Project Manager (IT/ERP) – Hybrid

Company: Randstad (Supporting a major Edmonton Public Sector/Enterprise Client)

Location: Edmonton, AB

Employment Type: 12-Month Contract

Estimated Rate: $95 – $125 per hour (CAD)

Clean Professional Job Summary

Randstad Digital is seeking a high-caliber IT Project Manager for a 12-month, high-impact contract to lead an enterprise-wide ERP Financial Systems upgrade for a major Edmonton-based organization. This role is a critical intersection of technology and finance; you will be the “architect of change,” guiding the organization through a complex 12-month lifecycle from initial planning to post-go-live stabilization. Your primary mission is to act as the strategic bridge between technical IT teams and Finance stakeholders, ensuring that the “financial backbone” of the organization remains resilient during this massive digital transition. If you are a PMP-certified leader who excels at managing multi-vendor environments and navigating the nuances of large-scale system cutovers, this hybrid role offers a premier platform to deliver tangible results in a sophisticated public sector environment.

Key Responsibilities

End-to-End Delivery: Own the full project lifecycle: planning, design, development, testing, cutover, and 30/60/90-day stabilization.
Governance & Reporting: Establish clear project governance and provide high-visibility status reporting, risk assessments, and budget health to C-suite and executive leadership.
Stakeholder Bridge: Facilitate complex requirements validation and process re-engineering between Finance users and technical system integrators.
Risk Management: Maintain a comprehensive risk register, proactively identifying and mitigating issues before they impact the critical path or financial integrity.
UAT Leadership: Drive the strategy and execution of User Acceptance Testing (UAT) to ensure the upgraded ERP meets all regulatory, audit, and business-functional requirements.
Change Control: Oversee all scope-related change requests to ensure the project remains on schedule and within its multi-million dollar budget.

Required Qualifications & Skills

Experience: 5+ years of IT Project Management, specifically leading large-scale ERP transformations (e.g., SAP, Oracle, Workday, or Microsoft Dynamics 365).
Domain Expertise: Deep understanding of financial business processes (AP/AR, General Ledger, Fixed Assets) and their reliance on IT infrastructure.
Certification: PMP (Project Management Professional) or an equivalent professional designation (e.g., PRINCE2) is mandatory.
Communication: Exceptional “executive presence” with the ability to translate technical milestones into business impacts for Finance stakeholders.
Technical Savvy: Proficiency with modern project tools (MS Project, Jira, or Smartsheet) and an understanding of data migration and system integration complexities.

About the Client: Edmonton Public Sector / Enterprise

While the specific client remains confidential via Randstad, this role supports a “major organization” in Edmonton known for structured methodology and high governance standards. In 2026, many Edmonton-based public entities (Utility, Municipal, or Academic) are undergoing “Cloud-First” ERP migrations to enhance fiscal transparency and operational efficiency.

Market & Industry Context: Edmonton IT Projects (2026)

As of March 2026, the Edmonton IT contract market is seeing a surge in “Modernization” initiatives as organizations move away from legacy on-premise monoliths.

Industry Trends & Data:

ERP Contract Rates: For a “Seasoned” PM leading a financial upgrade in Edmonton, contract rates in 2026 typically range from $100 to $130/hour, depending on the complexity of the vendor landscape.
The “Hybrid” Standard: 2026 has solidified the “3-2” or “2-3” hybrid office model in Edmonton’s public sector, balancing the need for in-person stakeholder workshops with the efficiency of remote technical coordination.
Financial Compliance: With evolving ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) reporting mandates in 2026, ERP upgrades are now focusing heavily on automated carbon and social impact tracking within financial modules.
AI-Assisted Migration: Many 2026 ERP projects are utilizing AI tools for “Data Cleansing,” reducing the manual burden on PMs and Finance teams during the migration phase.

Career Growth & Progression Path

Program Manager: Level up to oversee multiple interrelated IT initiatives, such as a concurrent HCM and ERP rollout.
Director of IT Strategy: Transition into a permanent leadership role, shaping the long-term digital roadmap for a major enterprise.
ERP Consultant / Advisor: Leverage your “Go-Live” experience to act as an independent advisor for other organizations beginning their transformation journey.
Change Management Lead: Specialize in the human element of technology, focusing on organizational readiness and user adoption.

Interview Preparation Insights

The “Finance” Nuance: Be ready to discuss how you handle a “Finance user” who is resistant to changing a 20-year-old manual process. Soft skills are just as important as technical ones here.
Cutover Strategy: Prepare a detailed explanation of a previous “Cutover Weekend.” How did you manage the “Go/No-Go” decision point?
Vendor Management: You will likely be managing an external System Integrator (SI). How do you hold them accountable when milestones start to slip?
PMP in Practice: Don’t just say you are certified; explain how you apply specific PMBOK principles (like Earned Value Management or Critical Path Method) to keep an ERP project on track.

Perks & Benefits (Contractor via Randstad)

High-Impact Work: Lead a project that serves as the “financial backbone” of a major regional employer.
Autonomy: Enjoy the flexibility and high earning potential of a long-term professional contract.
Sophisticated Environment: Work with structured governance and modern PMO tools.

Randstad Digital Support: Benefit from a dedicated representative to manage your contract, renewals, and professional profile updates.

Category	Details & Specifications
Employer	Randstad (Contracting for a Public Sector Client)
Duration	12-Month Contract
Location	Edmonton, AB (Hybrid)
Project Type	Enterprise ERP Upgrade (Financial Systems Focus)
Salary Range	$85.00 – $115.00 / hour (Estimated for Senior IT PM Contractors)
Certification	PMP or equivalent required

Role Breakdown: Bridging Finance & Technology

This is a high-stakes leadership position tasked with upgrading the “financial backbone” of a major Edmonton organization. You are responsible for the technical migration and the human readiness of the Finance department.

Lifecycle Management: Owning the project from initial “Blueprinting” and design through to the critical “Cutover” (switching from the old system to the new) and “Stabilization” (post-go-live support).
Stakeholder Liaison: Acting as the translator between technical IT teams, external System Integrators (e.g., Deloitte, KPMG, or IBM), and C-suite Finance executives.
Financial Process Alignment: Guiding Finance teams through requirements validation—ensuring that the new ERP correctly handles complex accounting, regulatory reporting, and data migration from legacy systems.
Risk & Governance: Maintaining comprehensive risk registers and steering committee reporting to ensure the project does not fall victim to “scope creep” or budget overruns.

2026 Edmonton Public Sector IT Insights

The Edmonton public sector in 2026 is currently undergoing massive digital transformation to modernize aging infrastructure and improve fiscal transparency.

The “Major Public Sector” Client: In Edmonton, this typically refers to organizations like the City of Edmonton, Alberta Health Services, or the Government of Alberta. These environments value “Structured Methodology” (Waterfall or Hybrid-Agile) and strict governance frameworks.
ERP Trends 2026: Many Alberta public entities are currently migrating to SAP S/4HANA Public Cloud or Oracle Fusion. Proficiency in managing the transition from “On-Premise” to “Cloud-Based” ERP is the most in-demand skill for 2026 contractors.
Hybrid Work Standards: As of March 2026, “Hybrid” in Edmonton usually means 2 to 3 days on-site per week at a downtown or suburban headquarters, with the remainder remote.
Contractor Market: Senior PMs in Edmonton are seeing a 4.2% increase in hourly rates in early 2026 due to the scarcity of leaders who can manage the “Cutover” phase—the most high-risk part of an ERP project where systems are temporarily offline.

Critical Qualifications & Soft Skills

Finance Fluency: You must understand General Ledger (GL), Accounts Payable/Receivable (AP/AR), and Procure-to-Pay (P2P) workflows. You cannot manage this project if you don’t speak the language of the Finance department.
Vendor Management: You will likely be managing a “System Integrator” (the external company doing the heavy coding). Success requires the ability to hold these vendors accountable to their Statement of Work (SOW).
Change Management: ERPs fail when people refuse to use them. While you aren’t the Change Manager, you must keep the “human and business elements” front and center by driving User Acceptance Testing (UAT) and training readiness.

Total Rewards

Long-Term Stability: A 12-month contract provides significant financial predictability compared to shorter IT “gigs.”
Professional Pedigree: Leading an ERP transformation for a major public body is a “resume-maker” that opens doors to Director-level roles in the future.
Autonomy: Contract roles allow for a high degree of leadership independence while providing the structured methodology of a sophisticated environment.

Application Insider Tips

Quantify Your ERP History: Don’t just say you “managed an upgrade.” State the budget size and the number of users (e.g., “Led a $12M ERP migration for 800+ Finance users with zero downtime at cutover”).
Highlight UAT Experience: In the interview, talk about how you managed “User Acceptance Testing.” Public sector clients are often most worried about whether the system will actually work for the end-users on day one.
PMP Validation: Ensure your PMP status is active. Randstad’s automated screening tools often prioritize candidates whose certifications are clearly listed in the header of their resume.

To apply for this job please visit www.randstad.com.