Manager of Project Management

Department: IT Admn Sys Ofc Portfolio Mgmt
Salary/Grade: ITS/84

Job Summary:

The Manager of Project Management leads the Administrative Systems team managing the execution of programs and projects. Reporting to the Associate Vice President of Administrative Systems of Northwestern Information Technology, this position also: 1) manages project management standards, project administration, best practices and community of practice; 2) leads activities to ensure projects meet business objectives, are of high quality, and are delivered on time within scope and budget; 3) works with Administrative System teams, business partners and leaders in the Northwestern IT departments to understand their needs and translate them into effective solutions that support organizational goals and objectives; 4) collaborates with the Administrative Systems management team and other Northwestern IT technology leaders to plan and deliver effective IT services; and 5) performs management functions, including annual project planning, procurement, contract negotiations, and talent management activities.

Specific Responsibilities:

• Leadership Leads the maintenance of the Administrative Systems project management practices and administration.
• Leads the development, implementation, and maintenance of project, and resource management policies, standards, procedures, and best practices.
• Collaborates with the Administrative Systems leadership team, Northwestern IT management and staff members to plan and deliver effective services.
• Provides leadership to drive strategy and continuous improvements in program management, project management and project administration.
• Leads the community of practice for project management within Administrative Systems including coordination will all full-time project managers within the organization.
• Leads project management of new opportunities and other special projects as assigned by the CIO or central administration.
• Management. Manages and motivates the staff in providing program and project management services to Northwestern University faculty, staff, and students.
• Selects project teams and delegates responsibilities to achieve the goals of a project, deliver project results on time and within budgets, while also contributing to professional development of team members.
• Develops project metrics and feedback measurements to ensure professional delivery of projects according to best practices, Administrative Systems expectations and standards, and proven methodologies.
• Plans, directs, coordinates, and provides oversight to staff of internal and contract project managers related to the portfolio of Administative System projects.
• Provides direct guidance on project management, project administration, resource planning, prioritization, and budgeting.
• Responsible for project management tools implementation, enhancements, administration, maintenance, and systems training needs.
• Fosters team growth through targeted individual project assignments and establishing of complimentary mentor/mentee relationships.
• Oversees supervisors in recruiting, onboarding, training, evaluating, and managing, and developing assigned staff and student employees.
• When necessary, advises subordinate supervisors on appropriate procedures for managing within University policies.
• Collaboration. Works in partnership with Administrative System directors and managers, other NUIT leaders, and technology leaders in schools and departments to coordinate service delivery between the central IT units and the distributed IT units (collectively known as the IT@NU community).
• Works with the University community to determine the capabilities, options, and applicability of existing technologies and services within IT, along with possible extensions in support of the University's mission.
• Collaborates with University colleagues to provide IT services that advance the strategic goals of the University.
• Consults with University schools and departments on appropriate new services that will further the University's strategic goals and initiatives, and recommends achievable goals and resource requirements.
• Identifies, analyzes, and supports shared service initiatives with other University IT leaders.
• Customer Service. Provides excellent customer service, including proactively offering services to enable members of the Northwestern IT community to more effectively manage their projects.
• Effectively measures user satisfaction with IT services, and works within the Northwestern IT community to improve services and satisfaction over time.
• Advises and consults with Northwestern IT departments about project management needs and the appropriate use of services offered by the organization.
• Represents the organization at customer meetings, internal IT meetings, and meetings with senior administrators.
• Participates in national groups (e.g., Educause) to share experiences, learn best practices from others, and influence policy formulation.
• Miscellaneous. Perfroms various management functions related to the organization, including annual portfolio planning, budgeting, procurement, contract negotiations, and personnel evaluations and actions.
• Provides input into the budget, and manages in a fiscally responsible manner.
• Performs other duties as required and directed.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent education, training, and experience from which comparable skills, abilities, and knowledge was acquired.
• Minimum 10 years experience in IT with a track record of high performance and increasing responsibility.
• At least 5+ years of relevant experience in Portfolio Management Leadership, PMO Leadership, or Project Management operations at portfolio or program level.

Minimum Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities.)

• Excellent staff management skills, including:
• Experience in selection and hiring of customer-focused staff members;
• Clear programs of staff development through training and mentoring;
• Clear expression of expectations, goals, and timelines, with appropriate delegation, monitoring of progress.
• Demonstrated ability to align project management approaches with individual project needs, to blend PM methodologies to meet project requirements, to manage competing demands, and to adapt to shifting priorities and timelines.
• Evidence of business analysis skills (e.g. requirements gathering, impact assessment, user acceptance testing, use case development, gap analysis).
• Demonstrated familiarity with project portfolio management methods, (e.g. project intake, prioritization, resource demand planning, communication).
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including public speaking and the ability to clearly present technology solutions and services to non-technical staff and administrators.
• Excellent organizational skills, management of own time, and respect for the time of others.
• Proven ability to think both strategically (e.g., long-term needs) as well as tactically (e.g., current needs/schedule trade-offs).
• Demonstrated ability to envision campus-wide approaches to IT services and to develop and implement effective plans for service delivery.
• Excellent planning and scheduling skills, with the ability to be flexible in the face of sometimes uncontrollable changes.
• Proven ability to effectively control and/or participate in multiple projects of varying priorities in a fast-paced environment in a consistently professional manner.
• Proven ability to manage, motivate, and evaluate professional IT staff.
• Ability to establish and maintain respectful and effective relationships with management, co-workers, and customers.
• Ability to work effectively with a range of responsible parties throughout the University, either as a project leader or as a team member, to advance projects to timely and successful completion.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze problems from multiple points of view, to lead consensus building within groups with differing views, and to translate consensus into planned action.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience utilizing standard and agile project management methodologies.
• Demonstrated experience using Project and Portfolio Management tools.
• Experience with design, delivery and evaluation with traditional and modern training methods (e.g. instructor led training, e-learning, workshops, simulations).
• Past experience in a university or a highly-decentralized corporate environment, with career emphasis on planning and implementation of large, multi-divisional product launches and subsequent support.

Preferred Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities)

• Certification as a project management professional.
• Experience with ITSM principles and methodologies.

Target hiring range for this position will be between $ $140,246 to 150,000 per year. Offered salary will be determined by the applicant's education, experience, knowledge, skills and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data.

Benefits:
At Northwestern, we are proud to provide meaningful, competitive, high-quality health care plans, retirement benefits, tuition discounts and more! Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/index.html to learn more.

Work-Life and Wellness:
Northwestern offers comprehensive programs and services to help you and your family navigate life's challenges and opportunities, and adopt and maintain healthy lifestyles.
We support flexible work arrangements where possible and programs to help you locate and pay for quality, affordable childcare and senior/adult care. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/work-life/index.html to learn more.

Professional Growth & Development:
Northwestern supports employee career development in all circumstances whether your workspace is on campus or at home. If you're interested in developing your professional potential or continuing your formal education, we offer a variety of tools and resources. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/learning/index.html to learn more.

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