Lead Project Manager, Institutional Digital Strategy

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Job Type:

Employee

Duration in Months (for fixed-term jobs):

23

Job Family:

Project Management

# of Open Positions:

1

Faculty/Service - Department:

Administration Office, Office of the Vice-President, Academic Affairs

Campus:

Main Campus

Union Affiliation:

N/A

Date Posted (YYYY/MM/DD):

2025/08/14

Applications must be received BEFORE (YYYY/MM/DD):

2025/08/25

Hours per week:

35

Salary Grade:

Non-Union Grade NM1

Salary Range:

$104,880.00 - $131,101.00

Position purpose

Working under the Office of the Provost and Vice-President, Academic Affairs, manages strategic projects related to implementation of the University’s digital strategy. Plans, co-ordinates and monitors transformation projects by engaging internal and external stakeholders. Ensures projects are delivered on time, on budget and in compliance with objectives.

Plays a key role in aligning projects with the University’s academic priorities and in adopting sound, collaborative project management practices, working with stakeholders to identify and mitigate risks.

Works closely with University executives at various levels, and supervises the evaluation of projects, procedures and operational requirements. Makes decisions and formulates recommendations in line with strategic and operational guidance.

Specific accountabilities

• Strategic project management: Designs and implements a project management framework for the University to support the digital transformation. Develops project plans that address all critical aspects (objectives, risks, budgets, deadlines and performance indicators). Ensures stakeholders are engaged and objectives are achieved on time by promoting transparency and communications strategies on project progress to meet all stakeholders’ needs.
• Governance and performance: Establishes and maintains a strategic project dashboard to monitor performance indicators, developing data collection and analysis tools, co-ordinating evaluations and preparing reports to support decision-making. Formulates recommendations on project prioritization, performance improvement and project impacts.
• Project development and outlining: Leads the development of feasibility studies, concepts, specifications and budget estimates. Sets project objectives in line with the University’s strategic priorities. Develops work plans and implementation schedules.
• Communication and engagement: Develops and implements communications strategies to foster commitment to projects and drive change so the intended results can be delivered. Prepares executive reports, presentations and assessments for decision-makers. Represents the University in dealings with internal and external partners.
• Leadership and cross-functional co-ordination: Leads collaboration among faculties, services and partners to support alignment with University objectives. Leads project governance authorities, and promotes best practices for project management. Supervises external suppliers and ensures compliance with contractual agreements.
• Strategic advice and expertise: Advises the leadership team on project management, governance and digital transformation. Helps to develop management frameworks and continuous improvement processes. Helps to develop a centre for digital excellence and disseminate best practices.

Knowledge, experience and skills

•            University degree in administration, project management or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience

•            At least seven years of experience in managing major multidisciplinary projects in a university setting or related area

•            Professional certification in project management

•            Experience in managing interdisciplinary project teams, managing multi-year projects, analyzing needs, compiling estimates, analyzing risks and proposing mitigation strategies

•            Proven experience in managing project portfolios, leading committees and performing cross-functional co-ordination

•            Knowledge and experience related to delivering projects based on Agile methods

•            Knowledge and experience related to change management methods

•            Experience with digital transformation projects in an academic setting

•            Ability to manage the expectations of internal and external stakeholders

•            Proven leadership and ability to influence decisions at all levels

•            Excellent interpersonal, communication and problem-solving skills

•            Ability to function in a complex, dynamic, high-profile environment

•            Initiative, ability to work independently and ability to multitask

•            Bilingualism — English and French (spoken and written)

*This position may be eligible for a telework arrangement. Learn more about our telework guidelines click here

#LI-Hybrid

Key Competencies at uOttawa:
Here are the required competencies for all or our employees at uOttawa: 

Planning: Organize in time a series of actions or events in order to realize an objective or a project. Plan and organize own work and priorities in regular daily activities.
Initiative: Demonstrate creativity and initiative to suggest improvements and encourage positive results. Is proactive and self-starting. Show availability and willingness to go above and beyond whenever it is possible.
Client Service Orientation: Help or serve others to meet their needs. This implies anticipating and identifying the needs of internal and external clients and finding solutions on how to meet them.
Teamwork and Cooperation: Cooperate and work well with other members of the team to reach common goal(s). Accept and give constructive feedback. Able to adjust own behaviour to reach the goals of the team.

The University of Ottawa embraces diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We are passionate about our people and committed to employment equity. We foster a culture of respect, teamwork and inclusion, where collaboration, innovation, and creativity fuel our quest for research and teaching excellence. While all qualified persons are invited to apply, we welcome applications from qualified Indigenous persons, racialized persons, persons with disabilities, women and LGBTQIA2S+ persons. The University is committed to creating and maintaining an accessible, barrier-free work environment. The University is also committed to working with applicants with disabilities requesting accommodation during the recruitment, assessment and selection processes. Applicants with disabilities may contact hrtalentmanagement@uottawa.ca to communicate the accommodation need. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

Note: if this is a union position: The hiring process will be governed by the current collective agreement related to the union affiliation noted above; you can click here to find out more.

If this is a front-line position with responsibilities to interact with students, selected candidates must be rated at the Low Advanced proficiency level or higher for both oral comprehension and reading comprehension in their second official language. The rating is determined by a proficiency test designed by the Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute.

Prior to May 1, 2022, the University required all students, faculty, staff, and visitors (including contractors) to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 as defined in Policy 129 – Covid-19 Vaccination. This policy was suspended effective May 1, 2022 but may be reinstated at any point in the future depending on public health guidelines and the recommendations of experts.