Senior Project Manager

Primary Purpose:
In support of the University’s strategic priorities, the Senior Project Manager leads the implementation and planning of large university-wide projects. The Senior Project Manager will work closely with customers from inception through to completion ensuring major projects are developed, designed, and delivered to meet or exceed campus client expectations in regard to functionality, schedule and budget.

Nature of Work:
Reporting to the Director, Shared Services, in the Vice President, Administration portfolio in a high-volume, complex and dynamic environment of shifting priorities and deadlines.The Senior Project Manager is required to build and maintain positive relationships with a broad range of internal and external stakeholders to ensure a collaborative and problem solving environment. This position will deal with multiple projects with competing priorities and deadlines and routinely addresses internal and external complexities impeding the delivery of service. Customer service is our primary goal with stewardship of the campus's physical assets strongly embedded within the services we provide.

This position establishes programs and procedures for project control, risk analysis and quality in an effort to minimize institutional risk exposure while ensuring optimum utilization of resources.

This position will deal with a complex and demanding portfolio of projects within the institution, with competing priorities and deadlines and routinely addresses internal and external complexities impeding the delivery of service.The Program Manager is responsible for the successful implementation major projects within budget, on schedule, and to the satisfaction of stakeholders.

Accountabilities:

Project Management:

• Understanding the project scope, schedule, deliverables; and working closely with internal stakeholders to recognize their needs and expectations.
• End to end project management – project initiation, planning, execution, control, and closure.
• Collaborating effectively with internal stakeholders, both in-person and through remote working models as needed.
• Transition and change management – pre, during and post project implementation.
• Project stakeholder management – working closely with internal and external stakeholders.
• Partner relationship management – maintaining a healthy working relationship without compromising on deliverables and outcomes.
• Project scope and schedule management.
• Driving periodic project reviews and mitigating risks with due diligence and a data driven approach.
• Escalating project issues to the senior management when needed.
• Contributing to the delivery of all aspects of the project and services: controlling and reporting on project activities, systems and information security.
• Driving accountability and continual service improvements - reviewing support practices, performing trend analysis on key operational metrics, ensuring a high focus on end-to-end project delivery.
• Reporting, analyzing, and resolving issues related to the implementation, stakeholders, and project operations that may impact service quality; ensuring that stakeholders’ questions and problems are resolved properly and quickly.
• Improving support experience for quality results by studying, evaluating, and redesigning processes, establishing and communicating service metrics, monitoring and analyzing results, and implementing changes.
• Using and creating knowledgebase articles based on new product information, support incidents, and/ or common or critical issues.
• Implementing process optimization, improvements, and modernization initiatives where appropriate.
• Identifying process inefficiencies and compliance issues, and implementing strategic solutions.
• Participating actively and collaborating within the project management team, providing feedback on current day to day activities, and recommending improvements.
• Partake in professional development and review industry and management/leadership information, to stay current with respect to industry best practices.

Risk Management:

• Assess progress against strategic priorities project scope and timelines, assessing where barriers exist and bringing forward recommendations to the Director, Shared Services on how these may be addressed.
• Support the regular reporting process through project and university governance processes and groups.
• Ensure compliance with university policies and regulations, provincial and federal laws and regulations pertaining to the portfolio.
• Ensure all projects align with the strategic direction of the University of Saskatchewan, while also considering external stakeholders, such as the provincial government.

EDI Accountabilities:

• Supports actions against discriminatory or racist behavior in our university; contributing to the dismantling of institutional structures, policies and processes that contribute to inequalities faced by marginalized groups.
• Ensures planning and solutions retain Indigenous and EDI priorities, commitments, actions and outcomes.

Qualifications:

• PMP certification or equivalent project management certifications required.
• A post-secondary degree or diploma in a relevant discipline (i.e. Business administration, computer science, etc.)
• A master’s degree in a relevant field would be considered an asset.
• Significant years of experience in project management in a matrix organization
• Strong leadership and communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple project and prioritize tasks effectively.
• Experience leading cross-functional teams.
• Change management and quality management certifications are a preferred asset.

We appreciate that non-traditional career paths may have developed a candidate’s competency, and alternate combinations of education and experience will be considered. 

Skills:

• Knowledge of project management tools and software
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Ability to work independently and in a team environment.
• Ability to work under pressure and manage tight deadlines.
• Knowledge or experience with business process mapping, project planning, execution and control
• Experience with various collaboration platforms such as Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Project, IT tools, media asset management and similar ones.
• Good understanding of Procurement and Supply Chain Management.
• Experience in the development of management dashboards using Microsoft Power BI would be an added advantage.
• Knowledge or exposure to cloud infrastructure and migration, and integration with various software solutions.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills; be able to communicate effectively at all levels of the Institution, including with senior management.
• Ability to handle changing priorities, deal with ambiguity and use good judgment in stressful situations.
• Ability to take on-time decisions even in the face of complexity, balancing systematic analysis with decisiveness.

The University is committed to employment equity, diversity, and inclusion, and are proud to support career opportunities for Indigenous peoples to reflect the community we serve. We are dedicated to recruiting individuals who will enrich our work and learning environments. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, in accordance with Canadian immigration requirements, Canadian citizens and permanent residents will be given priority. We are committed to providing accommodations to those with a disability or medical necessity. If you require an accommodation to participate in the recruitment process, please notify us and we will work together on the accommodation request. We continue to grow our partnerships with Indigenous communities across the province, nationally, and internationally and value the unique perspective that Indigenous employees provide to strengthening these relationships. Verification of Indigenous Membership/Citizenship at the University of Saskatchewan is led and determined by the deybwewin | taapwaywin | tapwewin: Indigenous Truth policy and Standing Committee in accordance with the processes developed to enact the policy. Successful candidates that assert Indigenous membership/citizenship will be asked to complete the verification process of Indigenous membership/citizenship with documentation. The University of Saskatchewan’s main campus is situated on Treaty 6 Territory and the Homeland of the Métis. We pay our respects to the First Nations and Métis ancestors of this place and reaffirm our relationship with one another. Together, we are uplifting Indigenization to a place of prominence at the University of Saskatchewan.

Please note that a strong internal candidate has been identified.

Department: Shared Services Delivery
Status: Permanent
Employment Group: ASPA
Shift: Mon-Fri, 8:00-4:30
Full Time Equivalent (FTE): 1.0
Salary: The salary range, based on 1.0 FTE, is $85,555.00 - 142,503.00 per annum. The starting salary will be commensurate with education and experience.
Salary Family (if applicable): Specialist Professional
Salary Phase/Band: Phase 3
Posted Date: 4/16/2024
Closing Date: 4/23/2024 at 6:00 pm CST
Number of Openings: 1
Work Location: May be eligible for hybrid work under the terms of USask's Alternative Workspace Guidelines