Senior Project Manager, Research

University of British Columbia•Vancouver, BC

About The Position

The Senior Project Manager is responsible for managing the design, development, execution, and evaluation of multiple concurrent strategic projects that are vital to advancing the Faculty of Medicine's strategic plan, with a focus on research. The incumbent will engage senior Faculty leadership and broad stakeholders to understand and define goals and objectives, lead the project conception process, manage a number of concurrent projects of considerable size, diversity, complexity, and risk, and assume responsibility for their successful completion. The Senior Project Manager works independently and with minimal high-level direction from the Senior Advisor to the Dean and VP Health and will work collaboratively to lead cross-functional teams. The incumbent will manage the entire project lifecycle including engaging senior leadership, gathering and analyzing information from stakeholders, preparing project documentation, tracking progress of work/schedules, planning and executing change management strategies and tactics, managing communications, conducting analyses, and other associated project tasks.

Requirements

Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline.
Minimum of five years of related experience, or the equivalent combination of education and experience.
Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one’s own
Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one’s own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion
A project management-related certificate or designation is required.
Project coordination and/or management experience is required.
Excellent communication skills (spoken and written, formal and informal) and computer skills (e.g., with the MS Office Suite) are required.
Must be intuitive as well as analytical.
Excellent time management and organizational skills are required.
Ability to work independently in a self-directed way and take initiative in relation to carrying out assigned tasks is required.
Must be proactive with demonstrated initiative and creative problem solving skills.
Must be able to proactively identify next steps and options, in particular when encountering a challenge.
Must be proficient in estimating resource requirements and operate effectively within resulting budget.
Must have strategic and system thinking skills, with strong attention to detail and ability to see the big picture.
Must have the ability to anticipate problems and issues and plan ahead, and to analyze problems, identify key information leading to effective resolutions.
Openness to feedback and direction is required.
Ability to work independently and under pressure, and to meet deadlines is required.
Ability to plan and manage multiple projects simultaneously and submit quality work within deadlines is required.
Ability to analyze problems, understand situations and motivations, and creatively develop and propose solutions is required.
Must have the ability to effectively facilitate groups to achieve outcomes, and the ability to spontaneously adjust presentation for audience with little to no preparation time.
Proven ability to build and maintain business relationships and to exercise tact, diplomacy, and discretion is required.
Sound judgment and ethical conduct are required.
Excellent interpersonal and team skills are required.
Respectful, inclusive, and professional approach to working with anyone and everyone is required.

Nice To Haves

Experience in strategy development is an asset.
Experience in an academic or postsecondary institution, and especially in research related contexts, is an asset.
Experience in a health care, health education, or health research environment is an asset.

Responsibilities

Designs and manages multiple concurrent projects of considerable size, diversity, complexity, and risk, all of which are vital to advancing the Faculty's strategic objectives, with a particular, but not exclusive, focus on research objectives.
Leads the development of strategic projects that are complex in scope, impact, and diversity of stakeholders, with significant long-term importance and consequence to the Faculty of Medicine.
Leads consultation and conducts analysis to understand the purpose and the intended outcome, and then leads the design and conception of projects that will advance strategic objectives.
Plans projects by defining scope of work and deliverables that will produce the intended outcome, and by estimating time and resource requirements.
Understands change management implications of projects, designs change management strategies and tactics, integrates change management into project management plans, and leads the implementation of change management in projects.
Identifies project risks, develops risk mitigation strategies, incorporates risk mitigation plans into project plans, and leads risk mitigation actions throughout the project lifecycle.
Manages and leads project activities, follows up on action items and deliverables to ensure completion, and keeps the project on track and focused on achieving the intended outcome.
Conducts project work, as needed, depending on capacity and availability of other team members. This often requires accelerated learning of new skills and content areas, as well as superior adaptability.
Manages project transition to operations, closeout, evaluation, and lessons learned activities upon project completion.
Uses diplomacy and leadership skills to manage and lead other team members, often who do not formally report to the Project Manager, to ensure proper completion in light of the full project scope, budget, timeline, and risks.
Researches and writes project documentation including charters, plans, scope statements, schedules, budgets, risk management plans, reports, status updates, and briefing notes, using a variety of formats.
Engages stakeholders from across units and functions in collaborative project work in a way that values their input and is informed by change management principles and best practices.
Develops and implements internal communication tools and business processes for use between team members to keep them informed of project status, scope changes, and milestone achievements.
Plans and leads project meetings, with a focus on advancing the project goal, tracking decisions, and capturing action items for follow up.
Develops positive and productive working relationships with a range of stakeholders from across the organization, and manages day-to-day communications with stakeholders, responding to concerns related to projects.
Deals with faculty, staff, learners, and all others in a respectful and professional manner, consistent with the UBC's Statement on Respectful Environments.
Performs other duties as required.