Program & Project Management Associate Director

University of Wisconsin Madison•Madison, WI

6d•Hybrid

About The Position

Are you passionate about leading large-scale initiatives and building high-performing teams? Join our team as the Associate Director of Program and Project Management and play a key leadership role in advancing the university's critical technology, cybersecurity, and transformational changes. As a member of the Portfolio and Project Management Office (PPMO) leadership team, you will lead a team of professionals responsible for delivering complex, enterprise-wide programs and projects. This role advances program and project management capabilities, strengthens enterprise planning practices, and helps ensure the university's strategic investments deliver meaningful outcomes for students, faculty, researchers, and staff.

Requirements

Progressively responsible experience in project, program, and portfolio management, including operational leadership responsibilities.
Demonstrated experience leading cross-functional initiatives and cultivating strong relationships with leaders, stakeholders, and business units to achieve strategic outcomes.
Proven experience leading the development and enhancement of business processes, service practices, and program and project management frameworks that support organizational effectiveness, change readiness, and continuous improvement.
Demonstrated experience supervising, coaching, developing, and supporting professional staff, including managing multiple direct reports and fostering high-performing environments.
Demonstrated commitment to the professional principles of project management and delivery competencies, as evidenced by a Project Management Institute (PMI) Project Management Professional (PMP), Program Management Professional (PgMP), Portfolio Management Professional (PfMP), certification or equivalent.

Nice To Haves

Experience managing team workloads, resource allocation, and prioritization across concurrent initiatives, including environments utilizing cost-recovery or chargeback funding models.
Experience leading the successful completion of large-scale enterprise programs and initiatives, demonstrating an understanding of IT organizational structures, staffing models, and diverse technology domains.
Experience working in higher education, research, government, healthcare, or other complex shared governance environments.

Responsibilities

Playing a pivotal role in driving our organization's objectives by overseeing the program and project management practices. Your expertise in these functions will be essential to leading the team to deliver the intended value of our portfolio.
Managing a diverse and talented team of professionals will be at the heart of your responsibilities. Your strong leadership and motivational skills will foster collaboration, excellence, and a positive work culture.
Building and maintaining strong relationships with stakeholders will be key to achieving our desired outcomes. Your effective communication and negotiation skills will drive successful project delivery and stakeholder satisfaction at its core.
Championing a culture of continuous improvement. You will inspire and empower the team to identify opportunities to optimize our practices, enhance operational efficiency, and achieve excellence in our practices and the outcomes we deliver.
Empowering team members to reach their full potential will be a rewarding aspect of your role. Your passion for mentoring and coaching individuals will contribute to their professional growth and career success.
Serves as a liaison representing the interests of the institution to internal and external stakeholders
Advises institutional or divisional leadership on information technology operations and business models
May perform manager functions
Directs strategic information technology planning initiatives and establishes objectives for the institution to ensure appropriate use of financial, administrative, staffing resources in alignment with the strategic plan
Develops operating policies and procedures to comply with regulations, institutional policies, and unit objectives
Exercises supervisory authority, including hiring, transferring, suspending, promoting, managing conduct and performance, discharging, assigning, rewarding, disciplining, and/or approving hours worked of at least 2.0 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees