Overview

The Director of Projects for Business Development will oversee the development of a critical campus-wide function at Hillsdale College: a Project Management Office. In conjunction with the Business Development departments and Business Improvements team, the Director will create a project prioritization process that effectively manages staff usage in alignment with strategic goals. Additionally, this role will lead cross-business unit teams in a consultative role, guiding senior-level projects and helping departments effectively manage their own projects and initiatives. This position will work collaboratively with Senior Leadership and Department leaders to develop and execute comprehensive project plans for campus-wide initiatives. Additionally, this position should be comfortable in a training role and willing to develop a project management process that can be taught to others and emulated on small-scale projects across campus.

‍

Qualifications

Education and Training

Required: Bachelor's degree and 10+ years of related experience and/or training, or an equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to demonstrate the ability to perform the job.

Preferred: Master’s degree and/or Project Management certification.

Other Skills

1. Self-starter, strong initiative, ability to work under tight timelines with minimal supervision
2. Well-developed teamwork habits and communication skills a necessity
3. Problem solving, organization, and ability to prioritize required
4. Ability to adapt.
5. Great listener.
6. Strong collaboration skills.
7. Highly organized in order to manage multiple projects at the same time.
8. Project Management
9. Interdepartmental Communication
10. Computer Proficiency (Word processing, simple accounting, database management, spreadsheets, email, internet)

Personal Characteristics

A neat appearance, professional manner, and a pleasant demeanor supportive of the College Mission is essential.

Code of Commitment

Be a good representative of Hillsdale College to promote the classical liberal arts, the College’s original Articles of Association and operating principles stated in the Staff Code of Commitment. The Mission Statement should be considered in all aspects of the position.  The teaching of Christian faith shall remain a conspicuous aim of the College.

‍

‍

‍

Responsibilities

The Director of Projects for Business Development will participate in the direction, operations, and development of the following key operating functions, with their associated responsibilities:

Project Management and PMO

• In the initial stages, serve as primary project manager for campus wide strategic initiatives involving multiple departments. Work with Senior Leadership and middle managers to determine the requirements of the project and liaise with the business and technical experts who can develop project strategy/solutions.
• Responsible for the overall direction, coordination, implementation, execution, control of assigned projects and initiatives (usually interdepartmental, campus-wide) to ensure consistency with College strategy, commitments and goals
• Function as internal consultant to the rest of the College in regards to project management best practices, process onboarding and other operations projects
• Interact with senior leadership and key decision makers to establish plans and objectives for programs or projects. Effectively communicate project statuses at an enterprise level and detailed level through reports and summaries.
• Establish rapport, communicate directly, and problem-solve with project staff and participants, including interacting with sensitivity in conducting project work in varied communities and with individuals who may have different backgrounds, skills, and needs and appropriately distributing tasks and opportunities related to the project.
• Manage changes to project scope, schedule, and costs using a variety of techniques to keep the project plan accurate, updated, and reflective of authorized project changes.
• Ensures consistency in the project portfolio for all phases of projects from project scoping to post mortems and
• Directs use of standard project management tools and resources.
• Stay trained and current with developments in field of project management.
• Manage additional team of Junior and Senior Project Managers in support of goals and processes above (Future).

Business Improvements

• Support the Business Improvements team in the creation and execution of plans to rollout baselines for process mapping, documentation, and data governance. Contribute as necessary to an integration management process that addresses change in processes, systems or tools, and data usage across an integrated environment.
• In conjunction with Continuous Improvements and Business Improvements teams, identify areas (as needed) that would benefit from additional process development, tools, systems and project management oversight.
• Ensure that initiatives are executed in alignment with goals, and help identify areas of integration and optimization.
• Create and deliver presentations on programs, project, and initiatives as needed.
• Organize and oversee day-to-day activities, plan and document workflow, establish and monitor timelines, facilitate communication among faculty, graduate students, staff, and study participants, and assist team members with technical or logistical tasks, including scheduling, planning, and IT support.
• Develop and implement program, project and initiative level processes, procedures and performance metrics as needed to support team goals.
• Actively participate in process improvement initiatives that impact the way we manage projects via modern business tools, processes, and metrics.
• Manage reporting and analysis tools for project management and implementation processes.
• Define key objectives for teams, clearly communicating the definition of success for college leadership and directors leading each function.

‍