Project Manager

Job Category

Job Profile

Job Title

Department

Compensation Range

The Compensation Range is the span between the minimum and maximum base salary for a position. The midpoint of the range is approximately halfway between the minimum and the maximum and represents an employee that possesses full job knowledge, qualifications and experience for the position. In the normal course, employees will be hired, transferred or promoted between the minimum and midpoint of the salary range for a job.

Posting End Date

Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date.

Job End Date

At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career.

Job Summary
UBC is committed to fostering equitable and inclusive learning and working environments in which human rights are respected, where all members of the UBC community are treated fairly and with dignity, and where the rich diversity of UBC students, faculty, and staff have equal opportunity to participate in the life and work of the university.

The Project Manager (PM) is a member of the Institutional Initiatives Planning & Evaluation (IIP&E) team within the Equity & Inclusion Office (EIO). The IIP&E unit has the mandate to coordinate collaborative and networked leadership to mobilize the implementation of University strategies to advance institutional equity, antiracism, and inclusive excellence plans and priorities (e.g., Inclusion Action Plan, CRC EDI Action Plan, EDI Dimensions Pilot, Employment Equity Plan, Anti-Racism & Inclusive Excellence Task Force Recommendations, Transgender Two-Spirit and Gender Diversity Task Force Recommendations, etc.). The unit enables data-informed planning and decision-making, leads the effective engagement and management of strategic planning and implementation teams, facilitates fora for learning about and sharing of best practices across the network of institutional equity, antiracism, and inclusive excellence leads, develops planning and implementation tools and resources, assesses and evaluates progress against established goals, and reports on measurable outputs/outcomes and key performance indicators to promote accountability.

The Project Manager provides leadership in the implementation of complex projects and cross-functional project priorities for the EIO. The Project Manager is responsible to create project plans (e.g. MS Project) and to monitor and report on progress of project deliverables. The PM is responsible for managing the entire life-cycle of projects to support the implementation of the Strategic Equity & Anti-Racism (StEAR) Roadmap for Change, particularly UBC's Accessibility Plan, including project planning, identification of appropriate resources needed, development of schedules to ensure timely completion of projects, and assignment of individual responsibilities among identified implementation teams and partners.

Organizational Status
The PM is one of a team of PMs reporting to the Associate Director, Institutional Initiatives Planning & Evaluation, and working closely with EIO administrative, communications, and events teams.

Work Performed
• In consultation with the Associate Director, Institutional Initiatives Planning & Evaluation, conceptualizes, plans, and implements complex projects by determining project management methodology or methodologies that would be most appropriate for the project and identifying change management strategies where appropriate.
• Develops, implements, and supports the processes and systems for project development, planning, and implementation with excellent organization and communication with project lead(s), managers & directors, the management & leadership teams, and all internal collaborators.
• Plans project scope and activities, follows up on action items, key decisions, tasks, and deliverables to ensure completion, and keeps the project on track and focused on achieving the intended milestones and outcomes.
• Anticipates potential problems and develops solutions needed to resolve them.
• Identifies and manages challenges, develops and implements strategies to mitigate issues, and develops contingency plans to ensure the timely completion of project deliverables.
• In collaboration with project lead(s) and managers & directors of portfolios, monitors project scope, schedule, budget, and other key aspects to ensure successful project delivery. Ensures timely execution of tasks, current, planned, and/or adjusted execution of project plans.
• Initiates and manages projects with the EIO leadership and/or management team on project management methodology including but not limited to gathering data, conducting research, defining project requirements, developing project scope, charters, plans, budgets, and schedules, identifying staffing requirements, forming project teams, and supporting cross-functional work and project management processes between portfolios.
• Identifies, analyzes, and manages risks and opportunities unique to each project, and recommends improvements to the design and/or implementation of the project to ensure project objectives are met in the most efficient, timely, and economical way possible.
• Strategically analyzes work processes, identifies and provides advice on areas for improvement in workflow and office efficiency and their implementation.
• Makes decisions regarding the management of financial resources for identified projects, which includes the preparation of budgets and financial reporting for Central Finance.
• Creates project plans in MS Project (or other software) and monitors and reports out the progress of the plan deliverables.
• Oversees and communicates project progress in writing for use with stakeholders and for governance reporting.
• Liaises with various portfolios across both the Vancouver and Okanagan campuses to ensure the effective planning and implementation of projects, and ensures interdependencies are identified and managed.
• Establishes and maintains a consistent project documentation system; manages the upkeep of the team's central files, key documents, and project management documentation; and oversees access and use of shared/collaborative workspaces (e.g. OneDrive, MS Teams), coordinating with various project leads, directors and managers, including external partners.
• Builds and maintains good working relationships and collaborates with others to achieve project objectives.
• Provides advice to EIO staff regarding project management best practices and tools to enable the standardized application of established processes.
• Conducts project check-ins with EIO Management Team, EIO Portfolio Teams, project leads, and project teams as needed. Introduces and tracks agenda items across Team and Committee meetings.
• Works with the Accessibility Committee, Accessibility Planning Team, and other relevant bodies to develop project plans for the creation and implementation of annual priorities within the StEAR Roadmap for Change, particularly for UBC's Accessibility Plan.
• Supports planning and coordination of periodic consultations with University stakeholders and rightsholders related to StEAR implementation.
• Provides project planning and communications support and coordination to the Accessibility Committee and Accessibility Planning Team.
• Drafts proposals and reports as required, including assisting the Director, Institutional Initiatives, and the Manager, Planning & Evaluation with project evaluation.
• Understands and brings equity-mindedness and accessibility to all aspects of project management to ensure strategic alignment with organizational goals and outcomes.
• Selects and follows project management methods, procedures, and quality objectives, and tracks metrics for assessing progress.
• Assists in preparing materials for governance meetings as needed.
• Contributes to strategic planning activities of the EIO.

Consequence of Error/Judgement
Errors in judgment may have a negative impact on project planning for the Equity & Inclusion Office, as well as the spending plan and budget. Poor decision-making will impact negatively on the advancement of an equitable, inclusive community within the University.

Supervision Received
Reports directly to the Associate Director, Institutional Initiatives Planning & Evaluation. Works independently and collaborates with team members. Work is reviewed in terms of sound project management practice and the achievement of specific project-specific and overarching team objectives.

Supervision Given
The project manager may supervise administrative staff and/or students.

Minimum Qualifications
Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline. Minimum of three years of related experience, or the equivalent combination of education and experience.

- Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one's own

- Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one's own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion

Preferred Qualifications

• Project management experience and credentials preferred (i.e., Project Management Professional (PMP) designation).
• Strong personal interest and/or background related to equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility or anti-ableism preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to enact equity principles in day-to-day interactions with a diverse group of colleagues.
• Must be flexible and responsive in supporting the work of the Equity & Inclusion Office.
• Experience in project coordination/project management, leading projects from initiation to closing phases, as well as planning, developing, and implementing new processes.
• Strong organizational skills and an ability to prioritize, coordinate and execute multiple, concurrent projects and initiatives while working under tight time constraints in a dynamic environment.
• Passion to consistently meet or exceed performance objectives.
• Possesses equity-mindedness and diversity competencies/inclusion skills. Familiarity with EDI concepts, policies, and practices.
• Experience in a Windows-based environment, and willingness to learn to use new systems.
• Quick learner: the ability to grasp new tasks & terminology, quickly and able to learn with minimal instruction.
• Ability to be thorough, accurate, and have a high level of attention to detail.
• Ability to plan ahead, anticipate problems, and meet deadlines efficiently.
• Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing.
• Ability to work across a fast-paced office, and adjust to changing priorities.
• Ability to communicate well in a cross-cultural environment, and to deal effectively with a diversity of people.
• Highly motivated with a strong interest in all aspects of business development and relationship management.
• Ability to effectively facilitate groups to achieve appropriate outcomes.
• Strong problem-solving skills.
• Ability to analyze problems, identify key information and issues, and effectively resolve them.
• Ability to function as an effective team member.
• Strong, team-oriented work ethic with an ability to work independently and autonomously.
• Self-directed and able to complete projects with limited supervision.
• Working knowledge of digital communication and scheduling tools, G-Suite, Slack, spreadsheets, and presentation software.
• Demonstrated ongoing career development through active and self-motivated professional development in the field of project management.