Senior Project Manager - WGU Academy

If you're passionate about building a better future for individuals, communities, and our country—and you're committed to working hard to play your part in building that future—consider WGU as the next step in your career.

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:
 

Grade: Professional 312

Pay Range: $106,700.00 - $165,400.00

Job Description

The Project Manager IV will stay informed on projects within assigned team and ensure best practices are used across the functional team, mentoring and developing project managers and associate project managers in their work. This individual manages projects from inception through completion within their assigned department. The Project Manager IV monitors and reports project status—including risks, issues affecting project schedules, and milestone achievements—to stakeholders and departmental leadership. The individual develops project plans and schedules and ensures projects meet departmental requirements, standards, policies, and deadlines. The Project Manager IV is expected to keep fully informed of departmental strategies and priorities and effectively influence the work of project team members in line with those priorities.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:

• Collaborates with other professionals both inside and outside of the university to promote a positive, student-obsessed atmosphere.

• Responsible for maintaining effective communication and coordination within project team.

• 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.

• 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 those priorities.

• Provides leadership, mentorship, and training support to teams, project managers and associate project managers.

• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skill and Abilities:

• Excellent leadership and project management skills.

• Works well in a team environment.

•  Ability to influence change and motivate others.

• Strong oral and written communications abilities.

• Solid technical and problem-solving skills.

• Ability to plan and meet schedules.

• Ability to use all related computer equipment and applications

• Understanding of Business Process Architecture Mapping.

Competencies: 

Organizational Impact: 

• Responsible for implementing initiatives and projects established by university or department leadership; establishes operational plans for department, function, or office with short-term impact on results. ​ 

• May deliver input into new processes, standards, or plans that impact overall university or department results. 

Problem Solving & Decision Making: 

• Leverages a systems-thinking approach for improving existing processes and systems within the department using significant conceptualizing, reasoning, and interpretation.​ 

• Problems and issues faced are numerous, difficult, and require detailed information gathering and analysis. Typically affect multiple areas or specialties. Problems and issues span a wide range of challenging and unique situations.  

Communication & Influence: 

• Collaborates cross-functionally with parties within and outside of the department and may occasionally communicate with external parties. ​ 

• May influence others to accept the job area's views, practices, concepts, and approaches and conduct briefings with leaders within the University or department.  

Leadership & Talent Management 

• Responsible for providing guidance, coaching, and training to other employees in the department, Function, or Office. ​ 

• Provides direction to project team members, including feedback on performance.​ 

• Demonstrates the WGU leadership principles in all aspects of service to students, employees, and partners of WGU. 

Job Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications:

• 7+ years of related experience with a bachelor's degree, or 4+ years and a master's degree, or a Doctorate or Terminal degree with 2+ years of experience. 

Department Specific Minimum Qualifications:

• A Masters or Bachelor Degree in Engineering, Management, Project Management or Business Management. Education must be from an accredited institution.

• Minimum 7 years' professional experience in a role that required extensive Project/Change Management skills in a large and distributed organization (500+ employees).

• Excellent understanding of Change Management theory/techniques, and implementation into a project plan.

• Minimum of 7 years of progressive project management & business transformation experience.

• Project Management qualification (PMP) or equivalent.

• Professional experience in strategic planning, risk management.

• Proficiency in project management software tools.

Preferred Qualifications:

• May have broad knowledge of project management.

• Minimum of 5 years of experience as an administrator or highly proficient in Asana workflow automation (Workflow Specialist Certificate)

• Minimum of 3 years working as a Portfolio Manager (PfMP Certification) AND managing Objectives and Key Results (OKR's)

• Minimum of 5 years of coaching and leading Scrum teams as a Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) within a hybrid framework (predictive and Agile).

• Minimum of 5 years of experience working Higher Education Institutions

• Proficient in working Lucidchart or MS Visio and creating process maps

• Change Management Experience (CCMP Certification)

• Lean Six Sigma Greenbelt (LSSGB Certification)

Physical Requirements:

• Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer.

• Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at times.

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Position & Application Details

Full-Time Regular Positions (classified as regular and working 40 standard weekly hours): This is a full-time, regular position (classified for 40 standard weekly hours) that is eligible for bonuses; medical, dental, vision, telehealth and mental healthcare; health savings account and flexible spending account; basic and voluntary life insurance; disability coverage; accident, critical illness and hospital indemnity supplemental coverages; legal and identity theft coverage; retirement savings plan; wellbeing program; discounted WGU tuition; and flexible paid time off for rest and relaxation with no need for accrual, flexible paid sick time with no need for accrual, 11 paid holidays, and other paid leaves, including up to 12 weeks of parental leave.

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.