Project Manager

Department: IT Admn Sys Ofc Portfolio Mgmt
Salary/Grade: ITS/80

Job Summary:

Performs dual roles as PPM admin and project manager working on multiple small-to-medium projects or one larger project. The PPM admin performs general PPM administration and participates in providing PPM operational services across Northwestern IT. As a project manager, this person works with key project stakeholders to finalize project scope definition, functional and/or technical leads to assign project team members, and the identified project team to build and monitor the project schedule. The project manager will also analyze project data and report project progress and status. This person works closely with project managers, team leads, and technical and functional managers. This person may also communicate with directors, the Administrative Systems AVP, and project stakeholders.

Specific Responsibilities:

PPM Administration

• Administers and maintains project management tools, including PPM tool and OPM SharePoint site.
• Champions PPM processes and provides assistance (as needed) with using tools to plan, estimate, schedule, and report project work.
• Supports monitoring and reporting of project progress and status.
• Develop views, reports, dashboards, and metrics that provide meaningful operational and performance metrics.
• Analyzes and interprets PPM data for trends and anomalies. Makes recommendations to OPM leadership.
• Onboard new PPM tool users

Project Management

• Manages the initiation, planning, execution, monitoring/controlling and closing of Information Technology (IT) projects in support of organizational area's strategic objectives and ongoing operations.
• Interacts with project leadership to determine and document project objectives, scope, functional requirements, metrics, key performance indicators and stakeholders.
• Collaborates with functional and/or technical lead to determine resource requirements, budget, and deliverables.
• Coordinates projects for selected clients; manages and maintains project management tools, facilitates planning, estimating, and scheduling project work, and supports monitoring and reporting project performance and progress.
• Collaborates with Project Sponsor and project team to establish project timelines and scope, in cooperation with project leadership.
• Communicates project status, decisions, approved changes, risks and issues to all stakeholders facilitating decision-making, project performance, and project progress.

Development

• Performs research for future potential IT services and applications; investigates and compares alternative applications and vendors.
• Develops and maintains organizational area's document repository.
• Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications: (Education, experience, and any other certifications or clearances)

• Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree; OR appropriate combination of education and experience.
• 2 years coordinating Information Technology (IT) projects or other relevant experience required.
• Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Access, Outlook)
• Microsoft SharePoint
• PPM Tool (Daptiv)
• critical thinking
• decision making
• judgment
• troubleshooting
• collaboration and teamwork
• evaluate resources
• facilitate collaboration
• iterative & incremental development
• organizational skills
• planning
• write proposals and project charters

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

• Knowledge of project portfolio management practices, including demand management and resource management.
• Knowledge of structured project management, including common principles, methodologies, and tools used by practitioners.
• Ability to analyze portfolio, resource, and project data.
• Ability to plan and schedule projects, including estimating time and resources, with an ability to track, manage, and report on projects as they are executed, adjusting as needed based on project experience.
• Ability to present ideas, both orally and in written form to analytical, functional, and technical staff as well as customers and to manage expectations related to project timelines and deliverables.
• Customer service and collaboration skills.
• Ability to work independently and provide appropriate status reporting to all relevant parties; ability to manage multiple concurrent tasks effectively.
• Understanding of PPM and/or project management tools and their application to project work, such as Daptiv, Microsoft Project, or similar tools.

Preferred Qualifications: (Education and experience)

• Experience managing IT projects as a project manager, project lead, project coordinator, or project admin.
• Knowledge of the software development process, cloud implementation process, and/or industry standards to support the processes.
• Experience working with Agile approaches to software development and Agile teams, including cross functional teams.
• Experience in a higher education institution or other non-profit organization.

Preferred Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities)

• PMP or CAPM certification
• Agile certification (Scrum, Kanban, Lean, Agile, etc)

Target hiring amount for this position will be $90,000 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.

Northwestern strongly recommends COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters for people who can obtain them as a critical tool for minimizing severe illness. More information can be found on the COVID-19 and Campus Updates webpage.

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Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action Employer of all protected classes, including veterans and individuals with disabilities. Women, racial and ethnic minorities, individuals with disabilities, and veterans are encouraged to apply. Click for information on EEO is the Law.