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Job Profile Summary:

The Project Portfolio Manager will stay informed on projects within assigned team and ensure best practices are used across the functional team, mentoring and developing project managers and associate project managers in their work. This individual manages projects from inception through completion within their assigned department. The Project Portfolio Manager monitors and reports project status—including risks, issues affecting project schedules, and milestone achievements—to stakeholders and departmental leadership. The individual develops project plans and schedules and ensures projects meet departmental requirements, standards, policies, and deadlines. The Project Portfolio Manager 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.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:

• Collaborates with other professionals both inside and outside of the university to promote a positive, student-obsessed atmosphere.
• Responsible for maintaining effective communication and coordination within project team.
• Manages all phases of assigned projects (i.e., initiating, planning, executing, monitoring/controlling, and closing).
• 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.
• Keeps project management records and systems accurate and up to date.
• Produces timely and accurate reports as directed.
• 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.
• Documents project deliverables, outputs, and notes that capture why key project decisions were made.
• Understands departmental strategic priorities and influences the actions and work efforts of team members in line those priorities.
• Provides leadership, mentorship, and training support to teams, project managers and associate project managers.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skill and Abilities:

• Excellent leadership and project management skills.
• Works well in a team environment.
• Ability to influence change and motivate others.
• Strong oral and written communications abilities.
• Solid technical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to plan and meet schedules.
• Ability to use all related computer equipment and applications
• Understanding of Business Process Architecture Mapping.

Competencies:

Organizational Impact:

• Responsible for implementing initiatives and projects established by university or department leadership; establishes operational plans for department, function, or office with short-term impact on results. ​
• May deliver input into new processes, standards, or plans that impact overall university or department results.

Problem Solving & Decision Making:

• Leverages a systems-thinking approach for improving existing processes and systems within the department using significant conceptualizing, reasoning, and interpretation.​
• Problems and issues faced are numerous, difficult, and require detailed information gathering and analysis. Typically affect multiple areas or specialties. Problems and issues span a wide range of challenging and unique situations.

Communication & Influence:

• Collaborates cross-functionally with parties within and outside of the department and may occasionally communicate with external parties. ​
• May influence others to accept the job area’s views, practices, concepts, and approaches and conduct briefings with leaders within the University or department.

Leadership & Talent Management

• Responsible for providing guidance, coaching, and training to other employees in the department, Function, or Office. ​
• Provides direction to project team members, including feedback on performance.​
• Demonstrates the WGU leadership principles in all aspects of service to students, employees, and partners of WGU.

Job Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications:

• 7+ years of related experience with a bachelor's degree, or 4+ years and a master's degree, or a Doctorate or Terminal degree with 2+ years of experience.

Department Specific Minimum Qualifications:

• A Masters or Bachelor Degree in Engineering, Quality, Computer Science/Software/Information Management, or Business Management. Education must be from an accredited institution.
• Minimum 7 years’ professional experience in a role that required extensive Project/Change Management skills in a large and distributed organization (5000+ employees).
• Excellent understanding of Change Management theory/techniques, and implementation into a project plan.
• Excellent understanding and skills in the change management process.
• Minimum of 7 years of progressive project management & business transformation experience.
• Project Management qualification (PMP) or equivalent.
• Professional experience in strategic planning, risk management.
• Proficiency in project management software tools.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience working with ServiceNow for project and portfolio management.
• Change management certification.
• Experience working in a highly matrixed environment.
• Experience working with executive leadership to translate strategic initiatives into actionable projects.

Physical Requirements:

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

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:

Pay Range: $106,700.00 - $165,400.00WGU will accept applications for this position until 12:00 AM ET, 10/21/2024

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.