Senior Project Manager

Job Description

We are hiring for two positions, each with an initial two-year appointment.

Location - This role is hybrid with a mix of remote and in-person. Work primarily takes place at North Campus, Edmonton.

The Senior Project Manager provides strategic leadership and expert project management to deliver complex, high-impact initiatives aligned with the University's strategic priorities. Operating within the Enterprise Project Management Office (EPMO), this role ensures that enterprise-wide projects are planned, executed, and delivered on time, within scope, and within budget, while maintaining alignment with institutional goals and governance frameworks.

While both positions will contribute to the overall goals of the team, each successful candidate will have an area of focus, as outlined below.

Reporting to the Senior Program Manager, the successful candidate will play a key role in the University's Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) modernization program, one of the institution's most significant transformation initiatives. This multi-year program will renew core administrative systems across finance, human resources, and student domains, enabling improved decision-making, streamlined processes, and enhanced service delivery across the University.

Reporting to the Manager, Project Delivery, the successful candidate will lead projects that involve multiple teams and diverse stakeholders across the university. A high level of influence is required to ensure the achievement of significant organizational benefits. Project assignments may include medium to large scale digital transformation initiatives and business process design and improvements.

The Senior Project Manager partners with executive sponsors, deans, associate vice-presidents, vice-provosts and other senior stakeholders to translate strategic objectives into actionable project plans and measurable outcomes.

Responsibilities

Project Leadership and Delivery

• Lead the planning, execution, monitoring, and closure of large-scale, cross-functional, and high-visibility projects.
• Define project scope, objectives, deliverables, timelines, and resource plans in alignment with University strategic priorities.
• Oversee project budgets, financial forecasts, and risk management strategies.
• Manage complex stakeholder relationships and facilitate effective decision-making across departments and governance bodies.
• Ensure project documentation, reporting, and communication meet EPMO and institutional standards.

Strategic Alignment and Portfolio Integration

• Work closely with the EPMO Director and Management team to align project outcomes with the University's strategic plans and enterprise portfolio.
• Identify and escalate risks, dependencies, and resource conflicts that may impact portfolio delivery.
• Support the continuous improvement of project management methodologies, tools, and templates within the EPMO.
• Provide input into the prioritization and sequencing of initiatives across the enterprise portfolio.

Change Management and Stakeholder Engagement

• Lead change management planning and execution to ensure successful adoption of new processes, technologies, or organizational changes.
• Facilitate communication and collaboration among diverse groups, including faculty, staff, students, and external partners.
• Develop and deliver executive-level briefings, progress reports, and recommendations.

Mentorship and Capability Building

• Mentor and coach Project Managers and Project Coordinators within the EPMO.
• Contribute to building a culture of accountability, transparency, and project excellence across the University.
• Promote professional project management practices and tools to improve institutional project maturity.

Qualifications

• University degree at the undergraduate level in a relevant discipline, such as business administration or project management or equivalent experience
• 8-10 years of progressive project management experience, including large-scale, multi-stakeholder projects.
• Demonstrated experience leading ERP implementations or major enterprise system transformations (finance, HR, student systems, or equivalent).
  Experience in higher education or a public-sector environment preferred.
• Demonstrated success managing budgets, schedules, and resources in a complex, matrixed organization
• Project Management Professional (PMP) and/or PRINCE2 certification is an asset
• Advanced skills in project planning, risk management, and performance measurement.
• Strong business acumen with the ability to link project outcomes to institutional strategy.
• Excellent communication, facilitation, and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Ability to navigate complex governance structures and competing priorities.
• Proficiency with project management and collaboration tools (e.g., MS Project, Smartsheet, Jira, SharePoint).
• Demonstrated success in the execution of project management methodologies (e.g. Agile, Waterfall, Scrum, etc)
• Experience working with various Project Management tools and software (e.g. Visio, Lucidchart, Project, etc)

Application Instructions

Click "Apply Now" to submit your resume and cover letter

This position offers a comprehensive benefits package, and an annual salary range of $77,513 to $128,708

The terms and conditions of this appointment are governed by Schedule G of the collective agreement between the University and the Association of Academic Staff of the University of Alberta.