Western Governors University is committed to expanding access to higher education through innovative online programs. The Project Manager IV in People & Talent will oversee complex projects that align with organizational strategy, ensuring effective risk management and stakeholder communication while fostering a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement.
Responsibilities:
- Leads all phases of complex, cross-functional projects to ensure alignment with departmental strategy and organizational priorities, from concept/vision through successful completion
- Develops and executes comprehensive project plans and schedules, leveraging data analysis and organizational insights to optimize resource allocation, manage risks, and achieve key milestones
- Maintains effective communication and coordination among project teams and stakeholders, providing timely updates on project status, risks, and critical issues that may impact outcomes
- Champions a collaborative, student-centered culture by partnering with internal and external stakeholders to drive innovation and continuous improvement
- Provides strategic leadership, mentorship, and professional development to project managers and other associates, fostering a high-performing and accountable team
- Ensures accurate project documentation, reporting, and record-keeping to support transparency, informed decision-making, and organizational learning
- Influences and guides team actions in alignment with departmental priorities and proactively identifies process enhancements to advance organizational goals
- Performs other related duties as assigned
Requirements:
- Bachelors Degree
- 7+ years of related experience
- Project Management certification (PMP or equivalent)
- Deep understanding of project management methodologies (e.g., Agile, Waterfall, Lean, Six Sigma) and change management frameworks (e.g., ProSci)
- Advanced knowledge of data analysis, requirements gathering, reporting tools, and performance metrics to inform decision-making and continuous improvement
- Familiarity with higher education operations, and/or human resources management
- Knowledge of systems thinking and process optimization principles
- Strategic thinking and the ability to develop technical and business requirements from visionary concepts and align project outcomes with organizational goals
- Advanced stakeholder management and negotiation skills, including the ability to build consensus and manage conflict
- Expertise in conducting project retrospectives and translating lessons learned into actionable recommendations
- High proficiency in project management software (e.g., MS Project, Smartsheet, Asana, Jira) and collaboration tools
- Strong analytical skills for evaluating complex data, distilling high-level ideas into actionable tasks and milestones, identifying trends, and making evidence-based recommendations
- Ability to lead high-performing, cross-functional teams in a dynamic environment
- Ability to manage multiple, large-scale projects simultaneously while maintaining attention to detail
- Ability to adapt to ambiguity and rapidly changing priorities, demonstrating curiosity, resilience, and flexibility
- Ability to drive process improvements and foster a culture of innovation and accountability
- Ability to communicate complex technical and strategic concepts to diverse audiences, including executive leadership
- Ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise discretion with sensitive information
- Black Belt or Master Black Belt certification
- Lean Silver or Gold certification
- Professional experience in a role that required extensive change management
- Excellent understanding of Change Management theory/techniques, and implementation
- Management skills in a large and distributed organization (5000+ employees)
- Professional experience in strategic planning and risk management
- Professional experience in product management or product development