Senior Project Manager – HR Strategic Initiatives

Socket.dev; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 95,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

UChicago Medicine is seeking a Senior Project Manager – HR Strategic Initiatives in the Human Resources department. Based at Hyde Park, Chicago, with flexible work options and must reside in the greater Chicagoland area.

Lead HR strategic projects and staff the HR Operating Review, driving milestones and KPIs. The role partners with HR Centers of Excellence and Finance on budgets and forecasts, develops executive-ready analyses, and presents to CHRO and senior leaders.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in HR, business administration, healthcare administration, or related field.
• 5+ years of progressive project/program management or business operations experience, ideally in HR/healthcare.
• Strong planning, milestone tracking, risk management, and cross-functional facilitation.
• Advanced Excel data analysis and budget tracking; PowerPoint for executive presentations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication with executive presence.
• Ability to operate with ambiguity and balance multiple priorities.

Responsibilities

• Serve as HR function's project manager, planning and driving strategic initiatives from kickoff to completion.
• Track milestones, dependencies, and KPIs; identify risks and course-correct to stay on plan.
• Establish standardized PM tools, templates, and reporting cadences across HR portfolio.
• Partner with HR Centers of Excellence and stakeholders to align scope, timelines, and resourcing.
• Staff and coordinate the HR Operating Review; prepare consolidated performance and project scorecards.
• Monitor the HR operating budget and flag variances; support budget forecasting and reallocations.
• Develop proposals and executive-ready analyses for CHRO review and decision-making.
• Support CHRO priorities and prepare board/leadership presentations.

Skills

Project management

Budget management

Stakeholder management

Excel

PowerPoint

Communication

Executive presence

Healthcare/HR domain knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR/Business Administration/Healthcare Administration

MBA or related master's degree

Job description

Join one of the nation’s most comprehensive academic medical centers, UChicago Medicine, as a Senior Project Manager – HR Strategic Initiatives in our Human Resources department. This position will be based at our Hyde Park campus in Chicago, IL, with opportunities to work from home. You will need to be based in the greater Chicagoland area.

The Senior Project Manager, HR Strategic Initiatives drives execution across the HR function on behalf of the CHRO. This role owns the project management discipline for HR's strategic portfolio, translating priorities into structured plans and holding cross-functional owners accountable to milestones and KPIs. The role also staffs the HR Operating Review, supports HR budget stewardship, and builds the executive‑ready analysis, proposals, and presentations the CHRO relies on day to day. This is a high‑visibility role suited to someone who combines rigorous project discipline with judgment and discretion to support at the executive level.

Essential Job Functions

• Serve as the HR function's project manager, planning and driving execution of strategic initiatives from kickoff through completion.
• Track milestones, dependencies, and KPIs against approved plan dates, proactively identifying risks and course‑correcting to keep initiatives on track.
• Establish standardized project management tools, templates, and reporting cadences (e.g., RAID logs, status dashboards, timelines) across the HR portfolio.
• Partner with HR Centers of Excellence (Talent Acquisition, Total Rewards, Talent Management, Labor & Employee Relations, HRIS, etc.) and stakeholders across clinical and administrative operations to align on scope, timelines, and resourcing.
• Serve as a connective point across workstreams, surfacing interdependencies and ensuring initiative owners have what they need to hit deadlines.
• Staff and coordinate the recurring HR Operating Review, ensuring functional metrics and project status are reviewed on a consistent cadence.
• Prepare consolidated performance and project scorecards; flag off‑track items and drive follow‑up on action items between sessions.
• Under the direction of the CHRO, monitor the HR operating budget, tracking spend against plan and flagging variances.
• Support coordination with HR leaders and Finance on budget planning, forecasting, and reallocation requests tied to strategic initiatives.
• Support the CHRO as a direct extension of the CHRO, serving as a trusted thought partner and right hand on a wide range of priorities, requests, and time‑sensitive needs.
• Build board, leadership, and other executive‑level presentations for the CHRO, ensuring materials are polished, accurate, and tailored to the audience.
• Prepare operational and data analysis on behalf of the CHRO — turning HR data and project status into clear insights that inform decision‑making.
• Develop key proposals and business cases for new initiatives, vendor engagements, or process changes, including recommendations and supporting rationale.
• Help manage the CHRO's priorities day‑to‑day, following up on open items and anticipating what the CHRO will need ahead of key meetings.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in human resources, business administration, healthcare administration, or related field; MBA or related master’s degree a plus
• 5+ years of progressive experience in project management, program management, or business operations, ideally within HR, healthcare, or a complex matrixed organization
• Excellent project management skills, including planning, milestone tracking, risk management, and cross-functional facilitation
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel (data analysis, budget tracking, reporting) and PowerPoint (executive‑level presentation development)
• Strong written and verbal communicator with strong executive presence and the judgment to operate effectively with senior leaders and boards
• Demonstrated ability to operate in ambiguity, balancing multiple concurrent initiatives with competing priorities and deadlines
• Experience with HR budget management or financial analysis in a healthcare or academic medical center setting

Preferred Qualifications

• PMP (Project Management Professional) certification

Position Details

• Job Type/FTE: Full Time (1.0 FTE)
• Shift: Days
• Location: Hyde Park (flexible)
• Unit/Department: HR Dept Admin
• CBA Code: Non-Union

Compensation & Benefits Overview

UChicago Medicine is committed to transparency in compensation and benefits. The pay range provided reflects the anticipated wage or salary reasonably expected to be offered for the position.

The pay range is based on a full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) and is reflective of current market data, reviewed on an annual basis. Compensation offered at the time of hire will vary based on candidate qualifications and experience and organizational considerations, such as internal equity. Pay ranges for employees subject to Collective Bargaining Agreements are negotiated by the medical center and their respective union.

Review the full complement of benefit options for eligible roles at Benefits - UChicago Medicine.

UChicago Medicine is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, ethnicity, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, civil union status, parental status, religion, national origin, age, disability, veteran status and other legally protected characteristics.

As a condition of employment, all employees are required to complete a pre-employment physical, background check, drug screening, and comply with the flu vaccination requirements prior to hire. Medical and religious exemptions will be considered for flu vaccination consistent with applicable law.

UChicago Medicine is growing; discover how you can be a part of this pursuit of excellence at: UChicago Medicine Career Opportunities.

We’ve been at the forefront of medicine since 1899. We provide superior healthcare with compassion, always mindful that each patient is a person, an individual. To accomplish this, we need employees with passion, talent and commitment… with patients and with each other. We’re in this together: working to advance medical innovation, serve the health needs of the community, and move our collective knowledge forward. If you’d like to add enriching human life to your profile, UChicago Medicine is for you. Here at the forefront, we’re doing work that really matters. Join us. Bring your passion.