Senior Strategic Project Manager

Utah; Salt Lake City (UT); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Utah Health is seeking a Senior Strategic Project Manager to drive complex initiatives from concept to completion. The role collaborates with senior leadership and cross-functional teams to ensure on-time, in-scope, and on-budget delivery aligned with organizational goals.

The position emphasizes strategic planning, program development, risk mitigation, and performance reporting to executives, with a focus on advancing hospital and clinic initiatives in a patient-centered

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related area, or equivalency.
• Five years of applicable experience.
• Certification as a Project Management Professional (PMP).
• Master's degree in a related area, or equivalency (preferred).
• Healthcare industry experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Facilitates strategic discussions and understanding of ideas, implications and proposals.
• Performs needs analyses, identifying knowledge gaps that fall within the scope of a project.
• Ensures data and analysis critical to project success are completed.
• Provides team leadership and inspires others to action.
• Coordinates and runs events and workshops.
• Reports on project performance to executives.

Skills

Project management

Strategic thinking

Stakeholder communication

Leadership

Change management

Analytical thinking

Education

Bachelor's degree in a related area

PMP certification

Master's degree preferred

Job description

Overview

As a patient-focused organization, University of Utah Health exists to enhance the health and well‑being of people through patient care, research and education. Success in this mission requires a culture of collaboration, excellence, leadership, and respect. University of Utah Health seeks staff that are committed to the values of compassion, collaboration, innovation, responsibility, integrity, quality and trust that are integral to our mission. EO/AA

This position is responsible for developing programs to support the organization's strategic direction, as well as creating and managing long‑term goals. This includes overseeing the planning, implementation, and tracking of specific, complex projects as well as developing operational programs from conceptual ideas. Additionally, this position coordinates multiple projects and/or programs across functional lines to ensure they are benefiting each other and aligning with overall business goals. The incumbent works closely with senior management, internal resources, external partners, and vendors to ensure that all projects and/or programs are delivered on‑time, within scope, and within budget. The Senior Strategic Project Manager facilitates an array of nascent projects and/or programs aimed at achieving the mission and goals of the assigned department. The strategic project manager typically works to move projects and/or program initiatives, including product roll‑outs, from conception to completion in a timely and effective manner.

Corporate Overview: The University of Utah is a Level 1 Trauma Center and is nationally ranked and recognized for our academic research, quality standards and overall patient experience. Our five hospitals and eleven clinics provide excellence in our comprehensive services, medical advancement, and overall patient outcomes.

Responsibilities

Essential Functions

• Facilitates strategic discussions and understanding of ideas, implications and proposals.
• Performs needs analyses, identifying knowledge gaps that fall within the scope of a project, and works to address needs and gaps.
• Ensures that data and analysis critical to project success are completed.
• Helps project members understand project vision, objectives, trade‑offs, assuring strategic clarity for all projects undertaken.
• Addresses projects from multiple angles, proactively anticipating needs of other departments and stakeholders, assuring that initiatives support core goals.
• Identifies key decisions, milestones and achievements for individual programs as well as for interrelated initiatives in a broad scope.
• Provides team leadership and inspires others to action.
• Provides critical input to others and provides extra support to the team as needed.
• Responds to obstacles & barriers to projects and/or programs, using critical thinking and creative problem‑solving skills to resolve.
• Coordinates efforts across multiple groups, departments, divisions, and facilities to achieve strategic objectives.
• Serves as a liaison to the required functional departments to increase awareness of programs.
• May participate in grant applications process including design, submission, and review.
• Coordinates and runs events and workshops.
• Reports on project and/or program performance to executive team and directors.
• Develops industry relationships.
• Ensures that relevant standards, processes and regulations are upheld.
• Develops and implements strategy, including the development of a robust risk mitigation plan.
• Creates and manages long‑term goals.
• Develops evaluation methods to assess program strengths and identifies areas for improvement.
• Meets with stakeholders to make communication easy and transparent regarding project and/or program issues and decisions.

Knowledge / Skills / Abilities

• Demonstrated competency in all aspects of project management.
• Demonstrated sense of mission, understanding of how projects impact the customer and the overall organization.
• Ability to manage resistance to change.
• Ability to reinforce the strategic reason for the project and identify the business impact of any changes.
• Ability to communicate effectively at an executive level; facilitate involvement of high‑level stakeholders.
• Ability to effectively manage multiple projects at once with a high degree of quality.
• Ability to analyze and document complex business processes.
• Ability to prepare written and verbal communications for projects and programs.
• Demonstrated political awareness, interpersonal and relationship development skills.
• Ability to apply systematic and strategic thinking to solve complex problems.
• Demonstrated ability to take initiative, have a sense of ownership and actively participate in process improvement.
• Ability to be the subject matter expert in best practices and skills related to strategic project management as program management and maintain a current skillset both institutionally and industry‑wide.
• Ability to manage teams with various talents, experience, and responsibilities.
• Ability to implement and manage change and interventions to ensure project, program and department goals are achieved.
• Ability to understand how different projects interlink and overlap.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in a related area, or equivalency.
• Five years of applicable experience.
• Certification as a Project Management Professional (PMP).

Preferred

• Master's degree in a related area, of equivalency.
• Experience in the healthcare industry

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

Employee must be able to meet the following requirements with or without an accommodation.

• This is a sedentary position in an office setting that may exert up to 10 pounds and may lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects. This position involves sitting most of the time and is not exposed to adverse environmental conditions.

Physical Requirements

Sitting

Multi‑lingual Candidates Welcomed

EEO Statement

University of Utah Health Hospitals and Clinics, a part of The University of Utah, values candidates who have experience working in settings with students and patients from all backgrounds and possess a strong commitment to improving access to higher education and quality healthcare for historically underrepresented students and patient populations.

All qualified individuals are encouraged to apply. Veterans’ preference is extended to qualified applicants, upon request and consistent with University policy and Utah state law. Upon request, reasonable accommodations in the application process will be provided to individuals with disabilities.

University of Utah Health Hospitals and Clinics, a part of The University of Utah, is an Affluent Action/Equal Opportunity employer and does not discriminate based upon race, ethnicity, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy‑related conditions, genetic information, or protected veteran's status. The University does not discriminate on the basis of sex in the education program or activity that it operates, as required by Title IX and 34 CFR part 106. The requirement not to discriminate in education programs or activities extends to admission and employment. Inquiries about the application of Title IX and its regulations may be referred to the Title IX Coordinator, to the Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, or both.

To request a reasonable accommodation for a disability, please contact the University of Utah Health Hospitals and Clinics Human Resources office at 801‑581‑6500. If you or someone you know has experienced discrimination or sexual misconduct including sexual harassment, you may contact the Director/Title IX Coordinator in the Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO). More information, including the Director/Title IX Coordinator's office address, electronic mail address, and telephone number can be located at: www.utah.edu/nondiscrimination/ Online reports may be submitted at oeo.utah.edu/

This position may require the successful completion of a criminal background check and/or drug screen.

The University is a participating employer with Utah Retirement Systems (“URS”). Eligible new hires with prior URS service may elect to enroll in URS if they make the election before they become eligible for retirement (usually the first day of work). Contact Hospitals and Clinics Human Resources at (801) 581‑6500 for information. Individuals who previously retired and are receiving monthly retirement benefits from URS are subject to URS’ post‑retirement rules and restrictions. Please contact Utah Retirement Systems at (801) 366‑7770 or (800) 695‑4877 or Hospitals and Clinics Human Resources at (801) 581‑6500 if you have questions regarding the post‑retirement rules.