person PM/CSM organization — including two Associate Directors — fostering high retention, cross-team collaboration, and a supportive, high-performing team culture.
- Oversaw the full project portfolio, providing coaching on budgets, delivery quality, client health, and stakeholder communication; served as executive escalation point for complex accounts.
- Delivered my own portfolio of strategic engagements while maintaining exemplary client satisfaction, project predictability, and partnership growth.
- Improved operational efficiency by redesigning meeting cadences, time logging, utilization reporting, QA workflows, and capacity modeling across the PMO.
- Built and launched scalable delivery systems (discovery, scoping, QA, onboarding, documentation standards) to improve consistency across teams.
- Created ACTgen, a repeatable account growth framework enabling PMs/CSMs to identify and pursue strategic upsell opportunities.
- Designed, implemented, and maintained PM performance and competency frameworks; collaborated with CTO/CCO on company-wide core competencies.
- Drove team skill development through structured coaching, role clarity, and cross-training initiatives to prevent knowledge silos and grow SME depth across the team.
- Leveraged AI for workflow optimization, technical discovery support, risk simulation, capacity planning, and documentation standardization.
- Managed and optimized operational platforms (Wrike, Notion, Miro, Slack, G Suite) to streamline workflows and strengthen organizational visibility into budget health and utilization.
- Led an interdepartmental “Task Force” to resolve cross-team operational challenges quarterly.
- Established quarterly KPIs for team performance, account health, growth opportunities, and operational excellence.
- Continuously optimized resource allocation strategies based on evolving priorities or constraints ensuring effective use of available talent pool.
- Reduced project delivery times by optimizing internal processes and removing bottlenecks in project workflow.
Senior Project Manager
Clique Studios
Chicago, Illinois
08.2019 - 01.2022
- Led interdisciplinary teams across UX, Design, Engineering, Content Strategy, and Marketing using agile, waterfall, and hybrid methodologies.
- Scoped and directed large-scale website builds, custom platforms, and complex technical integrations across diverse industries.
- Managed a wide-ranging portfolio including startups, nonprofits, healthcare organizations, higher education, venture capital, and eCommerce.
- Mentored PMs through 1:1s and group sessions, troubleshooting issues, managing capacity, setting goals, and celebrating achievements.
- Reviewed timelines, scopes, and delivery plans to ensure consistency, predictability, and quality across all in-flight projects.
- Created client guides, onboarding resources, and training documentation to ensure effective adoption of CMS and platform capabilities.
- Adapted quickly to unexpected challenges or obstacles encountered during project execution, devising creative solutions without compromising objectives.
Project Manager
Clique Studios
Chicago, IL
11.2016 - 08.2019
- Led cross-functional teams to deliver custom websites and digital solutions aligned with client objectives and user experience goals.
- Applied agile, waterfall, and hybrid methodologies to improve delivery predictability and team performance.
- Developed technical scopes, statements of work, project plans, timelines, and budgets for small and large-scale builds.
- Facilitated client meetings focused on requirements gathering, project updates, approvals, and expectation-setting.
- Monitored project budgets, burn rate, risks, blockers, and scope changes, implementing mitigation strategies to protect delivery.
- Coordinated resources across design, engineering, QA, and content teams to maintain efficient workflows.
- Led QA coordination, ensuring deliverables met quality, accessibility, technical, and UX standards.
- Identified enhancement opportunities and worked with clients to plan future phases and long-term improvements.
Middle School English Teacher
Orange Grove Middle School | Chicago Public Schools
Tucson And Chicago, Arizona And Illinois
07.2004 - 05.2012
- Taught 6th–8th grade English Language Arts, designing curriculum aligned to district and state standards.
- Implemented differentiated instruction and inclusive practices for diverse learners, including IEP and ELL students.
- Integrated technology and project-based learning to strengthen 21st-century skills.
- Maintained strong communication with parents and administrators while coaching multiple sports teams.
- Developed classroom management systems using PBIS and data-driven intervention strategies.
- Collaborated with culture and climate teams to improve student-teacher-parent communication.
- Achieved and exceeded student growth targets on NWEA Reading assessments.
- Prepared and implemented lesson plans covering required course topics.
Education
Master of Arts - Educational Psychology
University of Arizona
Tucson 05.2001 -
B.A. - Education
University of Arizona
Skills
- PMO & Cross-Functional Process Optimization
- Talent Recognition, Coaching & Team Development
- Executive & Stakeholder Alignment
- Account Growth Strategy & Opportunity Identification
- Agile, Waterfall & Hybrid Project Management
- Risk Management & Delivery Quality Assurance
- Technical Discovery & Scoping (WordPress, APIs, Plugins, CRMs)
- Forecasting, Capacity Planning & Resource Management
- Data Tracking, KPI Reporting & Performance Analysis
- AI-Enhanced Workflow Efficiency
- Rapid Adaptation & Change Navigation
- Tools: Wrike, Notion, Miro, Google Workspace, Figma, Slack, Jira, Microsoft Office
Accomplishments
- Supervised a 10+ person team, promoting 6 Senior PMs/CSMs and 2 Associate Directors who each stepped into people-leadership roles.
- Instilled a growth culture where PMs/CSMs identified, scoped, and closed opportunities beyond their traditional roles — driving $200K+ in quarterly expansion revenue without BD involvement.
- Reclaimed 28 hours/week in cross-functional capacity by redesigning capacity planning workflows.
- Oversaw a multi-million-dollar portfolio, with 90% of projects delivered on or above budget across the team.
- Built and operationalized a Notion-based PM Resource Hub standardizing goal tracking, documentation, and PM/CSM-authored SOW workflows with embedded budget data.
- Strengthened team culture through consistent recognition, resulting in $10K+ in performance bonuses awarded.
- Graduate of The Second City Conservatory, an audition-only improv program emphasizing collaboration, adaptability, and creative thinking.
Affiliations
Professional Women's Club of Chicago
Interests
Timeline
Director of Project Management & Operations
Clique Studios
01.2022 - Current
Senior Project Manager
Clique Studios
08.2019 - 01.2022
Project Manager
Clique Studios
11.2016 - 08.2019
Middle School English Teacher
Orange Grove Middle School | Chicago Public Schools
07.2004 - 05.2012
Master of Arts - Educational Psychology
University of Arizona
05.2001 -
B.A. - Education
University of Arizona