IT Project Management Office Lead

Under the general supervision of the IT Director of Enterprise Applications Services (EAS), the Project Management Lead works independently and engages with stakeholders at all levels to understand their needs, challenges, and priorities and to guide them in making informed decisions regarding selection, implementation, and integration of technology solutions. The PMO Lead is also responsible for directly contributing to initiatives, projects and operations in support of IT systems, application services and resources.

The incumbent collaboratively and effectively supports the entire IT Project Portfolio, utilizing various industry standard methodologies to ensure the successful delivery of new/modified applications while leading cross-functional teams to design and implement process improvements, system enhancements, and new systems. Follows industry standard frameworks for Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) from initiation, planning, analysis, design, development, test and implementation to maintaining systems/applications and supporting continuous improvement and data integrity efforts. The Project Management Lead will promote User Experience (UX) best practices, and improve knowledge resources to support our staff, faculty and students.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Project Management and Implementation:

In collaboration with the IT Director, establishes and maintains project management standards and methodologies including defining best practices, processes, and tools to be used across all projects within the organization. Ensures IT projects align with the organization's overall goals & objectives. Assists in developing a governance framework, monitors adherence to established guidelines, and conducts reviews to ensure projects are on track. Assists in prioritizes a portfolio of projects and programs to optimize resource allocation and ensures successful delivery. Tracks project progress, issues, and risks, and providing regular status reports and updates to stakeholders.

Identifies and assesses risks associated with projects and implementing strategies to mitigate those risks. Facilitates effective communication channels between project teams, stakeholders, and other relevant parties. Trains, mentors and supports junior project managers and BA's to enhance IT-PMO capabilities. Ensures that changes to project scope, schedule, or objectives are properly documented, evaluated, and communicated.

Evaluates and makes recommendations for improving existing project management processes and methodologies to enhance efficiency and effectiveness. Maintains a central repository for project documentation, lessons learned, and best practices to promote knowledge sharing and continuous improvement. Oversees project management activities: Manages requirements to control project scope while consulting customers with timely updates including reporting issues and risks. Participates in unit and user acceptance testing and quality assurance activities of applications and systems to ensure user requirements are delivered as expected including data integrity. Facilitates product demonstrations/reviews for the project team and stakeholders after each iteration or release to consult with customers to ensure the delivered final product meets the definition of success and provides a seamless user experience.

2. Consultation Duties for Planning/Analysis Phase of Campus Projects:

Facilitates communication and collaboration with stakeholders and product teams to understand user requirements/needs to create engaging user experiences. Conducts business process and feasibility reviews, needs and alternative analysis to assess product or processes compatibility with existing systems while meeting user needs. Researches and evaluates potential, new and available system applications or analyzes potential solutions for a re-design, modification or upgrade of a current system to recommend solutions to optimize/consult end-user benefits and increase business values. Consults with customers to develop project documentation: requests for proposals, scopes of work, cost estimates, business cases and cost/benefit analysis. Confirms requirements with System Requirement Specs, process maps and other user- centric design methods including: User Stories, Storyboards, Wire Frames, Mock-ups, Prototypes, Proof of Concepts, and Personas to ensure usability and functionality. Presents solutions and recommendations on proposals for new systems, replacements, redesigns/modifications, process and workflow improvements that increase efficiency and effectiveness.

3. Support, Documentation and Knowledge Management:

Develops and maintains knowledge in support of usability of systems/applications including but not limited to: on-line, self-help resources and documentation, both technical and functional, internal and external with interface guidelines to promote User Experience best practices.

Evaluates usability of any knowledge/content pertaining to IT applications, systems, services and processes through the use of user content evaluations to identify information gaps, content ambiguities and unclear pathways to report findings to the IT management team in an effort to improve self-help resources and user navigations to resources.

Plans and coordinates open labs/orientations in support of training efforts, observes systems usability, collects feedback and reports findings to IT management as required by each project.

Provides end-user support to maintain assigned IT applications or respond to issues, fielding user requests received through the IT's service request system, phone, email and other collaboration tools to report issues and request services.

Expeditiously resolves reported issues or complete services requests independently or through stakeholder collaboration and track progress to completion/resolution.

Other Functions:

Perform other job-related duties and special projects as assigned.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Collaborates with various stakeholders and cross-functional IT teams to lead significant and/or complex business system analysis projects and initiatives.
• Provides expert analysis of complex business system challenges utilizing advanced data analysis and modeling.
• Develops and manages test plans and processes. Selects appropriate techniques and tools.
• Collaborates with other Business Systems Analysts to review their work, ensuring quality control according to the practices and procedures of the organization.
• Provides system demonstrations to campus users.
• Prepares reports and presentations to communicate project progress and findings, as requested.
• Under the direction of management, plans and implements the migration from outdated to new data systems and tools.
• Seeks and reviews examples of best practices at other universities and organizations to identify innovative approaches and drive transformative change.
• Develops sophisticated reports, dashboards, and visualizations to communicate complex data findings.
• Facilitates workshops, training sessions, and presentations to drive awareness of system usage, changes, and encourage adoption of changes.
• Provides lead work direction, training, and mentoring to professional, technical, and other staff., * All offers of employment are contingent upon the successful completion of a background check (including a criminal records check).
• The person holding this position will have a duty to report to the Campus Title IX Officer information pertaining to discrimination, harassment, sexual misconduct, sexual exploitation, dating violence, domestic violence, stalking, and retaliation and is required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order EO 1095, EO 1096, and EO 1097 as a condition of employment.
• The person holding this position is considered a "mandated reporter" under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and is required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083 as a condition of employment.
• This position is required to comply with confidentiality requirements outlined in the Department of Education's Family Educational Rights and Privacy and California's Educational Code Chapter 13 regarding sensitive student issues.
• This position will have responsibilities that require the employee to possess a license, credential or other certification in order to meet minimum job qualifications and/or to qualify for continued employment. Specify license, credential or certification required: Salesforce Certified Administrator.
• Must possess and maintain a valid license to drive in the State of California, pass the Defensive Training Class, and be insurable under the University's liability coverage.
• May require occasional evenings and/or weekend work.
• This position has been designated as a sensitive position with:
• access to and responsibility for detailed personally identifiable Level 1 confidential information about students, faculty, staff or alumni that is protected, personal or sensitive as defined in the CSU Information Security Data Classification Standards
• control over campus business processes, either through functional roles or system security access

• Thorough and advanced knowledge of business systems analysis concepts, principles, protocols, and best practices systems.
• Demonstrates competence in independently applying advanced judgment to resolve difficult and complex technical problems and issues.
• Ability to anticipate the impact of problems and solutions on other systems.
• Advanced analytical skills to investigate and research new systems and technologies and to develop complex information technology systems and solutions.
• Excellent project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple complex projects and ensure successful delivery within scope, budget, and timelines.
• Advanced communication and interpersonal skills to build and foster strong relationships and drive change initiatives.
• Advanced skill in mentoring and overseeing the work of others., Equivalent to a bachelor's degree in a related field and four years of relevant experience. Additional experience which demonstrates acquired and successfully applied knowledge and abilities shown above may be substituted for the required education on a year-for-year basis., * Experience working within a California State University campus or a comparable public or private higher education institution.
• Five to ten years of progressively responsible IT project management experience, preferably in higher education or public-sector environments, managing complex technology initiatives using Agile, Waterfall, and/or hybrid methodologies.
• Experience leading projects involving learning technologies, student success systems, enterprise applications, digital transformation, IT infrastructure, cybersecurity, and cloud technologies.
• Experience working within a Project Management Office (PMO) environment, including project portfolio management, governance, project intake processes, organizational adoption, and project management standards.
• Familiarity with and/or certification in ITIL, IT Service Management (ITSM), Organizational Change Management, Continual Process Improvement, or related frameworks.
• Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM), Certified ScrumMaster (CSM), or comparable project management certification.
• Advanced knowledge of cloud computing platforms such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform (Google Cloud Platform).
• Proficiency with project management and collaboration tools such as Microsoft Project, Smartsheet, Asana, Jira, or similar applications.
• Experience utilizing emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI) and workflow/process automation tools, to improve operational effectiveness and service delivery.
• Demonstrated organizational, analytical, strategic thinking, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and projects simultaneously.

*CSUMB provides pay scales representing its good faith estimate of what the university reasonably expects to pay for this position. The pay offered to a selected candidate will be determined on factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the qualifications of the selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal equity, and CSU systemwide pay for comparable jobs., California State University, Monterey Bay is a mid-sized university in California's Central Coast that grants undergraduate and graduate degrees. Powered by an inspiring Founding Vision Statement, CSUMB is part of the nation's largest four-year public university system, California State University, which educates nearly 460,000 students every year. With a vibrant, diverse student body of over 7,000 students, CSU Monterey Bay is both a Minority Serving Institution and a Hispanic Serving Institution. Our staff and faculty transform students' lives with a focus on student success and engagement through experiential learning, service learning, and a strong emphasis on multicultural and global perspectives. CSUMB's sustainability goal is to be carbon neutral by 2030. The university's Strategic Plan prioritizes inclusive excellence through recruiting and investing in developing a diverse body of faculty, staff and administrators. Many appreciate living and working close to the shores of beautiful Monterey Bay, with easy access to recreational areas from Big Sur to Santa Cruz. Nearby opportunities for collaborative research include working in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Silicon Valley, and with colleagues at local research universities, including UC Santa Cruz and Stanford University. As one of the 22 campuses in the CSU system, CSUMB offers excellent benefits, including access to below-market-rate rental housing on East Campus, and competitive salaries for faculty and staff. With proximity to the San Francisco Bay Area and San Jose, opportunities for faculty, staff and students are as endless as the shores of the nearby Pacific Ocean.