Senior IT Project Manager

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

Additional details provided in posting attachment, and on the Unoversity webite.

Are you an experienced IT project leader passionate about establishing structure, driving strategy, and building a culture of project and portfolio management? Do you thrive in collaborative, mission-driven environments and have the ability to navigate large-scale, high-impact initiatives?

If so, we invite you to bring your expertise to Information Technology Services (ITS) at the University of Rhode Island (URI) as our Senior IT Project Manager.

Why Choose URI?

• Shape the Future of IT: Establish and formalize project management practices within ITS and help instill a culture of project and portfolio management across the ITS organization.
• Impactful Work: Lead significant IT initiatives, including a major migration from PeopleSoft to Workday, enhancing the educational experience across our diverse university community.
• Flexible Work Environment: Choose the work arrangement that suits you best—on-campus, hybrid, or fully remote.
• Tuition Waivers for You and Your Family: Access educational opportunities for yourself and eligible dependents, allowing you and your loved ones to pursue degrees at URI.
• Collaborative Culture: Work closely with university leadership and cross-functional teams in a setting that values inclusivity and diverse perspectives.
• Professional Growth: Benefit from continuous learning opportunities and a supportive environment that fosters career development.

Position Overview

In this senior-level role reporting directly to the CIO, you will spearhead the development of a centralized project and portfolio management function within ITS. Your focus will be on establishing and formalizing project management practices, working collaboratively to bring structure, governance, and strategic oversight to project execution while building and overseeing a portfolio of complex IT projects that support the university’s strategic goals. You will serve as a strategic leader and internal consultant, training and supporting ITS leadership and team members in project management methodologies and best practices.

You will also provide oversight of the ITS project portfolio, ensuring projects are strategically aligned, properly prioritized, and consistently executed. A key responsibility will include coordinating ITS contributions to the university’s enterprise resource planning (ERP) migration from PeopleSoft to Workday, aligning efforts across technical teams, functional leads, external partners, and university stakeholders.

This is a unique opportunity to build a culture of project management while working alongside a highly collaborative team of ITS professionals who are committed to strategic execution and continuous improvement.

Key Responsibilities

Project Management Strategy & Governance

• Establish and embed project management best practices within ITS, ensuring standardization, governance, and strategic oversight of project execution.
• Act as a project management advisor to ITS leadership, providing coaching, training, and tools to support project success across teams.
• Own the ITS project intake and prioritization process, ensuring alignment with institutional goals and resource availability.
• Develop transparent reporting structures to communicate project status, risks, and milestones to senior leadership and key stakeholders.

Project & Portfolio Leadership

• Own and oversee the ITS project portfolio, ensuring projects are well-structured, strategically aligned, and effectively resourced.
• Manage financial, architectural, and technical aspects of projects to ensure predictable delivery within budget and schedule constraints.
• Lead large-scale IT projects from initiation to close, managing scope, risk, timeline, and stakeholder engagement.
• Support change management efforts by incorporating organizational change strategies that promote user adoption and minimize disruption.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work laterally with ITS colleagues, faculty, administrative leaders, and vendors to gather requirements, align expectations, and drive project success.
• Coordinate the ITS work package for the PeopleSoft to Workday migration, ensuring seamless integration and minimal disruption.
• Evaluate vendor proposals, statements of work, and implementation timelines for large-scale IT projects, working closely with procurement and technical leads.

Other Responsibilities

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Requirements:

1. Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Business Administration, or a related field.
2. Minimum of six years of professional experience in Information Technology.
3. Minimum of four years of experience in IT project management.
4. Demonstrated experience embedding or advancing project management practices within an IT organization.
5. Demonstrated successful track record managing large-scale, complex, multi-stakeholder IT projects with cross-functional teams.
6. Demonstrated ability to train, coach, and support leadership and cross-functional teams in adopting project management practices.
7. Demonstrated experience overseeing an IT project portfolio, and implementing prioritization frameworks, as well as evaluating vendor proposals and statements of work.

1. Experience with Agile methodologies, including Scrum, and familiarity with hybrid approaches.
2. Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to build strong relationships, collaborate across diverse teams and leadership levels, and navigate challenging conversations with a constructive, solutions-oriented approach.
3. Proven ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced, evolving environment.
4. Experience with organizational change management methodologies and their application within IT projects.

12. Demonstrated ability to work with and support diverse populations and teams.

 

Preferred:

• Experience working in or with higher education institutions.
• Project management certifications such as PMP, PMI-ACP, or other recognized credentials.
• Familiarity with fit-gap analyses and coordinating cross-functional input for complex enterprise systems projects.
• Experience establishing or formalizing project management frameworks within an IT organization.
• Experience introducing or operationalizing project intake, prioritization, or governance processes.
• Strong understanding of project lifecycle methodologies and service frameworks such as ITSM and ITIL.

 

Core Competencies

• Strategic Project Leadership: Ability to establish and refine project management frameworks within an IT organization, ensuring projects align with institutional priorities. Inspires and guides cross-functional teams with clarity and empathy.
• Training & Enablement: Demonstrated ability to coach and support leadership and teams in adopting project management best practices.
• Lateral Influence: Skilled at leading cross-functional teams in a matrixed environment, driving initiatives without direct supervisory authority.
• Communication & Change Management: Ability to translate complex project details into clear, actionable insights for stakeholders at all levels and support organizational change efforts.
• Process & Governance: Experience developing project intake, prioritization, and tracking mechanisms to enhance project visibility and alignment.
• Analytical Thinking: Identifies root issues, anticipates risks, and proposes pragmatic solutions.
• Adaptability: Navigates shifting priorities with agility and focus.
• Collaboration & Relationship-Building: Values diverse perspectives with a proven ability to work effectively across teams, fostering trust, inclusivity, and shared ownership of project outcomes.
• Results-Driven Execution: Track record of delivering measurable project outcomes, balancing strategic goals with execution details.