Project Manager - Waterloo, Canada - University of Waterloo

Description

Overview

Term - 2 Years

The Project Manager (PM) will primarily focus on managing and coordinating Advancement Systems projects, with a specific emphasis on the implementation project for our new Blackbaud CRM (BBCRM) enterprise application. Reporting directly to the Director of Systems, the incumbent will be responsible for leading, gathering status information, updating project plans, monitoring deadlines, collaborating with stakeholders, organizing meetings, liaising with external vendors, and documenting the entire project lifecycle, to ensure that all projects are completed in a timely fashion to meet the strategic goals of the department and university.

The PM is expected to demonstrate diversification within their roles, as they are sometimes asked to assist with administrative functions, change management, research and reporting, continuous improvement, and other activities to ensure success.

Responsibilities

Manage and support the BBCRM Implementation project

• Coordinate and manage the BBCRM implementation project tasks under the direction of the Director of Systems and our implementation teams, in collaboration with the vendor's Project Manager
• Monitor and manage ongoing project tasks for the BBCRM project, ensuring alignment with deadlines set by the implementation vendor, as well as internal deadlines established by internal project implementation teams.
• Develop additional project plans for activities and tasks not covered by the Implementation Vendor's project plan to establish a comprehensive project plan and task inventory
• Develop key project documents for the BBCRM Implementation Project, including but not limited to problem statements, business cases, project charters, business requirements, change requests, status reports, milestones, achievements, benefits, risks, and stakeholder registers
• Support the Director of Systems and/or Project Team with coordinating meetings, drafting minutes, and action items, and ensuring action items are completed on time
• Support the closing process for BBCRM projects, ensuring all documentation is made available for lessons learned and for updating impacted processes, tools, and templates
• Provide weekly status updates to the Director of Systems and key Project Team members
• Through regular updates and meetings, appraise and report on both the overall health and progress of the projects
• Assist the Director of Systems in assessing the workload of the teams involved in course development and assist with new project scheduling and staffing
• Build and maintain relationships with key internal stakeholders and partners to ensure project success
• Facilitate the resolution of conflicts that could arise due to inadequate status reporting, disagreement on progress to date, quality of issue management, and/or miscommunication
• Escalate significant issues to the Director of Systems, providing a detailed description of the problem, a comprehensive analysis of available options, and recommendations for remediation

General Project Management support for the Systems Team:

• Coordinate/manage other small to mid-size technology and non-technology projects in the Advancement Systems portfolio under the direction of the Director of Systems
• Coordinate and control the end-to-end process of capturing data for all key project documents, including but not limited to problem statements, business cases, project charters, business requirements, change requests, status reports, milestones, achievements, benefits, risks, and stakeholder registers
• Support the Director of Systems and/or Project Manager in developing robust business cases and charters to ensure that the project's scope, benefits, impacts, costs, and timelines are fully described, thereby resulting in effective and efficient execution
• Define, document, and manage the project scope and deliverables
• Prioritize and schedule program development based on business needs and capacity limitations of the Systems Team (both personnel and systems)
• Coordinate meetings, draft minutes, and action items, and ensure action items are completed on time
• Utilize department project management tools to manage a yearly portfolio of Systems projects.
• Identify risks and contingencies and plan/manage those contingencies as they arise
• Facilitate the resolution of bottlenecks and issues within project teams as they arise, and escalate the issue if it cannot be resolved within the team
• Support the closing process for projects, ensuring all documentation is made available for lessons learned and for updating impacted processes, tools, and templates
• Provide routine status updates on key projects

Create and maintain project schedules, status reports, and documentation

• Build and maintain master project/program schedules and Gantt charts, presenting status to the Director of Systems and project teams weekly
• Create and maintain comprehensive project documentation, encompassing detailed project schedules, risks, change management, and communication activities
• Regularly update the Director of Systems about any variances from the project plans
• Utilize departmental project management tools to organize, track, and manage project tasks and milestones
• Update project sites for each project with relevant supporting documentation to ensure they are regularly updated
• Assist in the creation of end-user documentation, supporting change management activities, and facilitating effective communication across the project team
• Monitor project budget and report variances
• Regularly provide monthly project update status reports to the Director of Systems and other key project partners

Other duties

• Engage in various system or department projects, undertaking assigned tasks such as documentation, communication, organization, and attending meetings
• Undertake any additional tasks and responsibilities as assigned

Qualifications

• University degree or equivalent post-secondary education and/or experience required, preferably in Information Systems, or a related area of study and work experience
• A Project Management Professional (PMP) certification is desired. A certification in CAPM (Certified Associate Project Manager) may be considered
• 5+ years of successful experience as a project coordinator or project manager, demonstrating proficiency in leading technology projects, preferably within higher education or a service environment
• Exposure and experience supporting projects using Waterfall, Agile, and/or hybrid project methodologies
• Proven ability to exercise leadership without formal authority, thriving in a collaborative team environment
• Business maturity and a keen awareness of topics and matters that are confidential and sensitive
• Hands-on experience using project management tools such as MS Project and Asana
• Demonstrated ability to apply new concepts, tools, and processes effectively
• Proven experience in producing high-quality, error-free deliverables within tight deadlines
• Experience with projects implementing large CRM or ERP applications would be an asset
• Strong interpersonal, organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills
• Strong leadership and negotiation skills, with a proven record of fostering team cohesion
• Ability to handle multiple tasks, work effectively in teams or independently, and adapt to a changing environment
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to provide and present timely and relevant feedback/reporting to various stakeholders
• Demonstrated ability to create attainable project objectives and see them through to successful completion
• Demonstrated commitment to the core values of respect, equity, diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism
• Strong presentation skills, with expertise in using Microsoft PowerPoint
• Intermediate knowledge of Microsoft Project or any other project management tool, including resourcing, burndown, costing, and leveling
• Demonstrated experience effectively using multiple software applications, including Microsoft Suite, JIRA, MS Teams, and Confluence
• Knowledge of the ASANA project management tool would be an asset