Senior Manager for Operations and Strategic Initiatives (Student Health and Well-Being)

Student Health and Well-Being (SHWB) is seeking a Senior Manager for Operations and Strategic Initiatives who will be a key member of the vice provost’s office and a trusted partner for the AVP. The role will play an important role in support of divisional priorities with a focus on project development, implementation management, ensuring effective collaboration to launch high impact strategic initiatives, and overall operational execution.

The position reports to the AVP and will serve as an adaptable administrator who provides leadership as well as significant individual contributions as both project manager for the division’s top initiatives as well as the lead staff member responsible for maintaining division-wide operating procedures and staff engagement goals. This includes helping to ensure that divisional initiatives that span multiple SHWB units are harmonized and progressing transparently toward set deadlines, objectives, milestones, and essential metrics or criteria. The position supervises one professional staff member—the division’s Professional Development and Communications Coordinator—and serves as a strategic liaison with divisional constituencies across all levels of leadership. Experience dealing with confidential information as well as effectively representing senior leadership on key projects is essential.

The Sr. Project Manager leads, manages, and executes high-priority university initiatives from concept to implementation with a high level of independence. This role may work in a central Project Management Office (PMO) or in a divisional capacity, supporting division-wide leadership projects of significant complexity and scope. The SPM oversees a portfolio of key strategic projects, ensuring that all assigned projects successfully meet institutional goals, deliver impactful results, and drive excellence. Additionally, for roles located within a central PMO, the SPM may support and mentor project managers, along with other staff outside of the PMO to help build capacity for project management, evangelize best practices in project management, and ensure projects outside the purview of the PMO follow desired processes.

The SPM is responsible for ensuring the successful completion of their portfolio of projects within the approved schedule, scope, and budget, and escalating major risks and issues to university leaders as appropriate. In partnership with other project stakeholders, the SPM leads the design and implementation of individual projects.

Specific Duties & Responsibilities

- Collaborate with the AVP and partners across SHWB to design and implement new initiatives, ensuring a deep understanding of the higher education landscape and creating sensitive materials like briefings, presentations, reviews, and draft correspondence.
- Ensure the timely flow and content of information to and from the vice provost’s office. Demonstrate a steadfast commitment to enhancing workflows and communications, amplifying the overall productivity of the office.
- Develop and update project plans and standard operating procedures that engage multiple SHWB units or division-wide operations. Monitor and adjust these as needed to ensure efficiency and consistency.
- Manage the scope of projects, including goals, timelines, budgets, and objectives.
- Develop and execute project plans, budgets, timelines, and risk mitigation strategies, monitoring and reporting on progress and outcomes.
- Complete individual activities required to complete the projects, including analysis, benchmarking, data collection, and deliverable development.
- Identify and resolve any conflicts, challenges, or barriers that may arise during the project lifecycle, and escalate them as appropriate.
- Flex into various project roles as necessary to fill gaps and ensure projects proceed as needed.
- Ensure division-wide regular staff engagement and executive communication plans are in place, executed consistently, and periodically reviewed for enhancements. This includes overseeing a division-wide staff development plan in partnership with the Professional Development and Communications Coordinator.
- Oversee project teams and resources, including project managers and staff from other offices, where applicable.
- Develop and manage key project deliverables, including project plans, budgets, timelines, status reports, presentation materials, reports, and risk mitigation strategies.
- Manage the risk, issue, and change resolution process, and work with other leaders to take corrective action as needed.
- Provide leadership with the information needed to make decisions for the projects.
- Lead the development and/or collection of materials to ensure the VP and AVP are informed and prepared to make decisions.
- Interface with key leaders to define project priorities and communicate project risks, issues, and opportunities.
- Establish excellent working relationships with key stakeholders, including SHWB senior leaders, University Student Services liaisons, and other key university offices.
- Monitor KPIs for special projects, reporting progress and status to senior leaders.
- Oversee project teams and resources, including project managers and staff from other offices.
- Perform individual activities required to complete the projects, including analysis, benchmarking, data collection, and materials development.
- Develop high-quality project deliverables, including written reports, presentations, spreadsheets, and data visualizations.
- Make presentations to and communicate with senior university leaders in support of their projects.
- Collaborate with project managers and other staff to implement the project management methodology and best practices to positively impact the institution and support the strategic initiatives.
- Coach and mentor project management practitioners and other affiliated staff and share knowledge of best practices.
- Aid senior leaders with the design, business case development, and authorization of strategic projects and initiatives.
- Other duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills. and Abilities

- Demonstrated ability to use Microsoft Office Suite software applications, along with general understanding of other JHU applications to retrieve data for reporting and analysis.

- Knowledge of SmartSheet or comparable project planning software.

Minimum Qualifications

- Bachelor’s Degree.
- Seven years of related experience.
- Additional education may substitute for required experience and additional related experience may substitute for required education beyond a high school diploma/graduation equivalent, to the extent permitted by the JHU equivalency formula.

Preferred Qualifications

- Master’s Degree preferred
- Significant experience crafting materials for high-level university leadership positions and initiatives.
- Experience with project planning methodologies, tools, and concepts.
- Relevant experience in a university setting, including in student health, student affairs, or academic affairs areas.
- Experience supervising professional staff.

Classified Title: Sr. Project Manager 
Job Posting Title (Working Title): Senior Manager for Operations and Strategic Initiatives (Student Health and Well-Being)   
Role/Level/Range: ATP/04/PF  
Starting Salary Range: $87,635 - $153,545 Annually ($105K - $115K targeted; Commensurate w/exp.) 
Employee group: Full Time 
Schedule: M-F 8:30 - 5:00 
FLSA Status: Exempt 
Location: Hybrid/Homewood Campus  
Department name: Student Health and Well-Being   
Personnel area: University Student Services