Academic Project Portfolio Manager

UW–Madison Division of Continuing Studies; Madison (WI); Hybrid; USD 78,000 - 96,000; Full time

Job summary

UW–Madison Division of Continuing Studies seeks a Project Portfolio Manager to oversee a portfolio of academic programs, working with senior management to maximize value, build synergies, and align with strategic goals. The role focuses on risk management, budget oversight, and reporting across projects.

This is a one-year fixed-term appointment with the possibility of extension or conversion based on need and funding.

Qualifications

• 7+ years working in higher education.
• 5+ years experience working with online education.
• 3+ years of supervisory experience.
• Proven leadership ability and project management responsibility.
• Demonstrated organizational problem-solving skills and attention to detail.
• Capacity to be effective in a fast paced, results driven division.
• Strong interpersonal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Oversees a varied portfolio of projects and informs strategic planning, decision-making, and resource allocation.
• Provides advice to, and performance management support for the division's leadership.
• Monitors lifecycles for a varied portfolio of projects, tracks progress, identifies risks, and collaborates to implement changes.
• Assists in the development of strategic planning initiatives and objectives to ensure appropriate use of financial, administrative, and staffing resources, in alignment with the strategic plan.
• Manages and evaluates portfolio budget and objectives in collaboration with key stakeholders and leadership.
• Prepares and disseminates reports according to established policies and procedures.
• Develops, implements, and directs operating policies and procedures to comply with regulations, institutional policies, and project objectives and facilitates project requests.

Skills

Higher education experience

Online education knowledge

Supervisory experience

Leadership ability

Organizational problem-solving

Interpersonal communication

Education

Master's Degree

Job description

Current Employees: If you are currently employed at any of the Universities of Wisconsin, log in to Workday to apply through the internal application process.

Job Category:

Academic Staff

Employment Type:

Terminal (Fixed Term)

Job Profile:

Project Portfolio Manager (C)

Job Summary:

The Division of Continuing Studies is seeking a Project Portfolio Manager. This position sits in the Student and Academic Programs unit and works with senior management to establish a portfolio of academic programs that increases business value, builds synergies among projects, makes the best use of limited resources, and aligns projects with the defined strategic direction and goals. Identifies and manages risks, monitors and controls portfolio budgets, effectively manages relationships, and establishes project reporting requirements. This position will report to the Associate Dean of Student and Academic Programs and is a one-year project appointment with the possibility to be extended or converted to an ongoing appointment based on need and/or funding. This position may require some work to be performed in-person, onsite, at a designated campus work location. Some work may be performed remotely, at an offsite, non-campus work location.

Job Responsibilities:

Oversees a varied portfolio of projects and provides research information, data analyses, and policy reports to inform strategic planning, decision-making, and resource allocation. Provides advice to, and performance management support for the division's leadership.

• 20% Monitors lifecycles for a varied portfolio of projects, tracks progress, identifies risks, recommends improvements, and collaborates to implement changes
• 20% Assists in the development of strategic planning initiatives and objectives to ensure appropriate use of financial, administrative, and staffing resources, in alignment with the strategic plan
• 10% Manages and evaluates portfolio budget and objectives in collaboration with key stakeholders and leadership
• 20% Prepares and disseminates reports according to established policies and procedures
• 10% Develops, implements, and directs operating policies and procedures to comply with regulations, institutional policies, and project objectives and facilitates project requests

Key Job Responsibilities:

• Monitors lifecycles for a varied portfolio of projects, tracks progress, identifies risks, recommends improvements, and collaborates to implement changes
• Prepares and disseminates portfolio reports according to established policies and procedures
• Manages and evaluates portfolio budget and objectives in collaboration with key stakeholders and leadership
• Assists in the development of strategic planning initiatives and unit objectives to ensure appropriate use of financial, administrative, and staffing resources, in alignment with the strategic plan
• 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
• Develops, implements, and directs operating policies and procedures to comply with regulations, institutional policies, and unit objectives and facilitates project requests

Department:

Continuing Studies, Student and Academic Programs

Compensation:

MINIMUM $87,112 Annual

Required Qualifications:

• 7 or more years working in higher education
• 5 or more years experience working with and knowledge of online education
• 3 or more years of supervisory experience
• Proven leadership ability and project management responsibility
• Demonstrated organizational problem-solving skills and attention to detail
• Capacity to be effective in a fast paced, results driven division
• Strong interpersonal communication skills

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with data analysis, visualization and storytelling
• Academic planning experience

Education:

Master's Degree required

Contact Information:

Zachary Yafai
HR Business Partner
[e-mail]

Institutional Statement on Diversity:

Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, including but not limited to, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, pregnancy, disability, or status as a protected veteran and other bases as defined by federal regulations and UW System policies. We promote excellence by acknowledging skills and expertise from all backgrounds and encourage all qualified individuals to apply. For more information regarding applicant and employee rights and to view federal and state required postings, visit the Human Resources Workplace Poster website.

To request a disability or pregnancy-related accommodation for any step in the hiring process (e.g., application, interview, pre-employment testing, etc.), please contact the Divisional Disability Representative (DDR) in the division you are applying to. Please make your request as soon as possible to help the university respond most effectively to you.

Employment may require a criminal background check. It may also require your references to answer questions regarding misconduct, including sexual violence and sexual harassment.

The University of Wisconsin System will not reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing, except that the identity of the successful candidate will be released. See Wis. Stat. sec. 19.36(7).

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