Technical Project Portfolio Manager

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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:

Job Description

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:

Maintain Strategic Alignment

Works collaboratively with Enterprise portfolio management and business peers to maintain the strategic IT project portfolio alignment with Business and Ed Tech strategy.

• Manages the investment portfolio and ensures that all planned investments are aligned with the business and Ed Tech stakeholders and have executive stakeholder commitment.
• Continuously evaluates, prioritizes, and optimizes IT investment portfolio based on strategic value, business needs, cost/benefits, and critical risks across all product domains. The portfolio manager ensures that Investment evaluation process meets investment standards and criteria and has the proper authorization level.
• Continuously reviews the project investment portfolio to identify and exploit synergies, eliminate duplication across all domains and between individual programs.
• Reviews and assesses strategic project initiation deliverables such as business cases and strategic justification and risk.
• Manages resources to support demand. Ensures that the "solution teams" efforts are properly scheduled and staffed, that all staff are properly allocated to ensure that commitments are met as scheduled and within budget. Organizes and directs the "solution team" and third-party providers in the planning, development, implementation, and operations support of systems to support the assigned portfolio in alignment with the Ed Tech Roadmap.
• Responsible for business stakeholder satisfaction regarding IT business alignment on project portfolio.
• Provides guidance, validation, and context to teams to assist with alignment to end state goals.
• Manages communication and coordination with technology governance body to ensure alignment of project components to organizational strategic objectives.
• Coordinates with leadership on the definition of strategic objectives to define portfolio objectives.
• Provides recommendation to leadership based on project metrics for prioritization and ongoing optimization of the project portfolio.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Integrated Planning, Process and Systems Management

Scheduling of programs and projects that best support the strategic vision.

• Supports Program and Product Management teams with the scheduling of projects based on financial and strategic justifications in close cooperation with business and IT stakeholders.
• Support and coach Project Teams to ensure cohesive flow and dependency management. Oversees the identification of direct and indirect dependencies.
• Responsible for ensuring risks, issues, and impediments are resolved in a timely manner by overseeing the Executive Action Team meetings and other forums where a quorum is required.
• Updates and maintain the integrated portfolio roadmap based on latest changes on project and program level.
• Facilitates integrated planning sessions across domains.
• Communicates a multi-layered portfolio plan.
• Coordinates with Leadership, Project Managers, vendors, and Business Consultants to allocate resources to areas within the portfolio in need of most improvement. Balances the resources across projects and operating units to optimize benefits delivery to the business.
• Manages project/request intake and tracking, governance and facilitates priority setting.
• Coordinates with leadership to support project planning, scheduling, demand, and capacity management.
• Provides oversight and product management of PPM tool.
• Provides recommendations on resource allocation and manages coordination between resource managers.

Monitor and Report on Project Portfolio

Analyzes and reports on the performance of the project portfolio and individual programs throughout the entire lifecycle.

• Continuously monitors and tracks the full IT project portfolio, its progress and performance and the successful development of the required business and IT capabilities.
• Captures and reports on the impact of portfolio against strategic goals and percentage of deviations from the portfolio plan.
• Responsible for tracking and mitigation of critical and portfolio-wide risks and issues and escalation to the appropriate Ed Tech leadership meetings. Monitors overall risk profile of project portfolio.
• Co-ordinates critical project interdependencies to safeguard the coherent and integrated definition, planning and delivery of the portfolio
• Provides senior Ed Tech and business leadership with accurate view of the project/investment portfolio based on appropriate performance targets allowing them to make rapid and effective decisions.
• Ensures life cycle assessment for selected portfolio components occurs, determining remaining useful life of hardware/software components based on business functionality, technical architecture, vendor strategies, competitor activities, and package alternatives.
• Enables senior management to make rapid and informed decisions on the project portfolio.
• Coordinates with project and program managers on the execution of components within a portfolio.
• Coordinates with Enterprise Change Management office on the implementation impact of portfolio components.
• Manages and implements continuous improvement opportunities for the project intake, prioritization, and reporting process.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Quality Assurance

Ensures delivery across the project portfolio that is in line with quality standards, for prioritized projects.

• Identifies projects that require independent quality assurance (e.g., high risk, high value projects).
• Facilitates stage-gates for strategic high-risk projects in the portfolio.
• Develops portfolio quality assurance framework, standards, and tooling.
• Supports the delivery of project quality assurance (e.g., peer reviews).
• Ensures all high-risk projects have sufficient quality assurance to avoid disruptive deviations.

Monitor Benefits Achievement

Reports on actual benefits realization based on the approval business case.

• Benefits tracking: initiated the process to monitor actual benefit realization in the business after project implementation.
• Evaluates if business benefits significantly deviate from expected benefits, escalate issues to the appropriate party and implement lessons learned in the portfolio prioritization process.
• Monitors percent of investments where realized benefits have been measured and compared to business case.

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
• Strong executive leadership presence

Competencies:

Organizational Impact:

• Responsible forimplementing initiativesand projects establishedbyuniversity ordepartment leadership;establishes strategic,operational plans fordepartment,function, oroffice with short to mid-term impact on results.
• Delivers measurableinput into new processes,standards, or plans thatimpact the achievementof overalluniversity ordepartment results.

Problem Solving & Decision Making:

• Leveragesa systems-thinkingapproach forimproving existingprocesses and systemsusing significantconceptualizing,reasoning, andinterpretation.
• Problems and issuesfaced are numerous, maynot be clearly defined,and may have missinginformation. Conductsextensive investigation tounderstandtheroot cause.Problems span a widerange of difficult andunique issues.

Communication & Influence:

• Collaborates cross-functionally across theUniversity or departmentand typically hasresponsibilities forcommunicating withexternal parties.
• Works to influenceothers to accept the jobarea's views, practices,concepts, andapproaches.
• Requires ability tocommunicate withexecutive leadershipregarding matters ofsignificant importance tothe University. Mayconduct briefings withleaders within theUniversity ordepartment.

Leadership & Talent Management

• Responsiblefor providing guidance,coaching, and training toother employees acrossthe University withinthearea of domain-specificexpertise. Providesdirection to project teammembers, includingfeedback onperformance.
• Demonstratesthe WGUleadership principles inall aspects of service tostudents, employees,andpartners of WGU.
• Highest level of integrity and good judgment.

Job Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications:

• 5+ years of related experience with a bachelor's degree, or 3+ years and a master's degree, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 3+ years of experience with product and software development teams.
• 3+ years of experience in operations management with a strong focus on financial objectives and budget alignment
• Relevant certifications, or similar:
  • Project Management qualification (PMP)
  • Scrum Master Certification.
  • Prosci Change Management Certified Change Practitioner.
• Progressive product management experience.
• Professional experience in strategic planning, resource management, and risk management.
• Deep knowledge and understanding of the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC)
• Proficiency in project management software tools or experience with modern PPM tools such as Planview, JIRA, etc.
• Resource management experience in a matrixed organization.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's degree or higher in relevant field.
• Green or Black Belt Certification.

Position & Application Details

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 Opportunity Employer: We are an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.