Program Manager – Operational Excellence at Rice University in Houston, Texas

Job Description:

Special Instructions to Applicants:

All interested applicants should attach a resume and cover letter in the Supporting Documents section of the application, preferably in a PDF format to avoid any formatting issues.

About Rice:

Boasting a 300-acre tree-lined campus in Houston, Texas, Rice University is ranked among the nation's top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has a 6-to-1 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio, and a residential college system, which supports students intellectually, emotionally and culturally through social events, intramural sports, student plays, lectures series, courses and student government. Developing close-knit, diverse college communities is a strong campus tradition, which is why Rice is highly ranked for best quality of life and best value among private universities.

Rice is also a wonderful place to work. Rice faculty, staff and students share values that are essential to our success as a healthy community. Those values guide our decisions and behaviors and shape Rice's culture. They come through in the way we treat each other and the welcome we extend to our visitors. These values can be recalled simply by our name - RICE - Responsibility, Integrity, Community and Excellence.

Position Summary:
The Program Manager will be an integral member of the Operational Excellence and Engagement team, supporting the execution and monitoring of Rice University's Operations, Finance, and Support (OF&S) strategic portfolio. This portfolio includes six unique workstreams driving towards excellence: HR, IT, Budget & Finance, Campus Safety, Campus Services & Sustainability, and Real Estate & Facilities. The Program Manager will play a key role in supporting initiative owners, project managers, and team leaders, fostering cross-functional collaboration, and ensuring project and program goals are met. Additionally, the Program Manager will help build, support, and enable a project management community of practice within OF&S.

Ideal Candidate Statement
The ideal candidate for this position is a seasoned program manager successful at leading by influence, fostering collaboration, supporting teams to deliver results, and building project management capacity in others. This individual is committed to continuous improvement and innovation, serving as an example for colleagues.
Workplace Requirements:
This role will require collaboration across multiple teams and departments. The Program Manager will work closely with senior leadership to ensure all initiatives align with strategic goals. A hybrid work environment may be available based on organizational needs.
Hiring Range:
The hiring salary range for this position is $100,000 to $120,000, commensurate with the selected candidate's experience and qualifications.

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent year for year combination of education and experience
• 4+ years of experience working in project or program management

Preferences:

• 5+ years of experience working in project or program management
• PMP certification or equivalent
• Prosci or other change management credential
• Experience using Asana or similar project management software
• Familiar with AI and innovative technology
  Skills
  
  
  • Ability to manage projects and meet deadlines
  • Ability to collaborate with and motivate cross-functional teams
  • Ability to influence others
  • Excellent oral and written communication skills
  • Ability to manage multiple programmatic areas
  • Knowledge of budget control methods, policies, and procedures.
  • Strong negotiation and interpersonal skills
  • Strong time management and prioritization skills
  • Proven ability to manage large and complex issues through diverse and competing interests.
  • Demonstrated leadership and supervisory skills, including conflict resolution
  • Strong leadership and management skills
  • Advanced problem-solving expertise to discern intricate issues, analyze relevant information, and devise and assess multifaceted options for effective solution implementation.
  
  

Essential Functions:

• Execution Support: Partner with initiative owners, team leads, and project managers to identify risks, issues, and critical decisions. Track progress and ensure alignment with University and OF&S strategic goals.
• Portfolio Management: Monitor projects and programs across the OF&S portfolio, creating dashboards and reporting mechanisms to track milestones, risks, and barriers.
• Cross-Functional Facilitation: Maintain a high-level overview of all ongoing projects and programs, identifying interconnectivity, evaluating competing priorities, and providing recommendations for mitigating risks and issues. Lead critical conversations on these adjustments, assessing risks and benefits.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Build and maintain partnerships with key stakeholders across the University, ensuring effective communication and program success.
• Community of Practice Leadership: Facilitate project management skill-building sessions for the OF&S community, guiding team members in project planning, software (Asana) usage, status reporting, and more. Lead the integration of new PM skills after team members complete initial PM training.
• Functional Meeting Structure: Develop and implement an effective structure for functional team meetings to address cross-functional impacts and inter-team challenges across the excellence portfolios. Continuously evaluate and enhance the effectiveness of team structures, tools, and solutions, focusing on continuous improvement.
• Risk and Barrier Management: Identify barriers to success across the portfolio and escalate issues to leadership as needed.
• Change Management: Leverage change management principles to support the University's enterprise transformation efforts, helping teams navigate changes and adapt to new systems and processes.
• Innovation and Efficiency: Promote the responsible use of AI and other technology solutions to enhance efficiency and capacity across the organization.

Rice University HR | Benefits: Overview

Rice Mission and Values: Mission and Values | Rice University

Rice University is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to diversity at all levels. It considers for employment qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status.

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