Open Source Program Manager

University of Wisconsin Madison • Madison, WI

1d

About The Position

UW-Madison's Data Science Institute is seeking a Program Manager to lead the day-to-day management of an Open Source Program Office (OSPO), a new unit on the UW-Madison campus and the data indexing program. Hosted within UW-Madison's Data Science Institute (DSI) and collaborating with Madison College, the Data Science Hub, and the UW-Madison Libraries, the OSPO will grow a culture of open research and provide support for open practices both on the UW-Madison campus and within the Madison area. The data indexing program seeks to find and make accessible common datasets that researchers at UW-Madison use. The Program Manager has an exciting opportunity to lead the operational management of the OSPO, a valuable campus and community resource. The Program Manager will work closely with leadership to implement the vision, goals, objectives, and strategies of the OSPO. The Program Manager will work with partners to develop symposia aimed at increasing open source literacy, organize trainings to up-skill researchers in using tools for open research, manage an internship program for undergraduate students, document project findings and experiences in a series of reports, keep up-to-date on community needs around open source, and helping pursue growth opportunities identified by leadership. This role will also serve as the project manager for the newly launching data cataloging project which is a collaboration of the OSPO, Data Science Institute, Libraries, and other campus stakeholders. The successful applicant for this program will coordinate multiple cross-campus stakeholder contributions as well as manage multiple smaller sub-projects. This role is a great opportunity for someone who enjoys working collaboratively, coordinating distributed teams, and communicating across various communities and stakeholders.

Requirements

• Demonstrated project planning and management experience, including experience managing a program budget.
• Demonstrated effective written, verbal, and interpersonal communication, including writing and editing reports.
• Experience building consensus across groups of stakeholders.
• Ability to prioritize work, keep track of details, and manage a portfolio of activities in complex, dynamic environments.
• Ability to work independently while engaging colleagues and supervisors at strategic or key moments.
• Bachelors required

Nice To Haves

• Experience with project management software, while not required, is preferred.
• Experience in higher education and academic research environments.
• Understanding of open-source communities, culture, licensing, governance, and sustainability models.
• Experience seeking and securing grants, industry partnerships, and other sources of funding.
• masters preferred

Responsibilities

• Leads and manages efforts to determine and coordinate the sharing of resources among component projects to the overall benefit of the program
• Prepares regular reports to communicate the status of the program within and beyond the program team, communicates program goals, risks, and status with program executive level, program sponsors, and stakeholders, and develops and uses appropriate dashboards, measures, and reporting tools
• Engage with external organizations, stakeholders, and projects in the broader open source ecosystem.
• Manages the activities of outside contractors and vendors to ensure they are integrated into the program and that the organization receives satisfactory standards of service
• Creates a program plan and structure, monitors progress and performance against the program plan, and identifies, resolves, or escalates program risks and issues
• Sets priorities, allocates tasks, and collaborates with project staff to meet program targets and milestones. Manages the change control process and acts as the mid-level decision making authority
• Facilitates the estimation of program costs, resources, and time required to complete the overall program, monitors activities and budgets, directs and leads component project manager activities for consistency and alignment, and works with program leadership to ensure these targets are met. Follows established change control processes if targets can no longer be met
• Works with OSPO staff, partners, and open source community collaborators to develop, plan, and execute activities that promote awareness and adoption of open practices and participation in open communities. Assembles and coordinates teams among collaborators for the preparation of grant proposals.

Benefits

• Employees in this position will receive a benefits package that includes vacation, holidays, and paid time off.
• The position also comes with competitive insurance and saving accounts; and retirement benefits.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager