"Director, IT Portfolio and Project Mgmt"

Job Summary

The Director of IT Portfolio and Project Management serves as a strategic leader within the university's Information Technology division, overseeing the planning, execution, and governance of IT projects and portfolios. This role is pivotal in aligning technology initiatives with the university's mission, academic priorities, and administrative needs, ensuring that IT investments deliver measurable value and drive institutional excellence. The Director will establish best practices, foster collaboration, and champion innovation in project delivery and portfolio optimization. Strategic Leadership to include developing and implementing the university's IT portfolio management strategy in alignment with institutional goals and objectives. Lead the prioritization, selection, and oversight of IT projects, ensuring alignment with academic, research, and administrative priorities. Advise senior leadership on IT investment decisions, risk management, and resource allocation.

Responsibilities

The duties include, but are not limited to:

• PROJECT GOVERNANCE AND DELIVERY: Establish and maintain standardized processes, methodologies, and frameworks for IT project management (e.g., PMO, Agile, Waterfall, hybrid approaches). Direct the full life cycle of IT projects, from initiation and planning through execution, monitoring, and closure. Ensure that all projects are delivered on time, within budget, and to defined quality standards. Monitor project performance, track KPIs, and report progress, issues, and outcomes to stakeholders.
• PORTFOLIO OPTIMIZATION: Manage the university's IT project portfolio, balancing resources, budgets, and timelines to maximize impact and ROI. Conduct regular portfolio reviews and ensure accurate documentation of project statuses, risks, and benefits. Proactively identify opportunities for process improvement, cost savings, and increased project success rates.
• STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT: Collaborate with academic departments, administrative offices, research centers, and external partners to understand technology requirements and priorities. Facilitate effective communication between project teams, sponsors, and university leadership. Conduct stakeholder analysis, manage expectations, and address concerns throughout the project lifecycle.
• TEAM DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT: Lead, mentor, and develop a team of project managers, business analysts, and support staff. Foster a culture of accountability, empowerment, and continuous improvement. Support professional development through training, coaching, and performance evaluation.
• REPORTING AND ANALYTICS: Generate reports and analyses to inform decision-making at all levels of the university. Present clear, actionable insights on project and portfolio performance. Leverage data to drive continuous improvement and support institutional strategy.
• RISK MANAGEMENT AND COMPLIANCE: Establish risk assessment protocols and mitigation strategies for IT projects. Ensure compliance with institutional policies, legal requirements, and industry regulations (including data privacy, accessibility, and security). Anticipate potential challenges and proactively develop solutions.
• BUDGETING AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT: Develop and manage budgets for the IT project portfolio and project management office. Optimize resource utilization across multiple concurrent projects. Prepare funding requests, business cases, and financial forecasts as needed.
• CHANGE MANAGEMENT: Lead change management initiatives to ensure the successful implementation and adoption of technology solutions. Create communication plans, training materials, and support resources for stakeholders impacted by change. Monitor and measure change effectiveness, adapting approaches as necessary.

Perform other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university required in Computer Science, Information Systems, Business Administration, Project Management, HealthCare, Engineering, or a relevant field with minimum of ten years of performance improvement, including program/project management experience, managing large complex project experience, coaching, teaching, and/or applying Lean performance improvement in transactional environments, and five years of experience leading people (direct and indirect leadership roles). PMP Certification required.

Preferred Qualifications

Master's degree from an accredited college or university in Project Management, Business Administration, Computer Science, Lean Six Sigma, or Health Care Administration preferred. Certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and/or Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ) is highly desirable. Experience in establishing and enforcing effective PMO strategies, methodologies, and processes. Working knowledge of the Cerner framework and business utilization is highly desirable. Exposure to business theory, business processes, management, budgeting, accounting, and contracting. Proven ability to plan, organize, and deliver projects in accordance with agreed schedules and budgets. Ability to judiciously set and manage priorities. Demonstrated ability to apply technology solutions to business problems. Superior ability to articulate ideas to both technical and non-technical audiences. Demonstrated success managing a range of complex medium to large projects. Ability to manage relationships with a range of stakeholders, including executive sponsors, department leadership, and business/system analysts. Proven background in educating enterprise-wide staff members about the value of a PMO. Strong project management, process, technical, and financial management knowledge. Healthcare experience preferred. IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) certification preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

Knowledge: Knowledge and utilization of systems thinking methodologies, business and management principles involved in strategic planning, budgets, financial metrics, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership techniques, and coordination and timing of people and resources. In-depth knowledge and understanding of project, program, and portfolio management; applicable laws and regulations relating to health information technology issues. Experience working with productivity and methodology tools such as MS Project Professional & Project Server; scope control procedures and change-in-scope management; planning, budgeting, and reporting large-scale projects, or in-depth experience with other project management disciplines such as Lean, scrum, agile, or applying Constraints management.

Skills: Detail-oriented with strong prioritization and organizational skills. Skilled in analytics, problem-solving, and project portfolio management. Proficient in digital tools (e.g., ServiceNow, MS Project, Jira, Smartsheet), with knowledge of IT trends and best practices in higher education.

Abilities: Ability to maintain confidentiality. Superior analytical, evaluative, and problem-solving abilities and keen attention to detail. Brings emotional intelligence, resilience, discretion, and an innovative mindset to dynamic environments. Visionary leadership, adaptability, and strategic thinking. Ability to inspire, guide change, and align initiatives with business goals. Demonstrates integrity, professionalism, and strong collaboration across teams. Communicates complex ideas clearly. Influences stakeholders and negotiates effectively. Demonstrated people development results.

Shift/Salary/Benefits

Shift: Days; M-F (Work outside of the standard business hours may be required)

Pay Band: B17

Salary: $109,500/annually-$118,300/annually

Salary to be commensurate with qualifications of the selected candidate within the established range (generally minimum-midpoint) of the position

Recruitment Period: Until Filled

Augusta University offers a variety of benefits to full-time benefits-eligible employees and some of our half-time (or more) employees. Benefits that may be elected could include health insurance, dental insurance, life insurance, Teachers Retirement System (or Optional Retirement Plan), as well as earned vacation time, sick leave, and 13 paid holidays. Also, our full-time employees who have been employed with us successfully for more than 6 months can be considered for the Tuition Assistance Program.