IT Project Leader, Wharton Computing

University of Pennsylvania•Philadelphia, PA

3d•Onsite

About The Position

Wharton Computing's Strategic Partnership Team works with Wharton’s academic and administrative departments as dedicated IT partners. Their role is to help faculty, staff, and students use technology effectively to support teaching, research, and operations. They achieve this by engaging directly with departments to understand their goals and workflows, identifying opportunities where technology can add value, and coordinating with Wharton Computing teams to design and implement solutions. They provide thought leadership and ensure that technology initiatives are aligned with departmental priorities and the School’s broader objectives. The IT Project Leader serves as the Strategic Partner for assigned academic departments, providing consistent ownership and coordination of the faculty technology experience. This role operates at the intersection of academic strategy and operational execution, ensuring that technology solutions are aligned, sustainable, and responsive to faculty needs. The IT Project Leader works closely with faculty and department leadership to understand priorities, provide consultation, and coordinate across Wharton Computing teams to ensure effective delivery and continuity of support. This includes helping translate departmental needs into actionable initiatives, supporting planning efforts, and ensuring that work is aligned and communicated across teams. The IT Project Leader will lead and coordinate technology initiatives, ensuring clear ownership, alignment, and successful outcomes. In addition to project involvement, this role ensures continuity from initial engagement through resolution, stepping in when coordination, clarification, or escalation is required. The IT Project Leader builds strong, ongoing relationships with faculty and departmental leadership, ensuring needs are clearly understood and effectively represented within Wharton Computing. The role requires balancing responsiveness with long-term sustainability, helping departments make informed decisions that consider risk, compliance requirements, and operational impact.

Requirements

Bachelor of Science and 2 to 3 years of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience is required.
Demonstrated experience leading complex, cross-functional technology initiatives from strategy through successful implementation.
Demonstrated understanding of emerging technologies, including AI-enabled tools, and the ability to evaluate their strategic, operational, and ethical implications in an academic environment.
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate complex technical concepts for non-technical stakeholders.
Proven ability to drive organizational change and support adoption of new systems, processes, and workflows.
Strong ability to translate business needs into clear technical requirements and actionable project plans.
Experience partnering effectively with senior academic and administrative leadership to influence decision-making without direct authority.
Ability to manage multiple concurrent initiatives while balancing competing priorities and stakeholder expectations.
Experience analyzing and optimizing business processes to deliver measurable operational improvements.
Familiarity with enterprise systems, integrations, and data governance considerations in a complex IT environment.
Experience managing vendor relationships, evaluating third-party solutions, and overseeing service delivery performance.
Demonstrated ability to coordinate across multiple teams and stakeholders to deliver clear, consistent outcomes without direct authority.

Nice To Haves

ITSM/ITIL experience a plus.
Prior experience in Higher Education.

Responsibilities

Serve as the named Strategic Partner for assigned departments, providing consistent engagement with faculty and departmental stakeholders
Engage directly with faculty to understand needs, provide consultation, and address simple issues when appropriate or capture and coordinate requests across teams
Coordinate and route requests across Wharton Computing teams, ensuring clear context, alignment, and timely resolution, particularly for complex or cross-functional issues
Represent departmental needs within Wharton Computing, ensuring alignment with available services and resources
Build and maintain strong relationships with faculty, department leadership, and administrative staff through regular engagement
Facilitate cross-team collaboration by forming and leading pod-based teams, bringing together stakeholders across Wharton Computing to address departmental needs
Lead and coordinate technology initiatives, ensuring clear scope, alignment, and successful delivery, while working in partnership with specialized service teams
Support faculty in the effective use of technology for teaching and research, including emerging tools such as AI-enabled classroom technologies
Identify patterns, recurring issues, and opportunities for improvement across departments
Ensure that solutions align with university standards, security requirements, and operational expectations

Benefits

Excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families
Generous retirement benefits
A wide variety of professional development opportunities
Supportive work and family benefits
A wealth of health and wellness programs and resources
Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts
Tuition assistance for employees, spouses, and dependent children
Retirement plans (Basic, Matching, and Supplemental)
Time away from work (vacations, personal affairs, illness, family time)
Long-Term Care Insurance
Wellness and Work-life Resources
Professional and Personal Development resources
Access to a wide range of University resources, cultural and recreational activities
Discounts and Special Services (arts, entertainment, transportation, mortgages, cell phone service, movie tickets, theme parks)
Flexible Work Hours
Penn Home Ownership Services (forgivable loan for eligible employees)
Adoption Assistance