Associate Director, Portfolio & Project Management | #education | #technology | #techjobs

Harvard Business School

55859BR

Job-Specific Responsibilities
The Portfolio & Project Management Office (PPMO) is a team of dedicated professionals providing portfolio, program, project, and business relationship services across HBS in support of the School’s technology needs.

The successful candidate is an energetic, empathetic, and thoughtful professional who gets things done. You are experienced in leading project management people in technical organizations and proficient in defining project and program practices that will minimize bureaucracy and lead to better outcomes for our partners and customers. You understand how change works and can engage a diverse audience of technical professionals by speaking their language and collaborating to improve the way we work together.

Reporting to the Managing Director, PPMO & QA the Associate Director plays a leading role in the Information Technology Portfolio & Project Management Office (PPMO) with a particular focus on IT’s project management and business analysis practices.

Responsibilities 

• Collaboratively develop, implement, reinforce, and evolve practical, concise, common Project and Program Management framework and guidelines in HBS IT.
• Provide mentorship and guidance to HBS IT project managers, program managers and business analysts in developing standards and skills that will allow them to deliver consistent project deliverables to HBS’s customers.
• Oversee IT programs and project planning, management, and execution, ensuring programs and project results are delivered consistently, effectively, predictably, within budget constraints, and at the appropriate quality level.
• Improve the utility of our retrospectives process including how we act on and share knowledge from lessons learned in projects and other activities.
• Communicate effectively with all levels from engineering team members to executive leadership, demonstrating both technical and business fluency.
• Assumes other duties as assigned.

Typical Core Duties

• Responsible for effective staff management, including hiring and orientation, training and development, workflow and performance management, and the promotion of an inclusive and innovative work environment
• Responsible for project discovery
• Oversee a portfolio of projects, ensuring resources, capacity and dependencies are managed for successful delivery
• Occasionally expected to lead a project as a project manager
• Identify, track, monitor and communicate project-related benefits, issues, scope changes, variances and contingencies that may arise during the implementation of IT projects, and that cannot be resolved by project team
• Facilitate defining solutions with the appropriate stakeholders/customers
• Design, develop and monitor effective processes and systems for projects
• Evaluate and assess metrics and project/program effectiveness
• Serve as a key resource for policies and procedures; may provide training to clients and staff
• Leverage steering and executive committees for decision-making, change management, and communications
• Collaborate with University-wide leadership to continuously improve processes, policies and procedures
• Apply Harvard University’s IT technical standards and best practices
• Strong motivation to understand user needs
• Abide by and follow the Harvard University IT Code of Conduct

Basic Qualifications

• Minimum of seven years’ post-secondary education or relevant work experience
• Supervisory experience

Additional Qualifications and Skills
Essential Qualifications 

• 10+ year project management experience in a professional and technical project environment including at least 2+ years of program management and project prioritization exposure

Desirable Qualifications 

• Excellent leadership and people management skills; direct management experience required, as well as a desire to coach to help others thrive and do their best work.
• Experienced in change management; helping others see the need for change, build desire for, implement, and reinforce change.
• Recognized team leadership and group facilitation skills in complex situations.
• Comprehensive understanding how to create great relationships.
• Adaptable, flexible; uses grace & tact under pressure; unflappable when confronting challenges; resilient; positive outlook and “can-do” attitude; respectful & approachable style.
• Project/Program Management Professional (PMP) and/or Agile certifications
• Knowledge of the Informational Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL)
• 3+ years’ experience introducing new project/program management methods and processes, and experience mentoring others.
• Experience providing high-level technology client services in a higher education or professional services setting.
• Experience conducting project retrospectives and analyzing project benefits and outcomes.
• Knowledge and use of Design Thinking approaches to understand challenges from the customer point of view, develop and refine ideas, develop prototypes, solicit feedback.

Certificates and Licenses

• Completion of Harvard IT Academy Project Management Foundations course (or external equivalent) preferred
• PMP or other relevant certification and experience preferred, e.g., Scrum Master

Additional Information
This position is approved as a term appointment with an end date of 6/30/2023. There is a possibility of renewal/extension.

This role may be offered as a hybrid (some combination of onsite and remote) where you are required to be onsite at our Boston, MA based campus. Specific days and schedule will be determined between you and your manager.

While we continue to monitor the evolving COVID-19 guidelines and restrictions, we appreciate your understanding and flexibility with our interview process. Please note that we will be conducting interviews virtually (phone and or Zoom) for selected candidates until further notice.

Harvard will require COVID vaccination for all Harvard community members who will have any on-campus presence. Individuals may claim exemption from the vaccine requirement for medical or religious reasons. More information regarding the University’s COVID vaccination requirement and exceptions may be found at the University’s “COVID-19 Vaccine Information” webpage: http://www.harvard.edu/coronavirus/covid-19-vaccine-information/.

A cover letter is required to be considered for this opportunity.

Harvard Business School will not offer visa sponsorship for this opportunity.

Culture of Inclusion: The work and well-being of HBS is profoundly strengthened by the diversity of our network and our differences in background, culture, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, and life experiences.
Explore more about HBS work culture here.

Job Function
Information Technology

Location
USA – MA – Boston

Job Code
I0059M IT Project Management V

Sub-Unit
*

Department
Information Technology

Time Status
Full-time

Salary Grade
059

Union
00 – Non Union, Exempt or Temporary

Appointment End Date
30-Jun-2023

Pre-Employment Screening
Identity

EEO Statement
We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions, or any other characteristic protected by law.