The Academic Project Manager plays an integral role in the successful execution of strategic academic initiatives within the University. This position is responsible for the planning, execution, monitoring, and closure of projects assigned to the Office of Project Management. The role demands close collaboration with a wide range of stakeholders, including academic leadership, project sponsors, process/product owners, business analysts, vendors, and technical teams. By employing a blend of agile and waterfall methodologies, the Academic Project Manager ensures projects are completed on time, within  scope, and budget, with a focus on innovation and efficiency. This position reports to the Senior Director of the Office of Project Management. The ideal candidate is innovative technically proficient, collaborative, experienced in course and academic program development, and an adaptable decision makes with excellent planning and presentation skills. Strong analytical and communication skills, and experience managing projects are essential. This is a full-time, hybrid role with a minimum of two days required per week at Excelsior's home office in Albany, NY, with the remainder of the days worked from home. Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate cross-functional teams to ensure successful project execution aligned with the University's strategic goals and academic standards.
• Engage with stakeholders to define project scope, goals, teams, and deliverables, promoting transparency and collaborative decision-making.
• Coordinate and oversee the comprehensive planning, execution, and delivery of program launch activities, ensuring alignment with academic objectives and fostering collaboration among cross-functional teams to achieve success.
• Lead ongoing process improvement initiatives, working closely with academic leadership to identify, analyze, and document inefficiencies, and recommend and implement solutions to enhance project execution and outcomes.
• Manage both internal and external resources, including third parties/vendors, to ensure that all projects are delivered on time, within scope, and within budget.
• Work closely with project resources and process/product owners, to effectively plan and execute tasks related to projects, including communication and change management plans
• Proactively identify and assess potential risks, threats, inefficiencies, and challenges, working with stakeholders to develop and implement effective mitigation strategies.
• Lead conversations to learn, analyze, solution and document business processes and requirements.
• Maintain a broad understanding of business processes related to project work.
• Represent the Office of Project Management on committees as needed.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree is required. Three to five years of related experience, ideally in higher education.
• Certification related to Project Management preferred.
• Ability to lead and manage cross-functional project teams, building consensus among diverse stakeholder groups.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, capable of engaging with technical and non-technical users.
• Excellent organizational, analytical, and decision-making skills, including the demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines while providing quality customer service and solutions.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in Higher Education
• Certification in Project Management

The hiring salary range for this position is $80,000.00 - $90,000.00. The hiring salary range above represents the University's good faith estimate at the time of posting.