Project Manager III

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Driven by a mission to expand access to higher education through online, competency-based degree programs, WGU is also committed to being a great place to work for a diverse workforce of student-focused professionals. The university has pioneered a new way to learn in the 21st century, one that has received praise from academic, industry, government, and media leaders. Whatever your role, working for WGU gives you a part to play in helping students graduate, creating a better tomorrow for themselves and their families.

The salary range for this position takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets; experience and training; licensure and certifications; and other business and organizational needs.

At WGU, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their position, and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the current range is:

Job Description

Job Profile Summary:

The Project Manager III oversees projects from initiation through completion within the assigned department, ensuring alignment with departmental strategies and priorities. This role is responsible for developing and managing project plans, including schedules and resources, while monitoring progress, mitigating risks, and communicating status to stakeholders and leadership. The Project Manager III ensures adherence to departmental standards and effectively guides project teams to meet objectives on time and within scope. They assist with change management efforts throughout the project teams and department.

Location: This position requires you to work at our headquarters, 4001 South 700 East Salt Lake City, UT 84107. You would work a hybrid schedule in the office 4 days a week with one day remote.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:

• Manages all phases of assigned projects (i.e., initiating, planning, executing, monitoring/controlling, and closing).
• Keeps stakeholders and departmental leadership informed of project statuses, including, but not limited to, milestone achievements, toll gate progress, risks, and any issues that may adversely affect project schedules.
• Keeps project management records and systems accurate and up to date.
• Produces timely and accurate reports as directed.
• Develops realistic project plans and schedules by analyzing organizational process assets, enterprise environmental factors, task dependencies, resource requirements, work breakdown, and departmental strategy and priorities.
• Ensures projects meet organizational standards and are managed in accordance with applicable policies, processes, and procedures.
• Documents project deliverables, outputs, and notes that capture why key project decisions were made.
• Understands departmental strategic priorities and influences the actions and work efforts of team members in line with those priorities.
• Provide input to the Project Management Office (PMO) manager to develop or refine project management procedures and processes for the purpose of improving efficiency.
• Provides leadership, mentorship, and training support to teams, project managers, and associate project managers.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skill and Abilities:

• Project management.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office.
• Ability to use project management systems and tools.

Competencies:

Organizational Impact:

• Works to achieveoperational targets withsignificant to majorimpact on department,Function, or Officeresults. May beresponsible for managinglarge projects orprocesses within thedepartment, function, oroffice.
• Performs work as directed with limited oversight.

Problem Solving & Decision Making:

• Responsible forleveraging a systems-thinking approach,making moderate tosignificant improvementsof processes, systems,and plans within thedepartment, Function, orOffice.
• Problems and issuesfaced are numerous andchallenging, requiringdetailed informationgathering and analysis.Problems typically affectmultiple areas orspecialties.

Communication & Influence:

• Collaborates cross-functionally with employees within and outside ofthe department. Typically hasresponsibility forcommunicating withparties external to theUniversity.
• Works to influenceparties within andoutside thedepartment, Function, orOffice regarding policies,procedures, andpractices.

Leadership & Talent Management

• Isresponsible forproviding guidance,coaching, and training toother employees in thedepartment, Function, orOffice. Responsible for managingprojects involvingdelegation of work andreview of others' workproducts.
• Demonstrates the WGUleadership principles inall aspects of service tostudents, employees, andpartners of WGU.

Job Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications:

• 5+ years of experience using predictive and adaptable methodologies with a BS degree, 3+ years and a master's degree, or a doctorate or terminal degree without experience.

• Demonstrated ability to understand and communicate business needs and terms.
• Strong conflict resolution, negotiation, and problem-solving skills.
• 3+ years working in a higher education environment focused on program design and development
• PMP Certification

Preferred Qualifications:

• Scrum Master certification a plus
• Smartsheet certification or 3+ years Smartsheet experience
• ADKAR certification a plus; prior change management experience required
• 3+ years flowing processes in Lucid or similar software
• 2+ years of experience withSmartsheetfunctional areas likecontrolcenter,workspaces,power apps, sheets,reports, dashboards,etc.
• 1 year of experience working in ServiceNow's Project Module as a Project Manager
• 3 years of experience working in large matrix-based organizations as a Project Manager
• Demonstrate adaptability, process improvement, and resilience through a change mindset

Physical Requirements:

• Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at times.

Position & Application Details

How to Apply: If interested, an application will need to be submitted online. Internal WGU employees will need to apply through the internal job board in Workday.

Additional Information

Disclaimer: The job posting highlights the most critical responsibilities and requirements of the job. It's not all-inclusive.

Accommodations: Applicants with disabilities who require assistance or accommodation during the application or interview process should contact our Talent Acquisition team at recruiting@wgu.edu.

Equal Employment Opportunity: All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any protected characteristic as required by law.