Project Manager, ITS

Fairfield University - Fairfield, CT

Full-time - Mid Level

Fairfield, CT

Educational Services

About the position

The ITS Project Manager at Fairfield University plays a crucial role within the Portfolio Management Office (PMO) of the Information Technology Services (ITS) department. This position is responsible for overseeing project management, serving as a department ambassador, conducting software testing, and engaging in systems research. The Project Manager will work closely with the Director of PMO to manage the project intake and prioritization process, ensuring that multiple projects are effectively managed while continually assessing project priorities, resource availability, budgets, and risks. Utilizing agile methodologies, the Project Manager will gather requirements, design solutions, document development sprints, plan testing phases, and commit to go-live events. This role requires collaboration with a diverse team of university stakeholders, including ITS analysts, developers, database administrators, network and system administrators, and security teams, to identify and address business and academic challenges that can be resolved through technology. The Project Manager will oversee the design, development, testing, and delivery of various software solutions, including custom applications, off-the-shelf solutions, and system integrations involving campus-wide systems such as Workday, Raiser's Edge, Snowflake, Slate, and Blackboard LMS. In addition to project oversight, the Project Manager will create and maintain comprehensive project documentation, including design specifications, requirements documents, test plans, and go-live sign-off documentation. Exceptional customer service is a key component of this role, as is the ability to accurately track and report project status while working effectively both independently and within teams. The Project Manager is expected to act proactively, anticipating and addressing needs without requiring direct instruction, and to seek continuous improvement while embracing new skills. The role also involves developing technology requests into formalized projects with defined requirements, ensuring solutions are delivered on time and within budget, and providing end-user training as necessary. The Project Manager will manage change control processes, identify scope changes, and seize opportunities to enhance project scope. After project completion, the Project Manager will communicate strategic lessons learned and best practices for continuous improvement, maintaining regular communication with project sponsors to seek feedback and direction. Additionally, the Project Manager will maintain a dashboard to show the status of all projects in the portfolio and coordinate with vendors for product demonstrations, facilitating the onboarding of new vendors and project initiatives as needed.

Responsibilities

• Manage the project intake and project prioritization process in collaboration with the Director of PMO.
• Oversee multiple projects within ITS, assessing project priority, resource availability, budgets, and risks.
• Utilize agile methodology for requirement gathering, solution design, documenting development sprints, planning testing, and go-live events.
• Work with cross-functional university stakeholders to identify and manage business and academic challenges through technology solutions.
• Oversee the design, development, testing, and delivery of administrative and academic software solutions.
• Create and maintain comprehensive project documentation, including design specifications, requirements documents, test plans, and go-live sign-off documentation.
• Provide exceptional customer service and accurately track and report project status.
• Act proactively, anticipating and addressing needs without requiring direct instruction.
• Develop technology requests into formalized projects with defined requirements and deliver solutions on time and within budget.
• Provide end-user training as needed and ensure consistent operational delivery across projects, programs, and portfolios.
• Manage change control processes, identify scope changes, and enhance project scope.
• Identify project risk factors and develop comprehensive adoption and risk-management plans.
• Communicate strategic lessons learned and best practices for continuous improvement after project completion.
• Maintain regular communication with project sponsors, seeking feedback and addressing significant problems encountered during project management.
• Maintain a dashboard showing the status of all projects in the portfolio and coordinate with vendors for product demonstrations.

Requirements

• Minimum of 5 years of IT experience with demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects with competing timelines and priorities.
• Working knowledge of the software development lifecycle and agile methodologies; coding skills are not necessary.
• Strong communication skills, capable of translating technical jargon for non-technical stakeholders.
• System-oriented thinker, adept at understanding the impact of project components on department priorities.
• Detail-oriented with strong ability to report project and portfolio status accurately.
• Bachelor's degree required; a graduate degree in IT, Computer Science, or a related field is preferred.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience with software testing and product demos.
• Knowledge of Workday, Raiser's Edge, Snowflake, Slate, and Blackboard LMS.