Jr. Technology Project Manager

Job Description

The University of Washington’s Office of Research has an outstanding opportunity for a Jr. Technology Project Manager.

The Jr. Technology Project Manager is responsible for managing and coordinating software integration, Workday sustainment, and development projects for researcher specific projects. The person in this role will establish relationships with team members, subject matter experts, cross unit stakeholders such as GCA and OSP, and technical staff both in Office of Research and UW IT to achieve efficient business process to streamline research administration. They must be able to prioritize a heavy workload and escalating issues that meet business goals set by management. Successful candidates must possess outstanding independent judgment in prioritizing critical information, and discretion and diplomacy in working within the larger University of Washington (UW) administrative environment.

The highly decentralized environment of the UW requires the successful candidate to interface productively with business-oriented clients, system end-users, and a technically oriented project team. The candidate must be able to create strong business relationships and have excellent project management skills and understand the research life cycle.

The Jr. Technology Project Manager is a key point of contact for customers, Partners (OSP, GCA, UW IT, EH&S, Etc.), and the project team. It plays a pivotal role in the success of project objectives and future needs. This position supports cross organizational coordination for projects and continued sustainment and maintenance of projects such as Workday integration for improved research administration and compliance.

Responsibilities:

Project Management (45%)

• Working with resources to define scope, risks and objectives of major releases, individual projects and project phases; develop schedules and budgets, and monitor progress and risk across multiple streams

• Ensure project teams have adequate resources, skills and support to successfully deliver on prioritized efforts

• Serve software development team(s) as Scrum Master, facilitating Scrum ceremonies, removing impediments, coordinating feature development, testing, release and communications across product teams

• Promote agile project management and software development best practices.

• Meet regularly with internal and external stakeholders to schedule projects/features based on prioritization from managers

• Lead, organize and influence positively and effectively, working through unstructured problems and creating the structure necessary to drive for results

• Facilitate resolution of issues within the project decision making structure, determining appropriate escalation and resolution of issues

• Provide overall project leadership and management, including managing scope of projects, schedules and budgets, and generating status reports

• Direct, create, and implement project plans, status updates, risk mitigation plans and other planning materials to support project execution and control activities

• Provide direct and indirect oversight for assigned projects

• Evaluate resources needed for project and make recommendations/requests

• Work with all levels of management to critically evaluate and communicate business issues/risks to campus clients and team members

• Implement appropriate process and policies to collect and report metrics on project performance

• Initiate project proposals when existing products need to be upgraded or replaced or products need to be built or acquired to fill gaps

• Advise on the impact of novel, developing, and mature applications of IT solutions as they relate to research at the University of Washington

Analysis (30%)

• Review requirements gathered from stakeholder and system user interviews to ensure approaches and solutions are linked to objectives and future needs and to uncover gaps

• Lead standing and ad hoc workgroups to define business needs and potential solutions

• Create artifacts as needed to support clear understanding of business needs, to include business process diagrams, use cases, scenarios, tasks and workflow analysis

• Facilitate discussions with stakeholders and subject matter experts, to develop shared understanding of needs and build consensus related to priorities and requirements, and develop inclusive solutions that thoughtfully balance trade-offs and benefits among process partners

• Document functional requirements, user interaction requirements, non-functional requirements, specifications, and acceptance criteria to support software development, quality assurance, support and learning materials, and other downstream development support processes

Process Improvement (20%)

• Encourage ongoing process improvement with partners such as UW IT, OSP, GCA, EH&S and others to improve overall approach to software development, delivery, and ongoing end-user support

• Stay informed and recommend process and/or system changes to meet changing needs

• Identify process and supporting technical solutions to streamline business processes, improve efficiency and simplify the administrative process for faculty and staff users

Other Duties as Assigned (5%)

Experience Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Communications, equivalent education, or related field

• Minimum of 4 years’ experience working with complex projects or operations involving multiple teams and deliverables, complex client or community interactions, and prioritization of multiple competing demands.

• Excellent oral and written communications skills; demonstrated and committed to provide excellent customer service

• Demonstrated experience with project management methodologies and best practices including project planning, resource management, consensus building, and process improvement

• Excellent verbal, written, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills

• Demonstrated ability to lead, work with and support cross-functional project teams

• Strong customer focus and excellence in relationship management with key partners

• Strong diagnostic and problem-solving skills

• Experience juggling diverse work assignments that range in duration and time sensitivity, with frequent interruptions and emergent priorities

• Ability to work under pressure and execute in a fast-paced environment with multiple deadlines

• Ability to excel and adapt to a demanding, constantly changing environment

• Demonstrated ability to work independently and as part of a team in a cooperative effort

• Strong knowledge and experience in Microsoft products including Word, Excel, Visio, PowerPoint

Experience Desired:

• Experience working in a project environment

• Experience in technical systems environment

• SharePoint and Google Site Experience

• Knowledge of JIRA

• Experience working on an Agile Scrum team

Working Conditions:

This position contributes to a collaborative teamwork environment. Collaboration among staff is supported through a shared space working environment, ad hoc meetings focused on problem-solving, and the use of synchronous and asynchronous communication tools. Inflexible deadlines and non-standard working hours are required on occasion.

Compensation, Benefits and Position Details

Pay Range Minimum:

$114,000.00 annual

Pay Range Maximum:

$125,148.00 annual

Other Compensation:

Benefits:

For information about benefits for this position, visit https://www.washington.edu/jobs/benefits-for-uw-staff/

Shift:

First Shift (United States of America)

Temporary or Regular?

This is a regular position

FTE (Full-Time Equivalent):

100.00%

Union/Bargaining Unit:

Not Applicable

About the UW

Working at the University of Washington provides a unique opportunity to change lives – on our campuses, in our state and around the world.

UW employees bring their boundless energy, creative problem-solving skills and dedication to building stronger minds and a healthier world. In return, they enjoy outstanding benefits, opportunities for professional growth and the chance to work in an environment known for its diversity, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits and natural beauty.

Our Commitment

The University of Washington is committed to fostering an inclusive, respectful and welcoming community for all. As an equal opportunity employer, the University considers applicants for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, citizenship, sex, pregnancy, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, disability, or veteran status consistent with UW Executive Order No. 81 .

To request disability accommodation in the application process, contact the Disability Services Office at 206-543-6450 or dso@uw.edu .

Applicants considered for this position will be required to disclose if they are the subject of any substantiated findings or current investigations related to sexual misconduct at their current employment and past employment. Disclosure is required under Washington state law .