Project Manager II, Transformation

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Job Profile Summary:

The Project Manager II oversees the execution and process of all projects for their department. The Project Manager II will work with multiple teams, project requesters, and creative teams to develop project plans according to strategic development priorities, as defined by project requesters and leadership. This position is accountable for ensuring that the scope, dates, commitments, and project plans are communicated to all stakeholders and updated as necessary. The individual monitors and reports project status-including risks, issues affecting project schedules, and milestone achievements-to stakeholders and departmental leadership. The Project Manager II develops project plans and schedules and ensures projects meet departmental requirements, standards, policies, and deadlines. This individual is expected to keep fully informed of departmental strategies and priorities and effectively influence the work of project team members in line with those priorities. The Project Manager II is responsible for tracking deadlines, monitoring incoming requests, managing commitments, and utilizing project management tools to ensure project timelines are met, issues are escalated, identified opportunities for efficiencies and process/decisions are documented.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:

• Maintains a thorough and detailed understanding of all department projects, purpose and status and ensures projects meet outlined processes.
• Monitors, reports on, and makes visible project status, issues, resource requirements, dependencies, and project plans.
• Keeps stakeholders and departmental leadership informed of project statuses, including, but not limited to, milestone achievements, toll gate progress, risks, and any issues that may adversely affect project schedules.
• Documents project deliverables, outputs, and notes that capture why key project decisions were made and keeps project management records and systems accurate and up to date.
• Understands departmental strategic priorities and influences the actions and work efforts of team members in line with those priorities.
• Works closely with product team, content creators and other department stakeholders to align priorities and progress on all projects.
• Manages traffic of incoming new requests - validates that appropriate requirements are included.
• Produces timely and accurate reports as directed. Regular weekly progress report of Project Tasks completed, priorities for upcoming week, dependencies.
• Provides input to Project Management Office (PMO) manager to develop or refine project management procedures and processes for the purpose of improving efficiency.
• Develops realistic project plans and schedules by analyzing organizational process assets, enterprise environmental factors, task dependencies, resource requirements, work breakdown, and departmental strategy and priorities.
• Ensures projects meet organizational standards and are managed in accordance with applicable policies, processes, and procedures.
• Conducts retrospective work on closed/ completed projects to document lessons learned in conjunction with associate PJM, and prepares retrospective documentation, as well as recommendations, for review at the program level for consideration in future CQI efforts, and/ or potential redevelopment needs.
• May conduct data analysis, research course and program level information as requested during the analysis phases of other projects.
• May work to mentor Associate PJM and develops team leadership skills and team initiatives.
• Track project costs in order to meet budget.
• Facilitating change requests to ensure that all parties are informed of the impacts on schedule and budget.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skill and Abilities:

• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office.
• Background knowledge/experience of curriculum.
• History of successful execution of projects that impact an entire organization.
• Professional integrity that represents the educational standards within higher education.
• Excellent leadership and project management skills.
• Works well in a team environment.
• Ability to influence change and motivate others.
• Solid technical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to plan and meet schedules.
• Ability to use project management systems and tools.
• Problem Solving Skills: Investigates appropriate resources and involves partners when appropriate; future-oriented; assesses what will help/hinder achieving goals; focuses on what is important.
• Interpersonal Skills: Deals with others in a considerate, respectful, and unbiased manner; approaches conflict proactively; solicits and shares feedback openly; listens with empathy and maintains composure.
• Accuracy: Draws on factual information garnered from careful cultivation of a broad knowledge of WGU's goals and processes; investigates beyond assumptions.
• Adaptability: Course corrects behaviors and communication style to meet the needs of a wide range of situations; tackles obstacles appropriately; is comfortable with ambiguity.
• Reliability: Accountable to others; does what it takes to get the job done; actions are consistent with words; follows through on commitments; exhibits exceptional integrity.
• Attitude: Displays commitment to the organization and to personal growth; self-motivated and able to motivate and inspire others; asserts self appropriately to champion ideas; tells the truth in a direct and constructive manner.
• Initiative: Self-directs with a strong bias for action; leads the way in improvement of performance or processes; displays keen interest in students and organization.

Competencies:

Organizational Impact:

• Works to achieveoperational targetswithin job areas impactingdepartment, function, oroffice results.
• Work is performedindependently onmoderately complexprojects and assignmentswith some guidancerequired for directionand complex tasks. Setsobjectives for oneself to meet the goalsof projects orassignments.

Problem Solving & Decision Making:

• Responsible foremploying adjustmentsor recommendedenhancements tosystems and processes tosolve problems orimprove the job area's effectiveness while leveraginga systems-thinkingapproach.
• Problems faced mayrequire an understanding ofa broader set of issuesand job areas.

Communication & Influence:

• Collaborates with contacts typically within the job area to obtain or provide information requiring some explanation or interpretation.

Leadership & Talent Management

• May provide guidanceand assistance to entry-level professionalsand or supportemployees.
• Demonstrates the WGUleadership principles inall aspects of service tostudents, employees, andpartners of WGU.

Job Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution.
• Three (3) years of experience as the assigned project manager of executive-sponsored projects, with sole responsibility for project initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, and closure.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in higher education, WGU, and program development preferred.
• Master's degree from an accredited institution or higher in relevant field.
• Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification preferred.
• Green or Black Belt Certification.
• Technical product background

Physical Requirements:

• Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at times.

Disclaimer: This Job Description has been designed to indicate the general nature, essential duties, and responsibilities of work performed by employees within this classification. It does not contain a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications that are required of the employee to do this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice. This Job Description does not constitute a contract of employment and the University may exercise its employment-at-will rights at any time.

The salary range for this position takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets; experience and training; licensure and certifications; and other business and organizational needs.

At WGU, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their position, and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the current range is:

How to apply: apply online

Full-time Regular Positions(FT classification, standard working hours = 40)

This is a full-time, regular position that is eligible for bonuses; medical, dental, vision, telehealth and mental healthcare; health savings account and flexible spending account; basic and voluntary life insurance; disability coverage; accident, critical illness and hospital indemnity supplemental coverages; legal and identity theft coverage; retirement savings plan; wellbeing program; discounted WGU tuition; and flexible paid time off for rest and relaxation with no need for accrual, flexible paid sick time with no need for accrual, 11 paid holidays, and other paid leaves, including up to 12 weeks of parental leave.

The University is an equal opportunity employer.All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.