Project and Change Manager

PROJECT AND CHANGE MANAGER

Reporting to the Senior Director, Project Management, this role will support the organization by managing projects and driving successful adoption of strategic changes across the organization. This role combines project management expertise with change leadership to ensure initiatives are delivered on time, within scope, and with lasting impact.

The Project Manager will work under the direction of each project sponsor to create a project charter and detailed work plan, oversee the acquisition of resources, manage the scope, budget and work plan activities, track and resolve issues and provide regular progress reports.

Classification Position Term

Level 5 - Professional 3 Year Term Position – Full time

Know-How

Practical / Technical Knowledge

•  A diploma or degree in Business Administration, Project Management, Information Technology or Public Administration or equivalent.
• At least 5 years of progressive experience in leading cross functional project teams and change leadership, with experience in a variety of project types such as developing business strategy, digital transformation, system implementations, process redesign, data management, etc.
• Project Management Professional (PMP) or Certified Association of Project Management (CAPM) designation.
• PROSCI or other change management certification and/or process design certifications is a strong asset.
• Knowledge of a variety of facilitation techniques to effectively guide teams and stakeholders.
• Highly competent computer proficiency using Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, Project Management tools with adaptability to learn new applications.
• Familiarity with Project Management methodologies and the appropriate times to deploy, such as: PRINCE2, Waterfall, Scrum, Agile, Lean, Kanban, PMBOK, and XP
• Experience implementing software solutions such as CRM, financial applications, insurance, pension and benefit programs is an asset.
• Demonstrated experience in the full cycle development of product and service offerings, including opportunity identification, RFP, assessment, design and development, launch, implementation, and operations is an asset.
• Management consulting experience is an asset.

Skills and Attributes

•  Highly organized, detail-oriented team player with a positive and get it done attitude, that follows through with their commitments.
• Excellent facilitation and consulting skills. Comfortable working with diverse groups of people with competing needs.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to lead work teams of colleagues, manage workflows and deliver outcomes.
• Communicates with clarity, empathy and influence – adapting messages to diverse audiences, actively listening, resolving conflicts and driving engagement through strategic story telling and facilitation.
• Strong initiative and ability to work independently with minimal supervision to meet deadlines and work concurrently on a variety of projects.
• Advanced analytical and problem resolution capabilities with the ability to analyze a situation, consider all options, and anticipate outcomes before providing recommendations.
• Well-developed interpersonal skills and proven ability to develop and maintain effective and collaborative relationships, strategic networks and partnerships.
• Ability to diagnose project or system problems through research and discussion with subject matter experts, vendors and users.
• Proactively anticipate and resolve issues with agility and adaptability, applying a flexible approach to problem-solving in dynamic environments.
• Demonstrated experience in implementing large change initiatives and knowledge of change management practices.
• Highly motivated change agent who can motivate and influence others.
• Curious, open to new ideas, and passionate about learning; including exploring new areas of potential opportunity.
• Business acumen, including understanding of business practices and ability to prepare and/or assess business cases.
• Ability to formulate budgets, prepare contracts and track costs.

Responsibilities

•  Develop and execute the project plan including defining project scope, governance structure, milestones, resource plan, risk assessment, and project dependencies.
• Responsible for the day-to-day progress of the project, identifying and working to address/ remove any barriers to maintain project progress.
• Identify resource requirements and RACI matrices for the project and coordinate processes to secure any required external resources, ensuring that all project team members are well versed in their roles and responsibilities.
• Design and implement change management strategies to support project success.
• Conduct impact assessments, stakeholder analysis, communications and training plans to support adoption.
• Manage product costs, time, scope, and quality of the project and product within approved specifications.
• Preparing and delivering project updates, reports, and presentations tailored to various audiences. Monitor and report on the objectives, critical path and milestones of the project.
• Develop and maintain a risk register and escalate project risks (scope, time, budget, resourcing) to the project sponsor and/or project steering committee.
• Act as the liaison among different stakeholder groups and manage the performance of and relationships with external resources including external vendors participating in the project. Coordinate work with any vendors participating in the project.
• Develop and execute the change management and communications plans.
• Develop and facilitate clear, timely, and consistent communication with stakeholders, team members, and leadership.
• Chair internal project team and steering committee meetings, document the key decisions and communicate the project health (including cost, time, scope) to the project sponsor and project owner.
• Ensure project artifacts are documented and stored on the SharePoint site.
• Maintain a RAID log (risks, actions, issues and decisions) and coordinate the action of change requests, action/issues, key decisions, contract approvals and related project documentation.
• Identify, track, and manage project issues, risks, and action items including escalating items as deemed necessary.
• Responsible for defining and executing a transition plan to the business line to transition ongoing vendor management and operationalization of the project outcomes.
• Responsible for project closure including documentation and sharing of lessons learned and opportunities for improvement.
• Prepare contracts and manage the performance of external resources, report any concerns to the project sponsor as the signatory of the contract and review invoices and recommend payment to the project sponsor.