The Project Manager leads the planning and implementation of large, cross-functional initiatives to modernize faculty lifecycle administration and academic appointments. The work includes implementation of new software, changes to Workday structures and related administrative processes, and coordination across academic and administrative units. Working in close partnership with the Director of Faculty and Postdoctoral Operations and the Vice Provost of Faculty, who serve as the business process owners and subject matter leads, the Project Manager translates program goals and established process work into a coordinated implementation plan.
The position provides project management expertise, establishes structure and priorities, identifies risks and dependencies, coordinates resources, and guides the work from planning through implementation and stabilization.
Note: This is a fixed term position, anticipated initially for 12 months with a possible extension.
Core responsibilities include:- Plan, monitor, and manage faculty lifecycle and academic appointment projects from implementation planning through launch and stabilization.
- Develop and maintain an integrated project plan that defines scope, workstreams, milestones, schedules, resources, dependencies, decision points, and deliverables.
- Establish project governance, meeting structures, escalation paths, decision logs, status reporting, and other project controls appropriate to the size and complexity of the work.
- Advise the project sponsor and business process owner on project sequencing, implementation approach, resource needs, risk mitigation, and decisions required to keep the work moving.
- Coordinate work across the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty, Human Resources, Information Technology, academic units, Workday partners, software vendors, and other stakeholders.
- Identify and manage project risks, issues, constraints, and cross-workstream dependencies; develop recommendations and corrective actions when progress varies from plan.
- Coordinate functional requirements, configuration decisions, data readiness, integration activities, security and role considerations, testing, issue resolution, and production readiness with the appropriate subject matter and technical leads.
- Create and manage project budgets, forecasts, procurement activities, vendor deliverables, and resource plans in partnership with project leadership and relevant administrative offices.
- Plan and coordinate implementation activities, including pilot or phased rollout approaches, user acceptance testing, cutover, training readiness, communications, and post-launch support.
- Monitor project milestones and outcomes, provide clear status reports and executive briefings, and escalate decisions or barriers requiring leadership attention.
- Coordinate project staff and assigned resources; establish priorities, delegate work, and monitor completion of deliverables.
- Ensure that decisions, requirements, implementation materials, and final project records are maintained in an organized and accessible manner.
- Manage implementation of new technology supporting faculty lifecycle and academic appointment processes.
- Coordinate changes to faculty lifecycle structures, roles, data, workflows, and related integrations in partnership with functional and technical teams.
- Connect the faculty lifecycle and appointment workstreams so that shared decisions, dependencies, timing, and stakeholder impacts are addressed consistently.
- Work with the business process owner to refine implementation requirements as additional information becomes available during configuration, testing, and rollout.
- Partner with the Project Coordinator on stakeholder communications, training coordination, change readiness, meeting support, and project documentation.
Adaptability, excellence, and passion are vital qualities within Carnegie Mellon University. We are in search of a team member who can effectively interact with a varied population of internal and external partners at a high level of integrity. We are looking for someone who shares our values and who will support the mission of the university through their work.
You should demonstrate:
- Strong organization and planning skills
- Ability to work cross functionally, strong teamwork and interpersonal skills
- Strong oral and written communication skills
Qualifications:- Master's degree in business administration, public administration, higher education administration, information systems, project management, or a related field preferred.
- Five to eight years of experience managing complex, cross-functional projects from planning through implementation.
- Experience with enterprise software implementation, organizational change, or administrative transformation
- Project Management Professional (PMP) certification preferred, but not required
- A combination of education and relevant experience from which comparable knowledge is demonstrated may be considered
Requirements:- Successful pre-employment background check
Additional Information:- Duration: This is a fixed term position, anticipated initially for 12 months with a possible extension.
- Sponsorship: Applicants for this position must be currently legally authorized to work for CMU in the United States. CMU will not sponsor or take over the sponsorship of an employment visa for this opportunity. Carnegie Mellon is not a qualifying employer for the STEM OPT benefit: only the 12-month OPT may be used to work at Carnegie Mellon.
LocationPittsburgh, PA
Job FunctionProgram, Project and Operations Management
Position TypeStaff - Fixed Term (Fixed Term)
Full Time/Part timeFull time
Pay BasisSalary
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