Senior Advisor, Special Projects

University of Ottawa•Ottawa, ON

2d•CA$96,570 - CA$120,712•Onsite

About The Position

Helps the leadership team at the Office of the Provost and Vice-President, Academic Affairs, develop and implement University-wide strategic projects and initiatives, particularly in connection with the digital learning strategy and other one-time projects related to the provost’s mandate. Helps structure and monitor a project portfolio (objectives, deadlines, risks, indicators), to strengthen delivery capacity and institutional consistency. Provides advice, high-quality guidance and support to partners across campus. Delivers leadership, guidance, execution and support on project development, processes, regulations and best practices. Working closely with the manager, develops and implements action plans that align with strategic directions, to help achieve project objectives and support service excellence.

Requirements

University degree in administration or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience (master’s an asset)
Five years’ experience in major project management
Excellent knowledge of planning concepts and experience in developing business plans
Experience in developing organizational performance evaluation frameworks (establishing objectives, targets, strategies, initiatives and performance indicators)
Knowledge of and experience in applying principles of organizational change
Knowledge of university programs and regulations
Strong analytical and critical thinking skills
Ability to develop and maintain strong relationships with various stakeholders on and off campus
Ability to adapt to changing requirements and processes, challenge ideas and embrace new methods and procedures
Ability to be proactive and keep up to date on new and emerging processes
Proven ability to think strategically about complex issues, producing well-considered recommendations and action plans
Foresight, tact and diplomacy when interacting with University administrators and professors of all ranks
Strong skills in analyzing and processing statistical data, and in clearly explaining the results to laypeople
Excellent organizational skills, including managing priorities, tight deadlines and followup
Strong communication skills, both oral and written
Bilingualism
Planning: Organize in time a series of actions or events in order to realize an objective or a project. Plan and organize own work and priorities in regular daily activities.
Initiative: Demonstrate creativity and initiative to suggest improvements and encourage positive results. Is proactive and self-starting. Show availability and willingness to go above and beyond whenever it is possible.
Client Service Orientation: Help or serve others to meet their needs. This implies anticipating and identifying the needs of internal and external clients and finding solutions on how to meet them.
Teamwork and Cooperation: Cooperate and work well with other members of the team to reach common goal(s). Accept and give constructive feedback. Able to adjust own behaviour to reach the goals of the team.

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of portfolio management practices, tracking indicators and dashboards (an asset)
Familiarity with the “Agile” approach (an asset)
Experience in co-ordinating with vendors or third parties (an asset)

Responsibilities

In keeping with the office’s priorities and projects, analyzes needs, establishes directions and develops action plans for short-, medium- and long-term projects based on needs and overall objectives.
Develops and maintains project management tools and templates (e.g., charts, project plans, risk registers, schedules and followup plans), to ensure a consistent, rigorous approach.
Develops project proposals, collects and analyzes data, documents work and makes recommendations to the leadership team.
Manages the office’s special project portfolios, to ensure events, activities and initiatives are planned and carried out successfully.
Anticipates issues and proposes innovative, priority-focused solutions.
Determines risks and applies contingency measures to ensure project continuity.
Anticipates the key resources (human, material, financial and space-related) needed to meet project objectives.
Contributes to application and evolution of common project management practices (framework, milestones, control mechanisms), taking into account interdependencies and governance questions associated with projects.
Ensures action plans are implemented effectively by engaging teams and liaising with key partners.
Applies monitoring tools, evaluates progress and adjusts plans as needed to achieve intended results.
Supports various working groups in planning, tracking deadlines and implementing action plans.
Develops main indicators for performance evaluation based on project objectives, and conducts timely followup.
Co-ordinates data collection needed for performance monitoring and accountability, and produces summaries to support decision-making.
Monitors special project performance and results by assessing key indicators and documenting lessons learned.
Formulates recommendations on how to improve project management processes, tools and practices.
Contributes to strategic planning and reviews, offering perspectives and reflections resulting from special projects.
Identifies and proposes new initiatives in line with strategic directions to promote continuous improvement in special project planning and generate more value added for the provost’s office and the University.
Creates and maintains standardized operational documentation for provost’s office processes.
Provides expert-level support, consultations and instructions to University stakeholders.
Serves as a subject matter expert to provide guidance on special projects. This includes offering advice on project governance, cross-functional co-ordination and monitoring approaches (risks, deadlines, indicators), as required for the task.