Senior Project Manager

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) has set ambitious goals to provide a high quality public education for every child, in every neighborhood, that prepares each for success in college, career and civic life.

The Senior Project Manager performs a lead role in managing the implementation of large, complex enterprise projects and programs in support of the CPS Mission. This role is key in promoting and adhering to the organization's Project Management Methodology, including communication and management of tasks for all phases of the Project Lifecycle. The Senior Project Manager also promotes visibility into the CPS portfolio, partnering with ITS and Business Leaders to ensure the portfolio of projects aligns with departmental goals and the CPS Vision.

This position resides in the Portfolio Management Office of the Information and Technology Services (ITS) / Enterprise Transformation department of Chicago Public Schools. The Senior Project Manager reports to the Manager of the PMO.

The Senior Project Manager will be held accountable for the following responsibilities:

• Coaching and guiding ITS and Business Leaders to ensure the portfolio of projects supports the CPS Vision
  
  
• Supporting business and project management staff
  
  
• Mentoring junior project management staff and making staff development recommendations
  
  
• Occasionally supervising personnel
  
  
• Managing PMO operational activities, ensuring current, accurate and quality project information across the portfolio
  
  
• Defining project scopes, initiating and managing large, complex enterprise projects and programs
  
  
• Creating and executing project work plans and revising as appropriate to meet changing needs and requirements
  
  
• Initiating and managing multiple projects in parallel and with multiple dependencies
  
  
• Producing project reports and performance metrics
  
  
• Communicating with the Portfolio Management Office manager and ITS management regarding the status of a portfolio of projects
  
  
• Identify and manage portfolio risks
  
  
• Using influence to eliminate bottlenecks and potential resource alignment problems
  
  
• Managing projects and programs within standard project management methodologies to time, quality and budget
  
  
• Identifying resources needed and assigns individual responsibilities
  
  
• Managing through all stages of the project life cycle
  
  
• Managing stakeholders and stakeholder expectations
  
  
• Building strong project teams across multiple CPS divisions
  
  
• Providing excellent service to clients (internal and external to ITS)
  
  
• Effectively managing vendor relationships in accordance to CPS and ITS strategies and directives
  
  
• Providing project status and other deliverables at each stage of a defined project management methodology
  
  
• Demonstrating a willingness to collaborate and support the PMO and ITS peers and leadership
  
  
• Planning, directing and implementing complex projects on time, within budget and with desired functionality
  
  
• Performing related duties as required
  
  

The Senior Project Manager is also responsible for supporting the advancement of the PMO's mission. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Supporting Portfolio Management that provides a forward looking picture of project work
  
  
• Continuously improving the Project Methodology
  
  
• Providing input into Project Management Best Practices
  
  
• Educating ITS staff and CPS Project Management stakeholders on PMO processes and tools
  
  

In order to be successful and achieve the above responsibilities, the Senior Project Manager must possess the following qualifications:

Type of Education Required :

• Bachelor's Degree or equivalent experience required
  
  
• PMP Certification strongly preferred
  
  

Type of Experience and Number of Years :

• Demonstrated experience in Project Management
  
  
  • Preferred 10 years of experience
    
    
• Experience in Information Technology
  
  
  • Preferred 7 years of experience
    
    
• Experience in Education (K-12) project or program work preferred
  
  

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities :

• Proficient in Project Management practices, principles, and tools
  
  
• Knowledgeable about organization and process structures
  
  
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
  
  
• Ability to apply process standards
  
  
• Self-motivated/willingness to take initiative
  
  
• Proven ability to build positive working relationships within own team and other areas of business
  
  
• Ability to effectively communicate with customers, project and functional management to identify needs and evaluate alternative solutions
  
  
• Ability to work as a Senior Project Manager on multiple simultaneous projects
  
  
• Ability to work independently towards established goals
  
  

• Ability to work with all levels of the organization
  
  
• Proven track record of leading large complex implementation projects
  
  
• Strong conflict resolution, negotiating and influencing skills
  
  

Residency Requirement:

• As a condition of employment with the Chicago Public Schools (CPS), employees are required to live within the geographic boundaries of the City of Chicago within six months of his or her CPS hire date and maintain residency throughout their employment with the district.